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By Megan Anderson
HOMETOWN NEWS
Limestone College’s new athletic building was dedicated to President Walt Griffin on Friday, following a unanimous recommendation from the school’s Board of Trustees.
“We wanted to distinguish his tenure, which has been grounded in character and integrity, and marked by thoughtful and insightful leadership,” Lyman Hamrick, former Board Chair, said.
A large group of friends and family, staff and students, gathered at the naming ceremony for the man who has served as the school’s president for the past 17 years.
“I am both humbled and flattered,” Griffin said. “This physical education building perfectly demonstrates the school’s balance between academics and athletics.”
With a new fitness center, a facility for the school’s athletic training program, classrooms and offices for faculty, and a practice area for the wrestling team, the Walt Griffin Physical Education Center is impressive.
But the 16,224-square foot facility is significant, not just for what it houses, but for what it represents.
As the school’s first new building in more than 30 years, the Physical Education Center signifies growth.
When Griffin took the helm in 1992, the school had just 273 on-campus students.
“It seemed there was a big dark cloud over the campus,” Hamrick said, explaining that enrollment and financial support were down, while operating costs were up.
But Limestone College now has 817 students living on-campus and is the largest private, accredited college in South Carolina. Under Griffin’s tutelage, the number of terminally degreed faculty is at an all-time high and the sports program has more than doubled. With donations up, budgets balanced, and enrollment more than tripled, things are looking good for the Cherokee County college.
“The dark clouds have now been replaced by sunshine,” Hamrick said.
Others agree.
“Dr. Griffin has truly brought Limestone College back to its historic glory,” said Dr. Chuck Cunning, Special Assistant to the President. “Walt Griffin has created a miracle of salvation at Limestone.”
While the ceremony was intended to honor Griffin’s achievements, the president used the opportunity to announce additional plans for growth on campus.
After undergoing several months of renovations, the Winnie Davis Hall of History will be completed in time for classes in January, and the school hopes to build a new 50-bed residence hall for next fall.
“But I have promises to keep,” Griffin concluded, citing Robert Frost’s words from ‘Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening’. “And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.”
megan@hometown-news.com
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