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A Dream Realized
With West Center
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Lois Rhame West ‘43, honored guests and members of the Winthrop
community gathered today at the site of the new Lois Rhame West
Health, Physical Education and Wellness Center for a cornerstone
unveiling ceremony.
West assisted with the unveiling of the cornerstone, which was
fashioned from a white marble slab original to Peabody Gymnasium.
President Anthony DiGiorgio; Board of Trustees Chair Mary Jean Martin;
Council of Student Leaders Chair Rich Fowler; Education Dean Patricia
Graham; Health and Physical Education Chair Stevie Chepko; and Vice
President for University Advancement Kathryn Holten also participated
in the ceremony to honor West.
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| “A Winthrop quality
education must offer students opportunities for engaging in,
appreciating and advancing in all aspects of |
| Lois Rhame
West sits in a gift of refurbished
seats from the old Peabody Gymnasium. Behind her are
physical education majors, Michael Owens, from left, Subira
Whipper and Dustin Bybee. |
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life: the aesthetic, the
intellectual, and yes,
the physical. We affirm all of those
commitments here today,” said DiGiorgio. |
The West Center will
honor the legacy of Lois Rhame West who graduated with a bachelor of
science degree in physical education. A year before she graduated, she
married John West, a future governor of South Carolina.
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“I am
honored and humbled for Winthrop’s newest building to bear my
name. I hope this environmentally-friendly center will bring out
the best in everyone, just as the Winthrop experience has always
brought out the best in all of its graduates,” West said.
As First Lady in the 1970s, she attained national and
international respect and recognition for her work on behalf of
the people of the state.
A tireless volunteer, she applied
her |
| President
Anthony DiGiorgio addresses a cornerstone ceremony crowd of
more than 220 people, including former S.C. Gov. Dick Riley
and his wife, Tunky. |
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leadership skills and
compassion to many worthy causes over the years, most notably the
national Muscular Dystrophy Association, |
| of which
she served as the first woman president. West has remained a
strong advocate for Winthrop through the years, most recently
having served as co-chair of the university’s first capital
campaign, “A Lasting Achievement: The Campaign for Winthrop.”
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