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Union Scholarship Banquet to feature Giuliani
 September 23, 2003 – Union University has announced former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani will be the keynote speaker for the Seventh Annual Scholarship Banquet at the Jackson's Carl Perkins Civic Center on Monday, Oct. 27, 2003. He is replacing former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who was forced to cancel his forthcoming trip to the U. S. for security reasons.
As mayor of New York, Giuliani directed the city's response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. His efforts to restore order and provide relief to the victims led to worldwide praise including being knighted by the Queen of England and named Person of the Year by Time magazine.
"While we are disappointed that Mr. Netanyahu will not be available for this year's scholarship banquet as originally scheduled, we are pleased and thankful that Mayor Rudy Giuliani is available to be with us," said Union President David S. Dockery. "He is a picture of leadership and has become a true American hero. The event promises to be an outstanding evening."
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Building
Science From the Ground Up
In a classroom on Union’s campus, a
biology professor is teaching students on the various
types of insects found in the West Tennessee region. Down
the hall, another class is learning about the different
forms of bacteria that exist in the area. Still another
class is learning how to put it all together in the form
of genetic engineering – learning how to control insect
populations with various bacterial methods while
conserving the resources around us. Research biologists
are being born.
Science, seen and unseen, plays a huge
part in how we eat, work, travel, the clothes we wear, and
even the furniture we sit on. In an increasing
technological age that demands our dependence on the
sciences, Union University is building for the future –
designing a high-tech new science building that will serve
the needs of future research chemists, pharmacists,
nurses, doctors and engineers for decades to come and in
turn, serve the West Tennessee community and beyond.
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Groundbreaking for Roy L. White Hall was held on
Friday morning, Dec. 6, 2002. Participating in the
ceremony were (from left to right) Jackson mayor
Charles Farmer; Campus Master Plan chair Gary
Taylor; Biology department chair James Huggins;
Madison County major Jerry Gist; TLM Associates
president Dennis Henderson; Chemistry/Physics
department chair Randy Johnston; President David S.
Dockery; Trustee and benefactor Roy L. White; and
Trustee chairman Mike Weeks. |
Sixth Annual
Scholarship Banquet brings record amounts for scholarships
and a helpful look at history
October 2, 2002 –
More than $400,000 was raised for student scholarships
from Union University’s Sixth Annual Scholarship Banquet
this year featuring keynote speaker James H. Baker, former
secretary of state under President George H. Bush, held
Tuesday night. An additional $402,000 was raised by the
university since the announcement was made last spring
that Baker would be speaking, bringing the total amount
raised for scholarships to over $802,000, the most ever
raised for one scholarship banquet at Union.
“How grateful we are for
the generous support by the friends of Union University,”
said Union President David S. Dockery. “These generous
gifts will help keep the excellent education provided by
Union accessible to numerous quality students in coming
years.”
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Union
University sees increase in alumni giving
September 18, 2002 –
More than 15 percent of Union University alumni are giving
back to their alma mater – a general increase from 10
percent five years ago. In an economically-challenged time
where many colleges and universities are hoping to simply
maintain their current alumni giving percentages, and
while some are even seeing decreases, Union’s
administration remains grateful for the support.
“Collectively, I think our
alumni sense the energy and the momentum occurring at the
university that results from the many new programs offered
as well as the wonderful new buildings and other
enhancements evident throughout the campus,” said Bob
Alsobrook, senior vice president of institutional
advancement. “They sense excitement about the good things
happening at their alma mater and they want to support
it.”
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Union
trustees approve plans for
science building in annual spring meeting
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Gary Carter (center), Senior Vice President for
Business Services, talks with trustee Ben Fesmire
(left) and his father, trustee emeritus Benny Fesmire,
Sr. |
April 9, 2002 –
Union University’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to
move forward with the university’s planned science
building project at the spring trustee meeting held the
first week of April. The Board also commended the
administration for the timely progress that had occurred
towards the completion of the university’s strategic plan,
and gave approval to a $37 million budget proposal for
2002-2003, a record-breaking budget for the university.
With the board’s full
consent to move forward with construction, plans for the
new building include completing the design and bid process
by November of 2002, holding a ceremonial ground breaking
by Christmas of this year, and to begin the actual site
work in the early Spring of 2003. The eighteen-month
construction phase will result with classes beginning in
the new Roy L. White Hall by 2005. The building is named
after Roy White, a successful businessman in Memphis who
as a member of Union’s board, has been a leader and major
financial contributor to the university.
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Union
University names fields after longtime local supporters
April 15, 2002 –
Union University’s Board of Trustees have voted to name
the university’s baseball and softball fields in honor of
Benny and Norma Fesmire of Jackson. The Fesmire Fields, as
they both will be known, are part of the athletic complex
to which the long-time Union supporters have contributed
more than $400,000 to the construction.
“Norma and I are humbled
that the Board would honor us in this way,” said Benny
Fesmire. “It is a beautiful facility and we are proud to
have our name associated with it.”
In 1954, the Fesmires moved
to Jackson and rented an apartment from the parents of
Union Athletic Director David Blackstock. A lifelong
friendship began as a result with Blackstock, and upon his
return to Union in 1973 as baseball coach and athletic
director, the Fesmires began their financial support and
involvement with the university.
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| Norma
Fesmire, Coach David Blackstock, and Coach Andy
Rushing hold the ribbon as Benny Fesmire and Union
Board of Trustee Chairman Jack Holmes cut the ribbon
during the dedication service for Fesmire Fields. |
Former Prime
Minister promises British
support for war against terrorism
 October
31, 2001 – “Britain will walk every step of the way,
every day, with America, until the completion of this war
is over and terrorism is put to an end.”
So said former Great Britain Prime
Minister John Major at Union University’s Fifth Annual
Scholarship Banquet, during his remarks made at the Carl
Perkins Civic Center, Tuesday evening, Oct. 30. The crowd,
which according to organizers, neared 1500 people,
responded with a spontaneous round of applause, causing
Major to pause for almost a full minute before continuing.
The fourth world leader to visit West Tennessee at the
invitation of Union, Major spoke on his own country’s
experience with terrorism during the Gulf War as well as
with the ongoing clashes with the IRA.
In 1991, during his seven-year term as
Prime Minister, Major was chairing a meeting of the Gulf
War Cabinet when 10 Downing Street was attacked by
terrorist missiles. Major resolved to proceed with
initiating the Northern Ireland Peace Process and
established counter-terrorism measures to protect the UK
mainland from further attack. Working closely with
President Bush and the Gulf coalition partners, Major
presided over anti-terrorist protection mechanisms and
instigated discussion at G7 Summits for coordinated action
against the spread of international terrorism.
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