Lee University Celebrates ‘Find Us Faithful’ Campaign
September 30, 2016–Cleveland, TN—Completion of a five-year capital campaign that has seen the transformation of the south end of the Lee University campus, was the focus of a week-long set of activities that climaxed in a Friday morning service called “Celebration 2016.”
The centerpiece of the event was the dedication of the 41,000 square-foot, $15 million School of Nursing that opened last month. The three story structure is one of the three anchor buildings on the new south end of campus. Two years ago Lee held a similar event where a new Communication Arts Building was dedicated. Under construction and adjacent to the School of Nursing is the future home for the Department of Business, which will be located in a completely gutted and renovated educational wing of the former First Baptist Church of Cleveland.
Lee acquired the former church campus in 2010 and has transformed the six acres of real estate surrounding the property. In addition to the Communications Building, which sits on a former downtown retail space, Lee also dedicated the repurposed former sanctuary into a performance hall as part of Celebration 2014. The former parking area for the church is home to the School of Nursing and a new athletic field scheduled to host the inaugural season of intercollegiate lacrosse next spring.
On Friday morning, September 30, students, alumni and guests attended 40 “celebration seminars” located across campus. The 45 minute seminars featured speakers from all walks of life including actors, producers, medical professionals, and politicians. Classes were cancelled to allow students and faculty to participate.
Lee University President Dr. Paul Conn addresses the audience on Friday, September 30 during “Celebration 2016” (click photo to enlarge)
At 10:30, the university’s Conn Center was the location of the “Service of Celebration” led by Lee President Dr. Paul Conn. The 90 minute ceremony was filled with music from a Celebration Choir and orchestra, regalia, including 66 alumni and student representatives from 1956 – 2020 who marched with the faculty, and special recognitions. Distinguished Professor of English Dr. Carolyn Dirksen offered a reflection on behalf of the Lee University family. A litany of dedication was led by chairman of the Lee Board of Directors, Dennis Livingston, with a dedicatory prayer by Jerry Madden, also a board member. The highlight of the ceremony was an address by President Conn.
“Over the past 30 years, a lot has changed at Lee,” Conn said to a packed Conn Center audience. “We have gone from surviving to succeeding to thriving. However, as wonderful as this place may seem to us, we must continue to change…we must strive to become a truly significant voice in our culture, while still allowing our students to live out their dreams in a Christ-centered environment…our past inspires us and emboldens us to say, bring it on!”
Recognized by Conn or in the printed program were many who had made Find Us Faithful the successful $50 million campaign it was. Benefactors included the David Green family, owners of Hobby Lobby, Richard and Helen DeVos, founders of Amway, founder of Life Care Centers of America Forrest Preston, the Richard and Barbara Gaby Foundation, Pat Carroll and the Tucker Foundation. Special recognition was also given to Raymond Conn who President Conn referred to as, “the single most important influence on the development of Lee’s campus.”
Although dedicated previously, Celebration 2016 and the closing of the Find Us Faithful campaign highlighted the following: construction of The Chapel; construction of New Hughes Hall, a 126-bed men’s dormitory; acquisition and renovation of the former First Baptist church campus; construction of the Communication Arts Building; construction of the School of Nursing; development of the ten-acre South campus area; increasing endowment scholarships by $8 million, and completion of numerous small campus upgrades.
As part of Celebration 2016, recognition was given to President Conn and his wife, Darlia, who assumed the presidency of Lee on August 1, 1986 and have been leading the university for the past 30 years. Students celebrated the milestone during a special chapel service on Thursday, followed by a picnic on the grounds. Earlier in the week faculty and staff came together in Conn Center for a celebratory concert and recognition for Dr. and Mrs. Conn. In addition, the formal program for Celebration 2016 featured six pages of the past 30 years of transformational progress.
–Cameron Fisher, Church of God Communications
