Hartsville, SC (PRESS RELEASE) – Coker College will open another new residential hall this fall. The new hall will open at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 20, 2015, marking the fourth consecutive academic year that Coker has opened a new residential facility for its students. The event will be free and open to the public.
The Susan K. and Walter N. George Residential Hall is named for Walt George, a five-year member of the Coker College Board of Trustees and the incoming Chair of the Board, and his wife, Susan.
“I have known and respected the Georges for many years,” said Coker College President Robert Wyatt, “but I am not the only one who is inspired by their generosity in giving back to their communities. Walt and his family are well known for their commitment to mentoring tomorrow’s leaders, and we are honored to be able to recognize that commitment.”
Housing 48 students in all, the 18,096 square-foot, three-story residence hall has 12 total apartments, with four students per unit. Each unit has a living room, a full kitchen, four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, cable television access, wireless Internet access, central air conditioning and individually programmed key-card access for security. The building has on-site parking, a laundry facility, spacious in-unit storage closets, and each floor has a common outdoor porch with eight rocking chairs.
“We are delighted to be able to play a small part in the Coker College legacy,” said George. “From the very first time we stepped on campus and had a chance to meet faculty, administrators, trustees and most importantly a very inspired and talented student population, we knew Coker was a very special place.”
George joined the Board of Trustees in 2010 and has served as Chair of the Promotion and Marketing Committee of the Board since 2012 and as Vice Chair since 2014. This fall, he will succeed Cindy Hartley as Chair of the Board.
The Georges reside in Fairway, Kan., and are members of Coker College’s Lifetime Giving Society, which honors the College’s most generous donors. Walt George retired as president of The American Italian Pasta Company and corporate vice president of Ralcorp Holdings in 2013. In addition to his service on Coker’s Board of Trustees, he serves on the Board of Old World Spice and Seasoning Company, Vision Bank, Freshpet, Inc. and The Morris Animal Foundation.
The Susan K. and Walter N. George Residential Hall is the second of six residential halls to be built over the next few years within The Village at Byerly Place as part of the Redefining Excellence campaign. The campaign also includes the new athletics facility, the Harris E. and Louise H. DeLoach Center, which opened in 2014.
Both residential halls in the Village at Byerly Place and the DeLoach Center were designed by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, with construction management services provided by Choate Construction.Release written by Director of Institutional Identity Laura Hoxworth. Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and professional success through a distinctive four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, S.C., Coker is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.
