Troy University News

April 23, 2004

Contact:
Tom Davis or Alison Hardy :
(334) 670-3196; tomdavis@troy.edu

Office of University Relations
253 Adams Administration
Troy, AL 36082
(334) 670-3196
(334) 670-3274 (fax)

Troy University dedicates new Quadrangle

     Troy University formally dedicated its revitalized Quad with a special ceremony Friday, April 23, highlighted by remarks from Dr. Jack Hawkins , Jr., Chancellor, and Earl Johnson, member of the Troy University National Alumni Association.
   Johnson’s leadership was instrumental in seeing the project to fruition, and he and his family gave the initial donation to the project.
   “A university is intended to stretch beyond the lifetime of any of us,” Johnson, who is mayor of Andalusia , said. “A university never retires, never finishes its course. It continually renews itself, and this fountain and revitalized Quad are part of that renewal of Troy University .”
   The project transformed the quadrangle in the center of campus into a pedestrian mall complete with brick-paved walkways, a 30-foot fountain, 80 new trees and a nine-foot statue of a Trojan warrior, designed by Troy alumnus Larry Strickland of Florala, as its centerpiece.
   The renovation project followed closely the original campus master plan outlined by the renowned Olmsted Brothers design firm of Brookline , Mass. The Olmsted family’s designs included Central Park in New York City and the grounds of the Biltmore Estate near Asheville , N.C. The Olmsted Brothers firm’s original designs for the Troy State Teachers’ College grounds were lost for decades until they were found at Troy City Hall in 1994.
   “Some 288 days ago as we stood here and broke ground I asked you to envision the plans for the Quad,” Dr. Hawkins said. “Today we are gathered here to celebrate vision- the vision of the Olmsted family, the vision of our National Alumni Association and the vision and generosity of those within the Troy University family who want the best for the great institution.”
   Also presenting remarks at the ceremony were Dr. Robert Pullen , Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who gave a historical perspective; and Visiting Professor Ta Tat Tang of the University of Dalat in Vietnam , who presented the international perspective. Dr. Jean Laliberte , Vice President of Advancement, served as emcee for the occasion.
   “The statue has become the icon of Troy University . It has no walls, just as Troy has no boundaries,” Lamar Higgins, a member of the Board of Trustees, said in his closing remarks