Jacksonville State University Board Approves Campus Namings and Other Facilities Changes

Jacksonville, AL –Per the Director of Strategic Communications for JSU, Buffy Lockette, on the one-year anniversary of the dedication of Hugh Merrill Hall, the JSU Board of Trustees passed an resolution that named one of departments that are housed in the building in honour of a fellow trustee and JSU alumnus Greg Brown. It was announced that the Department of Finance, Economics and Accounting will be referred to as”the “Greg D. Brown Department of Finance, Economics and Accounting.”

Brown has graduated in 1979 from JSU with a degree in mathematics and accounting in 1979. He spent the majority of his time as the President and CEO at BR Williams Trucking, Inc. A leader in the industry of transportation. He joined the board in 2016 and was appointed to the Board of Trustees, where his work includes being the chairperson of the Audit Committee – improving the process of evaluating the financials of the university and increasing its financial accountability.

The trustees also approved a plan for a change in the title of the Office of Graduate Studies to the “Graduate School” and also approved a plan to redesign and rename divisions in the College of Education and Professional Studies according to the following:

• The Department of Curriculum and Instruction as well as the Department of Secondary Education are becoming one Department of Teacher Education.
• The Department of Counseling and Instructional Support will be renamed to”the Department of Professional Counseling and Leadership.
• The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is now being renamed as to the Department of Career Technical Education and Professional Studies.

The board also approved a variety of names suggested from the Advancement Committee to recognize university donors and alumni, such as:

• The scoreboard at JSU Stadium will now be called”the “Ronnie Watkins Ford Scoreboard” to honor its Ronnie Watkins Ford dealership in Gadsden, Ala., which has been supporting the school for over 20 years.
• The locker room of the team in Jim Case Stadium will be designated”the “David Boatfield Team Locker Room” in honour of the 1983 alumni who was a ex- Gamecock ball player David Boatfield. The couple, along with their wife Cynthia an alumna from 1982 are long-time supporters of the school. They live in Allen, Tex.
• An interview room located in Merrill Hall will be named the “Guaranteed Labels Inc. interview room” to honor the Moody, Ala. business run by the 1990 JSU graduates Scott Noell and his wife, Kathy.

The trustees finally decided to proceed with the demolishment of Wallace Hall. The building was constructed in 1973. building housed the School of Nursing in the College of Health Professions and Wellness prior to the 2018 tornado. Its School of Nursing will start the fall 2023 semester at its new, modernized location located at JSU South Complex. JSU South Complex, formerly Jacksonville Hospital. Respiratory Therapy and Athletic Training are also housed in JSU South Complex. JSU South Complex. This property was given to JSU by the Regional Medical Center in 2018.