RELEASED: November 5, 2009

By Abby Malik

DANVILLE, KY— On Friday, amid Homecoming and Board of Trustee meeting activities, the front lobby of Pearl Hall, Centre College's newest residence facility, was packed with students, faculty, staff, trustees and other community members to celebrate the official dedication of the building.

Opened in August 2008, Pearl Hall, which houses 146 students, was built in memory of Pearl Meader Brown and Pearl Brown Brockman, the grandmother and mother, respectively, of Robert "Bob" Brockman '63, chair of the Centre College Board of Trustees.

Brockman was on hand, along with several members of his family and several personal friends. He spoke to the crowd about how his Centre experience shaped his life and about the importance of giving back.

The dedication marked the 50th anniversary of the fall term when Brockman began his career as a student at Centre.

Centre President John Roush also addressed the crowd, asking that everyone offer their thanks to Brockman for making the celebration possible.

"Fifty years ago this fall, a young man arrived in Danville to begin his freshman year at Centre," Roush said. "Little did he know that as he moved into Breckinridge Hall, he was beginning a life of extraordinary achievement—achievement not just in terms of success in business, but in a life marked by a desire to provide others with the same opportunities that he has enjoyed."

Roush said that Pearl Hall represents a major step forward in terms of residential life at Centre.

"One of the things that makes residential liberal arts colleges special is the firm belief that academic, residential and extracurricular life should support one another in a seamless experience of intellectual, social and spiritual growth," Roush said. "This is particularly true at Centre. Bob Brockman's vision and generosity have enabled his college to create an even stronger living, learning environment."

Also at the dedication ceremony, Paige Hebard '10, a Pearl Hall resident assistant, talked about how much living in Pearl Hall during her senior year has meant to her.

"I feel very fortunate to live in Pearl Hall because it sets a new standard for residence life at Centre," Hebard said. "Pearl is not only a fresh, unique approach to housing, but it's also very innovative."

She continued: "Students take great pride in knowing that Pearl Hall was made possible by one of Centre's own. So, while Pearl is new to the Campus, it already has a story—one that portrays the gratitude for all that a mother and grandmother’s love can provide."

Not only is Pearl Hall special to students and the Centre community, but it is also an example of environmentally conscious building design that leads others in the state.

In April, it was officially designated Gold LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Pearl Hall is Kentucky's first building to attain Gold LEED certification and is the highest LEED-rated residence facility in the state.

And on the same day as the Pearl Hall dedication ceremony, Bluegrass Tomorrow—a regional coalition of businesses, farms and others who promote preservation and economic development in Central Kentucky—presented Centre with the prestigious "Vision Award for a Green Community" for Pearl Hall's Gold LEED certification.

This honor recognizes Pearl Hall and Centre's devotion to forward-thinking, smart projects that have a positive impact on citizens of Central Kentucky and Danville in particular.

In March, Pearl Hall won Heart of Danville's "Downtown Investment Heart of Gold Award" for the remarkable investment made by its construction in downtown Danville. Pearl Hall won this award before its Gold LEED certification was finalized in April 2009.

Have comments, suggestions, or story ideas? E-mail leigh.ivey@centre.edu with your feedback.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.