An Uncommon Celebration 

[Click here for the photo gallery of the dedication]
[Click here for the photo gallery of the evening events]

Although April 24 is a date that will be remembered for the Great Fire of 2001, it is now forever linked to a more uplifting and festive event - the grand opening and dedication of Brock Commons.

On a sunny day that could have been ordered by the local chamber of commerce, nearly 1,700 people joined in dedicating what President Patricia Cormier called "the most transforming physical feature on Longwood's campus in its 165-year history."

"Those of us who have been on campus watching Brock Commons turn from dust to mud to concrete to grass and trees appreciate it more than words can express," she said minutes before the long ribbon was cut by 105 students, faculty, staff and dignitaries on the plaza. "Brock Commons in all its beauty and architectural fascination has us all a bit awestruck. But it is much more than that. For the first time since the campus began to grow and develop, Longwood University now has a heart, a center, a front door. It has drawn us together as a community and as a campus. We have a new sense of pride in the aesthetics of the University, and surely it is safer and more convenient. On these walkways, memories will be made, knowledge will be exchanged, and most of all relationships will be built."

The project was made possible by a $3 million gift from Joan Perry Brock of Virginia Beach, a 1964 Longwood graduate, and her husband, Macon F. Brock Jr., chairman of the board of Dollar Tree Stores Inc., which he helped found. Their gift was the largest in Longwood history for a capital campaign and the largest from a living donor.

"Wow! Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this transformation of the campus; it's truly incredible," said Mrs. Brock. "When Dr. Cormier came to Macon and I several years ago with this vision, this dream, of changing the campus, well, I could visualize closing Pine Street, I could understand that - but an underground parking garage? Thanks to Dr. Cormier and her persistence and what I call 'bull-dog' determination, her dream has become a reality."

Others who spoke were Alicia Moody, the president of the Student Government Association, and Dr. Wayne McWee, interim dean of the College of Business & Economics. "The wait has been worth it," Ms. Moody said. "At first we saw Brock Commons as an inconvenience during its construction phase. Now, as Longwood enters a spring of improvement, optimism and high spirits, Brock Commons has become symbolic of a future in which Longwood achieves its full potential. Longwood now really looks and feels like the quality university that it is."

Dr. McWee noted that Brock Commons has "exceeded our expectations of how one physical feature could transform this campus. It will draw together the entire campus community and give us all the opportunity to interact casually with our colleagues, our students, our friends and our visitors."

As the ribbon was cut at 11:10 a.m., the 24 jets in the plaza fountain were turned on, shooting sprays of water six feet into the air. Among those who took part in the ribbon-cutting were the presidents of each class and representatives of nearly every student organization, department and office on campus, as well as Dr. Cormier, Mr. and Mrs. Brock, and Alice and Hugh Stallard of Richmond, who co-chaired Longwood's first comprehensive campaign, of which the Brocks' gift was a part. The campaign, called a turning point: The Campaign for Longwood, ended last June (a year ahead of schedule) after raising slightly more than $33 million. The goal was $32 million.

Brock Commons includes a landscaped, tiered plaza with two fountains, a pavilion and a colonnade. It also features new sod, trees and plants - probably five times more green space than before  - as well as new sidewalks and lighting. Underneath the plaza area is a new 142-space parking garage, made possible by the natural, formerly bowl-shaped topography of the middle of campus.

Brock Commons was designed by Ayers Saint Gross Architects & Planners of Baltimore, and the contractor was Branch & Associates Inc. of Roanoke. Brock Commons and the parking garage cost a total of $7.5 million: $3 million for Brock Commons, funded by the Brocks' gift, and $4.5 million for the parking garage, which is from bond funding being repaid by parking fees.

Also as part of the all-day April 24 festivities, Longwood celebrated the successful completion of the comprehensive campaign and officially renamed several rooms on campus in honor of major donors.

In the dining hall, the Lee Grand Dining Room honors the late Mary Farley Ames Lee '38, and Nance Salon and Lewis Salon the late Nellie Ward Nance '15 and the late Bertha McGrath Lewis. Orr Auditorium in the Hull Education Center recognizes the late Mary Kay Orr '64. Miller Gallery in the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts honors Harriet Butterworth Miller '51  and her husband, William Miller, and Rowe Gallery in the lobby of Lancaster Hall recognizes Bernice Beazley Rowe '70 and her husband, Dr. Henry Rowe, who donated the collection of Chinese art that is managed by the LCVA. The collection, which they established in 1994 and to which they continue to add, now numbers 232 pieces, of which some 103 works are on permanent display in Rowe Gallery. Dr. and Mrs. Rowe, who live in Gloucester, and Mr. and Mrs. Miller, of Richmond, attended the respective dedication ceremonies.

That evening, about 180 invited guests attended a campaign finale dinner in the Lee Grand Dining Room.

[Click here for the photo gallery of the dedication]
[Click here for the photo gallery of the evening events]