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Longwood College has received the largest capital gift in the history of the college from Longwood alumna Joan Perry Brock and Macon F. Brock, Jr., of Virginia Beach. The $3 million gift is designated for a Longwood capital project to be known as Brock Commons--a beautifully landscaped promenade that will encompass the closing of Pine Street to vehicles and the re-design of that space to a pedestrian mall and central focal point for the college. Existing on-street parking on Pine Street will be relocated on campus and Redford Street will remain open, providing two-way access for emergency vehicles and normal traffic across Pine Street from Main Street to Griffin Boulevard. College officials will be working closely with the Farmville Town Council as this plan develops to ensure that the needs of both the town and the college are met. Brock Commons will have a major, positive impact on Longwood College according to President Cormier--“It pulls the campus together, we will feel more like a true campus community now.”
Joan Perry Brock, Class of 1964, is the latest recipient of Longwood's Distinguished Alumni Community Service Award. For many years she has worked to expand educational opportunities for young people. She serves as president of the Tidewater Scholarship Foundation whose ACCESS program helps students find financial aid and scholarships. She also serves on the board of trustees of Virginia Wesleyan College and the Chrysler Museum of Art and is a former vice-president of the Tidewater Performing Arts Society. Last year, she was selected as the “1999 Woman of the Year” by the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center. Most recently, the Brocks were presented with the 2000 Hope Award by the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Regarding the support of her alma mater, Mrs. Brock stated recently, “Longwood College provided me with not only a valuable education, but lifelong friends. This lead gift is my way of showing appreciation to Longwood which has added so much depth to my life.” The Brocks’ support of higher education also has extended to Randolph-Macon College, of which Macon Brock is an alumnus and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The Brocks provided one of three leadership gifts to Brock Center, a multi-purpose, $9 million athletic facility that opened on the Randolph-Macon campus in 1998. |
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Longwood
Alumna honors college with Major Gift 
Brock
Commons will run the length of the campus and provide a congenial
and friendly atmosphere for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
According to Longwood president Patricia P. Cormier, “this
idea has been a dream of ours for many years and, thanks to Joan
and Macon Brock, that dream will soon become a reality. Brock Commons
will not only enhance the beauty of our campus, it will also make
our campus much safer for students with the closing of Pine Street.”
The
Brocks are major shareholders and co-founders of Dollar Tree Stores,
Inc., founded in 1986. The company operates over 1,600 stores in
35 states under the names Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, and Dollar
Express.