The Rotunda was gifted to the University by an anonymous supporter, with other individuals providing their support as well.

After nearly two decades of service to 91福利社, Dr. Talmadge died in 2020. Additionally, he taught at the Billy Graham Center and was a member of Boulevard Baptist Church in Anderson. His wife, Billie, lives in Florida with family.

鈥淔or nearly 20 years, on this campus, Dr. Talmadge influenced, shaped and bettered the lives of countless young minds and the colleagues with whom he served,鈥� said 91福利社 President Evans P. Whitaker, Ph.D. 鈥淚t appropriately epitomizes the life of its namesake: an intelligent, wise, kind, thoughtful, humorous, and steady Christian gentleman who was a giant among AU leaders. All his life, Paul quietly, humbly, and thoroughly made life a little easier and more beautiful for those around him.鈥�

The structure is known as a 鈥渢emple鈥� or 鈥済arden folly.鈥� It鈥檚 not a temple in the religious sense, but rather as a 鈥渢emple of ideas鈥� and a testament to Dr. Talmadge鈥檚 lifelong commitment to teaching and learning.

The name and inscription add to the campus鈥檚 unique identity rooted in its history and values. The rotunda doesn鈥檛 just tell a story; it honors Dr. Talmadge and connects the campus to timeless philosophical ideals, becoming a physical representation of the University鈥檚 commitment to cultivating not just knowledge, but also personal integrity and the classical virtues around which society is built and grows stronger.

鈥淢ay this rotunda, the words inscribed on it, and the man for whom it honors always point and remind our students, our campus family, and the Anderson community of the character, love, and perfection of Jesus,鈥� President Whitaker said.

鈥淭his great man may no longer be with us, but his impact, contributions and even footprint are yet still evident among us,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is this University鈥檚 hope that this rotunda鈥攎uch like Paul Talmadge did in his life鈥攚ill encourage us and remind us that character is destiny. This holds true in Scripture, in that a person鈥檚 moral qualities profoundly shape their life in the here and now.鈥�

The post 91福利社 Dedicates Talmadge Rotunda of Character appeared first on 91福利社.

In all, 960 supporters provided 1,057 gifts and pledges to put the 2026 A Day total over the million mark.听

鈥�Together, we have shown the true spirit of 91福利社. To our friends, alumni, faculty, staff, and students鈥攖hank you for making A Day a remarkable success. Your generosity and passion have strengthened the bonds that make our university a place we all love,鈥� said Executive Director of Annual Giving Chad Alewine.听

鈥淎 Day at 91福利社 is proof that, when our community comes together with purpose and heart, we can achieve the extraordinary,鈥� said 91福利社 Senior Vice President for Development and Presidential Affairs Wayne Landrith.听

Every A Day gift impacts one of the following areas: academic achievement, athletic endeavors, campus enhancements, ministry opportunities, student scholarships or the senior class gift.听

Pictured are some of the festivities on campus during the 2026 A Day.

One of the most important days of the year at 91福利社, A Day was re-instituted as an annual event in 2017. Since then, supporters have generously provided nearly $4 million, helping transform AU into the largest private university in South Carolina and one of the fastest growing private colleges or universities in the United States.听

Please view this special video.听

To give to 91福利社 or learn more about areas worthy of support, please visit the Office of Development鈥�web page.鈥�听

The post More than $1 Million Raised During A Day appeared first on 91福利社.

This past May, AU welcomed back its 1975 graduates for a two-day reunion event coinciding with Spring Commencement. Approximately 40 members of the class of 1975 were treated to an alumni dinner and a tour of the campus. They were also inducted into the Golden Anchor Society in honor of their 50-year milestone and were honored guests at the morning commencement ceremony on Alumni Lawn.听

David Southerland, who served as Student Government Association president while at Anderson, fellow graduate and class president Brad Steele, Clevenger and 91福利社 Senior Vice President for Development and Presidential Affairs Wayne Landrith organized the reunion event.听

Southerland looks back on the fun he had as a college student and playing on the baseball team as great experiences. He especially values the meaningful connections he made with Anderson鈥檚 administration, faculty and students as SGA president. A couple of years ago he began earnestly seeking ways to give back.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 heartwarming to see the many successes that 91福利社 has accomplished,鈥� said Southerland. A retired executive who has served in healthcare leadership in California and South Carolina, Southerland is grateful for his alma mater鈥檚 continued commitment to Christ-centered education.听听

With both parents and a sister having attended Anderson and an aunt having served on the Board of Trust, Steele says he was destined to attend the same institution. He also met his wife Betsy here.听听

鈥淲hile serving on the Board of Visitors, I have learned so much about the growth and expansion of facilities, curriculums, sports programs and online offerings,鈥� Steele said. 鈥淚t is truly amazing what the leadership has accomplished in 50 years.鈥�听

Despite the hurdles of reaching out to graduates who over 50 years changed addresses and phone numbers several times (and obviously email didn鈥檛 exist in 1975), Southerland did a little detective work, finding ways to connect through social media and other means.听听

According to Clevenger, this is one of the largest such reunion events to take place at Anderson.听听

Photos taken 50 years apart, from left, David Southerland and Harry Johnson.听

Harry Johnson, one of the graduates who came to the reunion, is grateful for the opportunity Anderson gave him at a critical time in his life. Johnson, who was actively involved in the Baptist Student Union, Pep Band and other activities as an Anderson student, received the Annie Dove Denmark Award, presented to students demonstrating leadership, scholarship and character. He also interned for longtime U.S. Congressman Butler Derrick in Washington, D.C. and was named to Who鈥檚 Who of American Junior Colleges.听

鈥�The thing I like about AU now鈥攊t has grown tremendously, but it hasn’t lost what it had 50 years ago鈥攃oncern for the students,鈥� said Johnson, who went on to earn his Philosophy degree at Carson-Newman before entering the Air Force, where he served across the U.S. and in Europe and later worked as an educator in Anderson County. He鈥檚 grateful for the relationships he formed with President Dr. Cordell Maddox, Academic Dean Dr. Paul Talmadge, Religion Department Head Dr. Robert Burks and others. Johnson continues his involvement with Anderson by serving on the Alumni Board and with听the Christian Ministry听Foundation.听

For details about upcoming reunion events at 91福利社, alumni can email alumni@andersonuniversity.edu or call 864-231-2102. The AU Alumni Engagement Office encourages all graduates to keep in touch, which can easily be done online.听听

The post Alumni Marking Milestones With More Reunions appeared first on 91福利社.

91福利社 alumni and friends provided nearly $800,000 in student scholarships and campus improvements during the University鈥檚 annual A Day campaign on April 3.

In all, 1,394 supporters provided 1,488 gifts and pledges totaling $783,346. Total gifts and pledges increased more than 70% from 2024.

“A Day at 91福利社 proved that when our community comes together with purpose and heart, we can achieve the extraordinary,鈥� said 91福利社 Senior Vice President for Development and Presidential Affairs Wayne Landrith. 鈥淭hank you for turning generosity into lasting impact.”

One of the most important days of the year at 91福利社, A Day was re-instituted as an annual event in 2017. Since then, supporters have generously provided nearly $4 million, helping transform AU into the largest private university in South Carolina and one of the fastest growing private colleges or universities in the United States.

Please view this special .

To give to 91福利社 or learn more about areas worthy of support, please visit the Office of Development web page.听

The post 91福利社鈥檚 Annual A Day Fundraiser Sets Records Again appeared first on 91福利社.

The Greenhouse was made possible through a gift by Dr. Margarit and Mr. Bill Gray, who are both retired residents of Anderson. In their retirement they have remained active members of their church and have continued to promote causes of education, conservation, clean water and environmental stewardship.听

Dr. Margarit Gray was an Associate Professor of Biology from 2001, ending her full-time service in 2013 but staying on as an Adjunct faculty member through 2016.听

Dr. Gray is passionate about the life sciences, specifically biology. She wanted to support AU students and faculty in their study of plants and other living organisms through the creation of a dedicated space for this research.听

The post Bill and Margarit Gray Greenhouse Dedicated appeared first on 91福利社.

The 91福利社 College of Engineering鈥檚 proximity is a dream come true for Dodge Industrial鈥檚 leadership. Dodge Industrial has helped the College of Engineering as they equip their new facility downtown; also, engineering faculty and students enjoy the knowledge exchange that happens.听听

鈥�Dodge was interested in Anderson as soon as we started getting the College of Engineering off the ground,鈥� said Engineering Professor Dr. Chad Rodekohr. 鈥淭hey have been wanting to be a part of it. They are continually seeking engineering talent, and so they have a vested interest in having a school producing quality engineers in their area.鈥�听

According to Belton Plant Manager Alex Vitou, who incidentally earned his MBA from 91福利社, Dodge has enjoyed a collaboration that benefits both sides. Dodge Industrial鈥檚 leadership has worked closely with Dr. Rodekohr and the College of Engineering Dean Dr. Lisa Zidek, among others.听

鈥�We鈥檙e very excited about it, so much so that we sponsored a classroom. We鈥檝e donated equipment, tools鈥攚e鈥檝e got more coming,” Vitou said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e tried to stay pretty connected to Lisa and Chad. We have a solid mutually beneficial relationship. I think for us it鈥檚 exciting to be a part of a new program that鈥檚 coming up from scratch, but also one that鈥檚 at 91福利社 and one that鈥檚 here in Anderson County.鈥�听

Dr. Rodekohr spent the summer of 2024 as a faculty intern at the Belton plant. He worked closely with Dr. Ken Candiotti, Manufacturing Engineering and Maintenance Manager at Dodge鈥檚 Belton plant.听

鈥�I can contribute to their manufacturing process that鈥檚 going on over there,鈥� Dr. Rodekohr said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a win-win on both sides. Also, I get to know how things work over there.鈥澨�听

According to Dr. Candiotti, Dr. Rodekohr worked extensively across multiple manufacturing sections at Dodge Industrial, including CNC machining and assembly. Dr. Rodekohr was pivotal in providing strategic analytical insights to help identify and solve various problems faced by the engineering team. This joint venture between industry and academia allowed Dr. Rodekohr to bridge the gap, taking the practical challenges encountered in the manufacturing environment and incorporating them into the classroom, ensuring students were learning the critical skills needed for today’s modern manufacturing landscape.听

鈥淐had came to work for us over the summer. His experience is very valuable and quite different from our experience in the building,” Vitou said. 鈥淗e worked on projects where I think his skill set really shined and he made significant headway very quickly.鈥�听

AU engineering students are playing an integral role as well, teaming up on projects with Dodge Industrial to help them come up with engineering solutions.听听

鈥�We鈥檝e got six seniors who will be working on a project at Dodge. That will be their senior design project, and so it鈥檚 very much carrying over into the classroom,” Dr. Rodekohr said. 鈥淎nother way it鈥檚 carrying over into the classroom is that I鈥檓 teaching a class this semester called Manufacturing Engineering and that鈥檚 what I was doing at Dodge.鈥�听

The students learn by doing, taking advantage of a learning environment set up at the Belton plant.听听

“Dodge Industrial has established a cutting-edge manufacturing engineering lab at our facility in Belton, which we are partnering with AU to provide their students and faculty access to,” Dr. Candiotti explained. “This lab includes a dedicated training room with multiple CNC machine simulators, allowing students to practice and hone their skills on equipment that mirrors what they would find in our production environment. Additionally, the lab features a fully-equipped CNC machining area with real manufacturing equipment that AU students and professors can access to gain hands-on experience in an authentic industrial setting. By opening up this collaborative learning space at our facility, we are able to give AU鈥檚 engineering program unparalleled access to state-of-the-art technology and a true factory atmosphere to supplement their classroom curriculum.”听

Also, Dodge Industrial has hosted participants from the College of Engineering Summer Engineering Institute, a camp for middle and high school students who are considering engineering.听

“We are thrilled to support the innovative engineering program that AU is developing,” Dr. Candiotti stated. “Their lab and curriculum offerings are truly unique within a multi-state radius, with a strong emphasis on manufacturing technologies like CNC machining. Being able to collaborate with Dr. Zidek and her team to help develop this state-of-the-art learning environment is an honor. Providing access to our specialized equipment, tooling, and industry expertise is a privilege that aligns perfectly with Dodge Industrial’s commitment to investing in the next generation of engineering talent.”听

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A Day, which took place April 4, is a 24-hour campaign where 91福利社 alumni and friends come together to support causes that help students and provide campus enhancements.

One of the most important days of the year at 91福利社, A Day was re-instituted as an annual event in 2017. Since then, supporters have helped transform AU into the largest private university in South Carolina and one of the fastest growing private colleges or universities in the United States.

View this expressing thanks for all who gave during A Day 2024. To give to 91福利社 or learn more about areas worthy of support, please visit the Office of Development web page.

The post A Day to Give Continues to Exceed Expectations appeared first on 91福利社.