Evangel thankful to donors for new administration building
March 25, 2009
The president and vice presidents hold their first meeting in the new building, March 24, 2009.
From left: Jim Williams, Andy Denton, Dr. George Crawford, Dr. Robert H. Spence, Dr. Glenn Bernet,
Dr. David Bundrick.
The university's Institutional Advancement team coordinated fundraising efforts for the building. Here they are pictured on moving day, March 18, 2009.
Front row: Janet Earwood, Jeaneen McNew, Sherry Clopine, Brenda Lochner. Back row: Dennis Whaley, Chuck Cox, Jim Williams, Paul K. Logsdon.
Evangel University is celebrating the completion of the Ralph M. Riggs Administration Building.
Administrative personnel began moving into the building on March 3, and the transition from temporary offices will continue into the first week of April.
“The new administration building anchors our campus quadrangle and has become a welcoming face for Evangel’s campus,” said Paul K. Logsdon, public relations director for the university. “It contains the offices for the president, five vice presidents and their administrative support staff.”
Fundraising
University President Robert H. Spence emphasizes that the $11.5 million dollar project was made possible by donations and did not depend on student tuition revenue.
“I believe we have enjoyed the Lord’s favor in reaching this goal,” said Spence. “We have experienced marvelous participation by alumni, friends, businesses and employees of the university.”
“Our Institutional Advancement team has worked tirelessly to promote the campaign and share the need,” he added.
In addition to gifts from individuals, Evangel also received a challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation and generous funding by the General Council of the Assemblies of God.
A new campus
The Riggs building is the latest in a string of nine major construction products over the last 12 years. Administrators have long said, “The students will be first, and we will be last.” With that in mind, Evangel built two new, state-of-the art academic buildings, the student fitness center, a new cafeteria and student union, fine arts center, and baseball/softball complex, before erecting the administration building.
“I think students sense humility when they hear that it was the attitude of the administration to care about making Evangel a great place for the students first and them second,” said Bethany Bashioum, a senior journalism major from Independence, Mo.
“The new building positively affects the image of Evangel to the public and prospective students just because it is so beautiful,” she said.
Riggs Hall
Site preparation began in the summer of 2007, and the official groundbreaking ceremony for the building was held during Homecoming on Oct. 12, 2007.
The 69,000-square-foot facility is named in honor of the Rev. Ralph M. Riggs, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God 1953-59, who spearheaded the movement to establish Evangel University.
Dr. George O. Wood, current general superintendent of the Assemblies of God and 1962 alumnus, said that Riggs had the foresight and saw a need to have a college of arts and sciences. “Ralph Riggs should be a hero to all of us,” Dr. Wood said.
An open house will be announced soon, upon completion of move-in activities and landscaping, according to Logsdon. For more information, call the Public Relations Office at (417) 865-2811 ext. 7292.
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