1976 — The first Lander Medallions were awarded to Martha Thurmond Bishop and Lois Johnson Grier. 1977 — The Larry A. Jackson Library (65,000 square feet and costing $2.6M) was completed. This was the first academic building provided for Lander by the State of South Carolina.
Larry A. Jackson Library, 2012
1979 — The Boyce M. Grier Student Center (61,000 square feet and costing $3M) was opened to provide dining space, a bookstore and post office, and meeting and office space for the divisions of Student Affairs and University Advancement. The Lois Grier meeting/dining room on the building’s upper floor was named in honor of president Grier’s wife. The adjacent outdoor plaza was named Assembly Plaza to honor the work of the South Carolina General Assembly in support of higher education. 1980 — A dual-degree program for students who wished to study engineering was established in partnership with the School of Engineering at Clemson University. 1981 — A U.S. Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program was established in partnership with Presbyterian College. 1982 — The Carnell Learning Center (100,000 square feet) was completed at a cost of $6M. It was named in 1992 in honor of State Representative Marion P. Carnell for his leadership in the campaign to have Lander accepted as a state institution.
DeWitt Boyd Stone Jr.
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