With Mary Arthur and family looking on, Ferrum College will name its newest residence hall Arthur Hall, in honor of Ferrum’s 7th President, the late Dr. C. Ralph Arthur in a ceremony on Friday, May 12th.

    The building will be officially named "Arthur Hall" in memory of Dr. C. Ralph Arthur, Ferrum's 7th President who is entombed beneath Ferrum’s iconic bell tower. Many members of the Arthur family, the Ferrum College Board of Trustees, and the new USDA-Virginia Rural Development Director, Ellen Davis will attend. Arthur Hall’s construction was paid for with a one of the largest USDA loans of its type for higher education and the largest ever given to a single institution in Virginia. A high-resolution photo of the building can be found here: http://www.ferrum.edu/news/2006spring/arthurhall.jpg.

    The Reverend Dr. C. Ralph Arthur served as Ferrum College's 7th president, from 1954 to 1970. Through his extraordinary leadership and vision, Dr. Arthur left an indelible imprint on Ferrum College. His legacy continues today and is seen across campus in Ferrum's beautiful facilities, educational excellence, athletic accomplishments, and financial strength. A high-resolution photo of Dr. Arthur is available here: http://www.ferrum.edu/news/2006spring/arthur.jpg.

    Arthur Hall is a classically designed, apartment-style residence hall in the center of campus. Arthur Hall is a centerpiece of FerrumPLUS that opened to students in January, 2006 (video and photos of the move-in available here: http://www.ferrum.edu/news/2006spring/movein.htm). By the expected end of construction in late 2006, the campus will also feature a redesigned Franklin Hall, transformed into a multi-level student and alumni center. The expanded facility will include the Earl G. “Bud” Skeens Alumni Conference Center, sports and Internet cafés, new offices and dramatic exterior enhancements. Also included in the FerrumPLUS projects are the renovation of the historic Beckham and Roberts halls. Beckham was re-opened with a redesigned, state-of-the-art classroom-focused interior in the fall of 2005.