Ora Nelson
Contributor
New Residence Hall is being renamed to Rushing Hall in honor of Lewis and Sue Rushing.
“The Rushings have made an incredible contribution, and I’m very proud to have them involved at Troy University,” said Major Gen. Walter Givhan, the senior vice chancellor for advancement and economic development at Troy. “We are going to recognize them by naming Rushing Hall in honor of them.”Both Lewis and Sue Rushing graduated from Troy State University in 1965 and decided to start giving back to the place that contributed to the people they are today.”
Givhan said the Rushings are an example to current students and alumni of what one can go out into the world and do with an education from Troy University.
“They (Mr. and Mrs. Rushing) set a great example as those who have taken their Troy education and gone out into the world, achieved success and given back to the community,” Givhan said.
“It’s a great honor,” Lewis Rushing said in an interview with Trojan Vision. “We think about our kids and our grandkids.
“They can come through the campus, and there’s the name. It’s part of their lives and part of our lives, and we’re just so fortunate that Troy’s done that for us.”
The Rushings’ gift to the university is to go toward the students at Troy and will be held in the Troy Foundation until the university decides the best way it will benefit the students. “All along, this has been about the students and will continue be about the students,” Givhan said.
“This (contribution) is not a one-time thing for the Rushings,” Givhan said. “They have really reconnected with Troy, and Mr. Rushing has agreed to serve on the Troy University Foundation board, so he will be very much involved in what more we can do for our students.”
“The best barometer of strength of a university is the success of its alumni,” Chancellor Jack Hawkins said. “They (the Rushings) are outstanding Trojans, and it has been a pleasure to get to know them and share their excitement!”
A dedication ceremony will be held in front of Rushing Hall on Saturday, Sept. 1, at 1:30 p.m. Lewis and Sue Rushing will attend with many of their family members for the renaming.
