Thursday, February 18, 2016

New Dorm to be Named for Pat & Bob Ayres

Regents Approve Other Campus Planning

At its recent meeting, the University of the South board of regents approved a resolution naming the new residence hall being built on Alabama Avenue “Ayres Hall” in recognition of the many contributions that Robert (C’49, H’74) and Patricia (H’98) Ayres have made to the University and the Sewanee community.

Robert Moss Ayres Jr. is a member of Sewanee’s class of 1949 and a businessman from San Antonio, Texas. His leadership during a time of fiscal crisis in the mid-1970s and his continued generous support of the school have led many to consider Ayres one of the “modern founders” of the University. As vice-chancellor from 1977 to 1988, Ayres imposed fiscal discipline and erased a $1.2 million deficit in the first five years of his service. Thanks to the success of his Century II Campaign (the University’s first capital campaign in 20 years) and careful management, the University’s endowment more than tripled during the Ayres years.

In 2011, the St. Mary’s Sewanee board of trustees announced the naming of its new campus—the Ayres Center for Spiritual Development—in honor of Bob and Pat Ayres. Together, the remarkable couple have been known for their diligence, faithfulness and generosity, and for nurturing values of service and stewardship in others.

Also during the meeting, the regents reviewed recent progress on the University Avenue study and made several determinations. They approved planning for “phase one” of the Commons project in the area in and around the University Book and Supply Store, including the EQB building. The plans will include some combination of fitness, wellness, the Sewanee Outing Program and related functions in this location. Recommendations for renovation and possible new construction, to be presented in June, will also include plans for relocating print services and at least some of the current bookstore functions and staff.

As part of the discussion of the Commons, the board decided that Fulford Hall will remain where it stands; its long-term use is still to be determined.


Thompson Union and the area from Fulford to and including the Rebel’s Rest site will be considered as sites for the next phase of the University Commons. Plans for phase one of the Commons project and the placement of the School of Theology will help clarify the remaining programmatic elements needed in the new University Commons.

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