What a season the Tigers are having!–and we’ve been celebrating them and cheering them on at all of our homegame Tailgates. Check out the fun:

Beginning in 1889, Professor James Jefferson Rucker led the effort to integrate women into Georgetown College’s student body. The College graduated its first female students in 1893 and, two years later, the first women’s dormitory was named in honor of Rucker’s dedication to the cause of female education. In addition to being the first women’s dormitory, Rucker Hall also housed the dining hall, the Euepian Hall for the literary society, music practice rooms, and storage.  Later additions included a bowling alley in the basement and fields behind the building for tennis, soccer, archery, and other athletic activities. For further reading on the history of Rucker Hall and Georgetown College, check out A History of Georgetown College by Dr. Robert Snyder (Georgetown College, 1979) and Georgetown College by Megan LeMaster (Arcadia Publishing, 2005).

In January 2011, more than a century after Professor Rucker’s pioneering work, Georgetown College’s Board of Trustees gave the go-ahead to construct new student housing in honor of the original Rucker Hall, which was demolished in 1971.  In the words of Dr. Bill Crouch:

“Soon after being elected president of Georgetown College 20 years ago, I began hearing about the much-cherished and greatly missed Rucker Hall. From the earliest days of my presidency, I understood that there was something very special about Rucker Hall for the entire Georgetown College community. I have found few topics that have generated as much positive feedback and unforgettable stories as those focusing on that great old residence hall. For a long time now I have envisioned a day when the Rucker name could return as part of the Georgetown College landscape. That day has arrived.

I’m sure you’ll recall the days when Rucker Hall faced Jackson Street. You may remember receptions in the old parlor, late night slumber parties, Rucker formals, dormitory devotionals, serenades by fraternity members, the sounds of Tiger football games from nearby Hinton Field, and countless other treasured memories.

The entire new complex to be located on Dudley Avenue will be dedicated to the spirit of the original residence and will ensure that the Rucker Hall name and the women who resided in that grand old building will always be a part of Georgetown College. A permanent display of Rucker Hall memorabilia will also be an important part of Rucker Village.”

- President William H. Crouch, Jr.

On April 15, 2011 the College’s Executive Committee along with trustees, board members, and future student residents broke ground for Rucker Village.

Dedication

And now, just six short months later, after all of the hard work, the planning, the fundraising and donations by our generous alumni and friends, and the laborious construction work, we have Rucker Village—3 buildings consisting of 14 student townhomes and a Commons Building featuring a large living room/common area with seating and a television that will be open for 24-hour visitation, laundry facilities, and an oversized kitchen.

A dedication ceremony was held on Saturday, September 24, as part of this year’s Homecoming festivities.  Trustees, donors, alumni, and current students came together to celebrate the event. The ceremony also included the unveiling of an original watercolor of Rucker Hall, created by Shannon Oldham Sampson, class of ’95.  Also, Jane Hope Fields (Class of ’39) spoke to the crowd about her memories of Rucker Hall and encouraged current students to remember that “You are making memories every day, even if you don’t realize it. I hope they are wonderful.”

Georgetown College would like to thank the following donors for helping make this project possible:

A dedication ceremony was held for the newly named Montgomery Caf on Tuesday, September 6^th 2011.  The Montgomerys were honored by President Bill Crouch, faculty and staff, alumni, and current students for their gift to the College. When Wally spoke at the dedication he told the crowd, “You become aware that you need to give back for things God allowed you to have.” Gerry added, “the Caf project came up and that was something that appealed to us.”

The appeal stems from how Dr. and Mrs. Montgomery met—here at Georgetown College. Wally Montgomery, Class of ’58, spotted Gerry Biggs ’59 his senior year in what was then the grill and asked her out. The rest, as they say, is history.

For more on this story see Jim Durham’s article, Montgomery Caf has Meaning for All.