Jerry and Shirley Boone: - Ferrum College

thread with Ferrum students. “Our students
and alumni, who have heard the words of
Dr. Beckham call them to think of the world
around them, are the heart of Ferrum,”
Boone proudly confirms.
The Endowment
An institution’s endowment is its savings
account. Ideally, a college or university funds
its scholarships and operating expenses off
the interest without cutting into the
principal. Endowed gifts are unique in that
they always have a supporting hand under an
institution’s portfolio as the gift is essentially
never spent.
“The College was facing real financial
problems when I first arrived and, while we
didn’t know it then, the country was well on
its way into a recession. The endowment was
at a little over $6 million, and the College
needed some firm direction. Those first few
years were spent fundraising and making
contacts and positioning Ferrum in the
minds of foundations and major donors, so
that they would see Ferrum as a valuable
investment of their charitable giving and
grants. Many people and companies, in this
region and beyond, began putting more
stock in Ferrum, and we’ve lived up to those
expectations as we continually produce
successful graduates. Major donors and large
corporations look for a return on their
investment in the quality of students who
graduate from an institution of higher
learning. Ferrum is showing the region and
the world that we are using our resources
and talents wisely and that is proven in
dollars and cents when you look at the
growth of the endowment over the past few
years,” Boone asserts.
Just Ferrum College, Please.
One of Boone’s primary goals seemed
simple— to drop the Junior from Ferrum
College, but Boone’s dedication to bringing
Ferrum into the 21st century as a four-year
college was quite an endeavor. “When I first
arrived on campus, one of the first things I
noticed were the Ferrum Junior College seals
still on the doors of several campus buildings.
I thought that was so strange because
Ferrum had been a four-year school for ten
years. I knew then that the identity change
would have to begin at home, here on
campus. I wanted the world to get to know
Ferrum as Ferrum College. Making the
transition made the Junior College degrees
stronger for alumni in the working world
and helped make Ferrum stronger as a
campus.”
Those days were controversial, though.
One of the last pieces of that puzzle to fall
into place was dropping the Junior Conference
schedule and begin playing a full, fouryear
schedule in athletics. “That was
challenging for our athletic teams who had
dominated the JuCo for years, and it was
tough on the coaches to make that major
change,” added Boone.
Former Head Football Coach and Ferrum
College Athletic Director Hank Norton
agrees, “We were uneasy about changing to
the full, four-year athletics schedule. Not
only did we make the change, we did it in
one year. Most colleges take four years to
phase in a whole new schedule. But it was
the best thing for Ferrum. When we played
JuCo, the athletes had to transfer out after
two years. Once the College went to fouryear,
we could keep those athletes, the David
Harpers and Anthony Drakefords, for their
whole careers. We didn’t have to let go of the
talent we cultivated.”
The change allowed growth for the faculty
as well. In the classroom, moving into fullfledged,
four-year status forced many
professors to go back to school and finish
their doctorates, due to the accreditation
requirements as a four-year school. “I
worked hard to make sure that through
grants and continuing education opportunities,
we gave our faculty the means to reach
the highest levels of education in their own
fields,” Boone points out.
The Campaign for Ferrum
In 1998, Boone took the helm of another
daunting task, taking full professional
responsibility for Ferrum’s first-ever comprehensive
capital campaign, The Campaign for
Ferrum College. While many colleges and
universities are staffed with teams of
fundraisers who may work exclusively on a
capital fundraising campaign, Boone set out
on the road less traveled by Ferrum.
Supported by and partnering with the
College’s Institutional Advancement Office
and the Board of Trustees, and with
fundraising consultants advising a smaller
goal, Boone and Ferrum College steadily
worked toward the $13 million goal. The
challenge grew in dollars, while the
fundraising period was truncated by 18
months. Boone is pleased with the monetary
accomplishments of the campaign and
support that so many have given for Ferrum
students.
Part of the $3 million Facilities Priorities
goal, within the Campaign, will fund the
Stanley Library expansion. Boone has been
the vision’s architect, overseeing the planning
• Fiber optic network installed
in all buildings
• Basketball court improvement and
new bleachers installed in Swartz gym
• Computers installed in every
residence hall room
1996
• E. Taylor Greer Gallery
opens in Stanley Library
• Endowment at
$33.5 million
• First Snow Ball dance
1997
• First Year Experience
program initiated
• First Women’s
Leadership Conference
• Garber Hall’s Agroecology
wing opens
1998
• Christian Ministries
Initiative begins
• “The Hill” units torn down
to pave way for new athletic field
• Norton Field House
improvements complete
FERRUM MAGAZINE 15