Magazine - summer 03 - St. John's College

{From the Bell Towers}
3
Gilliam Hall: A New
Dorm Opens in Annapolis
On November 11, when the college officially dedicates its
newest dormitory, some special guests will join the St. John’s
campus community in celebrating this milestone. Among
them will be the family of James H. Gilliam Jr., for whom the
building is named. Mr. Gilliam was a member of the Board of
Trustees of The Hodson Trust from 2000 until his sudden
death last summer at the age of 58. Generous funding from
the Hodson Trust helped the College build the dormitory,
which houses 48 students. A second group includes the entire
board of The Hodson Trust, particularly its chairman, Finn
Caspersen, who will speak at the dedication.
A third group comes to honor Mr. Gilliam as an African-
American businessman and civic leader, a man who was
devoted to public service and to improving higher education
opportunities for minority students. They are the first seven
African-American graduates of the college: Martin Dyer (class
of 1952), Leo L. Simms (class of 1956), Everett Wilson (class of
1956), Joan Cole (class of 1957), Carolyn Baker Brown (class of
1958), Jerry Hynson (class of 1959), and Charlotte King (class of
1959). All seven are expected to attend the dedication ceremony.
Mr. Gilliam’s widow, Dr. Linda G. J. Gilliam, and his father,
James H. Gilliam Sr., will be present for the dedication ceremony.
James H. Gilliam Jr. graduated from Morgan State University in
1967 and earned a law degree in 1970 from Columbia University’s
School of Law. After
practicing law in New York,
he joined a law firm in Wilmington,
Del. He joined the
Beneficial Corporation in 1979
as vice president-legal, rising to
executive vice president and
general counsel. He was
appointed to Beneficial’s Board
of Directors in 1984 and to its
executive committee in 1987.
david trozzo
James Gilliam was a
philanthropist, businessman,
and friend of the college.
A glass-enclosed common room in Gilliam Hall offers splendid views
of College Creek.
An attorney and private investor, Mr. Gilliam served on a number
of nationally recognized boards, namely, Household International
Inc., T. Rowe Price Group Inc., Howard Hughes Medical
Institute, and National Geographic Society. A longtime resident of
Delaware, he also served as chairman of the Governor’s Judicial
Nominating Commission of the State of Delaware, chair of the
Administrative Enhancement Committee of the Delaware
Supreme Court, and as a member of the executive committee and
board of the Medical Center of Delaware.
“Jim Gilliam was a particularly good friend to the College, and
we are pleased that in this way he will become a permanent part of
our community,” says Christopher B. Nelson, president. “Having
the College’s first seven African-American graduates present for
the ceremony honors both Mr. Gilliam’s memory and the College’s
decision to open its doors to them at a time when segregation was
the rule rather than the exception in Maryland. They have
remained devoted to the college and its ideals,” he adds.
The addition of Gilliam Hall allows the college to house 350
students on campus. In addition, the College reduced the number
of triple dorm rooms from 18 to 13 and created a new common
room with a kitchen in Humphreys. Construction begins this fall
on a second dormitory, which will house 32 students and should be
ready for students by December 2005. x
(continued)
California property committee
with another former board
member, Stephen Feinberg
(HSF96), and their time and
expertise were instrumental in
getting St. John’s out of the
Fletcher contract and into
negotiations with Big Sur.
Board members Thomas Stern
(SF68) and Robert Bienenfeld
(SF80) were also involved at
one point. “It was an excellent
resolution,” says Levy.
Annapolis President
Christopher Nelson (SF70),
whose many years as a lawyer
were an asset in negotiations,
was relieved to see the college’s
days as a California property
owner coming to a close.
Proceeds from the sale will
go to the Santa Fe Initiative, a
project to address some of the
critical needs—from new
science laboratories to funding
for student internships—of the
college’s Western campus.
Just days before the agreement
was announced, Nelson
was still getting e-mails from
Californians urging him to
“Save the Marks Ranch.” He
was clearly pleased to be able to
write back with the news of the
Big Sur agreement. “Some 13
years ago, our board determined
that the property be put
to its highest and best use.
That’s just exactly what we see
this to be,” Nelson said. x
— Rosemary Harty
{ The College • St. John’s College • Fall 2004 }