Photo by Jesse O. Walls | Contributor
James B. Tatum was presented a plaque of honor by Interim President Dr. Kent Farnsworth at the McDonald County campus dedication ceremony on Jan. 19.
Ryan Land
Sports Editor
The new McDonald County campus was officially named the James B. Tatum Hall during a dedication ceremony on Jan. 19, at the new campus in Jane.
Special guests at the ceremony included former Crowder College president and current Interim President of Missouri Southern State University Dr. Alan Marble; the President of Northwest Arkansas Community College Dr. Evelyn Jorgenson; as well as family members of James B. Tatum.
Speeches were given by Dr. Kent Farnsworth, interim president of Crowder; Jim Armstrong, Foundation board president; Keith Lindquist, presiding commissioner of McDonald County; Vicki Babbitt, Foundation board member; Andy Wood, president of the Board of Trustees; Col. James P. Tatum, son of James B. Tatum; Rudy Farber, CEO of Community Bank and Trust; as well as James B. Tatum.
Larry Vancuren, who will be taking over Tatum’s spot on the Board of Trustees, offered the dedicatory prayer to close the ceremony.
The building will carry the name of a man who has resided in McDonald County for a majority of his life and has played a major role to grant higher education to citizens of southwest Missouri.
“It means a lot to have a campus down here,” said Tatum. “It creates access for students and many students have a fear of going to college. I think when you see something close by and you can actually meet the teachers and administrators, they can help them overcome their fears.”
“We know from experience that access means everything,” Andy Wood stated. “The easier the access, the more folks that has the opportunity to come in and get an education.”
The idea to name the new campus after Tatum came from the CEO of Community Bank and Trust, Rudy Farber, who contributed donations towards building the new campus on the Missouri/Arkansas state line.
“Mr. Farber decided to make a contribution and told Dr. [Alan] Marble that he wanted to give the money, but he wanted the building to be named after me,” Tatum stated. “I was quite surprised with that. It wasn’t something that crossed my mind.”
The name of the new campus was officially ratified by the Board of Trustees at a Dec. 12 meeting.
“I can’t think of any other name for the McDonald County facility other than James B. Tatum Hall,” said Wood. “By having Mr. Tatum’s name on the Crowder College McDonald County facility, it will be a reminder to everyone what Mr. Tatum meant to McDonald County and Crowder College.”
After submitting his resignation as a member of the Board of Trustees back in August, Tatum’s resignation officially came into effect as of midnight on Jan. 20.
“Even though I will no longer be a member of the Board of Trustees, I will always be a supporter of Crowder College,” Tatum said in his speech.
The new campus is located at 194 College Rd., just north of the Jane Walmart.
Leave a Reply