Lincoln University (PA) News August 22, 2011 Lincoln University building for the future Lincoln University putting $350 million into facility upgrades By Chris Barber LOWER OXFORD - When Lincoln University President Ivory Nelson took the reins of the college in 1999, he had a host of dreams for enhancing the campus. But before he could get on with projects involving the buildings and grounds, he had to face a pressing problem: the infrastructure. In January 2000 he had to send the student body home from the nation's oldest historically black college for three weeks because of an electrical breakdown. The campus was left without power for nearly everything, including the sewage and drainage systems. It took $15 million and a lot of support from then-Gov. Tom Ridge to renovate the failed system, and it proved to be the beginning of a massive rehabilitation that the overall university continues to this day and likely for years to come. Anyone passing the campus along Baltimore Pike cannot help but see signs of construction in the form of bulldozers, piles of dirt and partially completed roads. But that is barely the half of it. This $350 million undertaking involves modernizing every building, creating new athletic facilities (including a football stadium), making the interior of the campus pedestrian-friendly and constructing several new academic halls. In the long run, Nelson said, it's about becoming an academic destination for top students. The university's president for 12 years, Nelson also is aiming to make the college more a part of the wider community. To that end, he has hosted the Kennett Symphony of Chester County in a state-of-the-art auditorium for concerts, and he's opened the very modern Ware Center's little theater for smaller performances, including local dance studios and - just last month - the Avon Grove Community Theater's production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie." "The communities have finally adopted us. I wanted to be a draw for Oxford and Avon Grove high schools," he said. To do that, he concentrated on building quality programs, faculty, living space and instructional space. "You build it, and they will come," Nelson said. Nelson, 77, who has declared his intention to retire "whenever they find a replacement," has a 25-year plan for development that he hopes his successor will continue. So far he has campus, building and technology upgrades as his accomplishments. One of the works in progress of which he's particularly fond is the development of a central lawn - or mall - that gives visitors, staff and students a clear view from the east end of the campus all the way to what will be the new football field. Another project comes under the umbrella of making the campus pedestrian friendly. While he is increasing parking accessibility around the outside areas of the campus, he is eliminating many roads in the interior, adding new sidewalks to connect the buildings. He has also brought in 1,000 new trees and has created a quadrangle of modernized buildings at the east end. After Nelson took over, the school's athletic teams have been upgraded from Division III to Division II. To accommodate the higher level, Lincoln is in the midst of constructing a new football stadium, a softball field, tennis courts and a baseball field. Additional parking is near the new stadium as well as room for much more in fields just to the west, he said. The International Cultural Center, which was in progress when Nelson arrived, not only contains a modern, 1,200-seat theater, which he says is "as good as the Kimmel Center," it also has banquet areas surrounding the theater, an art gallery, facilities for hosting visiting lecturers, a board room and administrative offices. In an interesting incident involving the renovations, Nelson said, construction workers found rare, antique brass telescopes in a basement as well as collections of African sculpture. The telescopes have since been cleaned, shined and mounted in the board room, and the sculpture is on display downstairs in the International Cultural Center. Regarding how all the renovation and building projects were financed, Nelson said much of the money came from the state after the year 2000. In fact, $289 million came from the Pennsylvania Department of General Services' project funds while another $50 million came from private contributions. Another $8.7 million was financed through loans. Nelson said Lincoln University, like Temple University, University of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania State University, are all state-related universities and, as such, are entitled to substantial funding for capital projects. He said that when he came to Lincoln, he realized those funds were not being fully used, and he set about to work with governors Ridge and Rendell. Nelson said he gets his ideas by walking around campus and talking with students and faculty. He said everything he does is for his student body. "A lot of the young people who came here didn't have the (educational) chances. You give them good support and don't prejudge them, and they will be a success," he said. Nelson is a magna cum laude graduate of Grambling State University and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in chemistry from the University of Kansas. He has also served as president of Central Washington University and Prairie View A&M University. He lives in Delaware and plans to retire to his family home in Texas. "I've always aspired to be at the top of anything I do. In setting new heights I do whatever it takes," he said. Lincoln "is going to be an attraction for this part of Chester County." SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.