Prairie View A&M Names College of Education for Alumnus Whitlowe Radcliffe Green

Thursday, January 18, 2007 - Thursday, January 18, 2007

The building names were approved during the Dec. 2006 meeting of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, which was held at Prairie View A&M University. 

To honor PVAMU alumnus and educator Whitlowe Radcliffe Green, whose $2.1 million bequest stands as the largest individual donation in the university’s history, the Board of Regents approved the naming of the College of Education at Prairie View A&M University the Whitlowe Radcliffe Green College of Education. 

“In addition to the sizable cash donation, Whitlowe Green, a school teacher all of his life, will remind our current and future students of the importance of giving back,” President George C. Wright said.

The building names approved by the Board of Regents include:  The Intramural Gymnasium Building was named the Dr. Leroy G. Moore, Jr. Intramural Gymnasium; the Memorial Student Center was named the Willie Albert Tempton Memorial Student Center; and the New Science Building was named the Elmer E. O’Banion Science Building.

“This list of distinguished individuals have served this university well and it is a privilege to recognize their life-long contributions and service by naming these facilities in their honor,” Wright added.
 
All building name changes will be commemorated with an official ceremony and will be announced individually as they are scheduled.

On hand for his first official Board of Regents meeting was Dr. Michael D. McKinney, the newly appointed Chancellor for The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. 

About the Individuals:
The College of Education has become the  Whitlowe Radcliffe Green College of Education.  Whitlowe Radcliffe Green, who retired from the Houston Independent School District, graduated from the Prairie View A&M College of Texas in 1936.  Upon his death, he left $2.1 million to PVAMU to establish merit-based scholarships in human sciences, social behavioral and political sciences, business and nursing.  His gift was the largest individual gift in the 130-year history of Prairie View A&M University.  The College of Education is housed in the Wilhelmina Fitzgerald Delco Building.

University students, faculty and staff will soon call The Memorial Student Center Building the Willie Albert Tempton Memorial Student Center.  Following his retirement from the U.S. Army in 1996, Willie Albert Tempton, a 1961 graduate of PVAMU, returned to his alma mater to serve as senior vice president for external affairs.  He served as interim president of the university from June 2002 to August 2003.


The New Science Building was named the  Elmer Elwood O’ Banion Science Building.  During his tenure at Prairie View A&M University, Dr. Elmer Elwood O’ Banion served as chairman of the department of Chemistry for more than 25 years. He was also instrumental in securing several grant awards for the department of natural sciences.  Under his leadership, approximately $1 million in grants was awarded to the university.