New Plaza at Ferrum College Honors E&H Alumnus

Dr. Joseph Hart ('51) and wife Carolyn are pictured with their children.

Ferrum College dedicated the newest addition to its campus - the Hart International Plaza, named in honor Dr. Joseph T. Hart (E&H '51), Ferrum’s eighth president (1971-1986) - during a campus luncheon and program on Friday, May 6.

Funded by donations from faculty and staff, friends, family, corporations and foundations, the plaza includes colorful banners, a sculptural steel globe, an information kiosk, inscribed brickwork, park benches and plantings. It overlooks Adams Lake in the center of campus and serves as a multi-use outdoor venue.

Current president Jennifer Braaten said, “Joe Hart shepherded Ferrum from a junior college to the four-year institution we know today. It is fitting that Hart International Plaza, which celebrates our diverse community, be named in his honor.”
 
After retiring from Ferrum, Dr. Hart served as president of the Virginia College Fund. Currently, he is a real estate professional serving the Canann Valley, West Virginia area. He and his wife Carolyn make their permanent home in Ferrum. They have six children and 15 grandchildren.