The Appalachian State University Board of Trustees voted Sept. 27 to rename Thelma C. Raley Hall to Kenneth E. Peacock Hall, after the university’s current chancellor.
The building will be renamed in June 2014 after the Campaign for Appalachian is completed.
Peacock said while the name change is an honor, it’s not what he wants his legacy to be.
“I hope this won’t be my legacy,” he said. “I want my legacy to be more than a name on a side of a building. I want to be remembered as touching the lives of young people on campus.”
When Peacock first found out, he was very surprised and honored, he said.
“It humbles you, it really does,” he said. “I’m a first-generation college student and I’d never thought I’d even be working at a university.”
Peacock and Thelma Raley were close friends, said Lindsay Raley, Thelma Raley’s son.
“I believe she would feel this is a perfect way to honor his commitment, dedication and impact on Appalachian State University,” Lindsay Raley said in a statement to the university. “Our family sees renaming the building as an opportunity to inspire others to continue to support the Campaign for Appalachian as it draws to a close.”
Peacock said he has gone from a professor to chancellor, but he has not forgotten his start in the Walker College of Business 31 years ago.
“That is my academic home,” Peacock said. “It just really means a lot to me.”
Peacock started working at the university in 1983 in the Walker College of Business, now located in Raley Hall.
He served as the dean of the College of Business before becoming the executive vice chancellor and interim provost for Appalachian.
Peacock was named the sixth chancellor of the university in 2004.
He announced his resignation as chancellor April 18 and a search committee is currently looking for a new chancellor.
Peacock helped launch the Campaign for Appalachian, which started in 2007 but was officially announced to the public in October 2011. The campaign has raised more than $165 million since it began, said Susan Pettyjohn, vice chancellor for university advancement.
Pettyjohn has worked with Peacock on the campaign, but said the Campaign for Appalachian was completely Peacock’s idea.
“This was his vision,” she said. “I’ve been here six years, and during my interview process one of his dreams for this university was to ensure we have the resources to make sure our students have that exceptional Appalachian experience.”
The previous fundraising campaign ended in 2001, and the university raised between $70 million to $80 million, Pettyjohn said.
Story: CHELSEY FISHER, Senior News Reporter
Photo: JUSTIN PERRY, Photo Editor