The Bryenton Honors Center

Heidelberg College’s Honors Program – full of bright, energetic, enthusiastic young people eager to make their mark on the world – has a new association with a successful alumnus and his family, who have done just that.

During Alumni Weekend festivities on Saturday, the Honors Program was dedicated as the Bryenton Honors Center in recognition for a generous gift and indeed, a legacy of giving back, from the family of Gary and Barbara Bryenton, alumni from the classes of ’61 and ’59.

In thanking the family for their gift, President F. Dominic Dottavio said the Bryentons “represent all that is good about Heidelberg College and all we could ever hope for from our alumni.”

The Honors Center is located at the center of the campus in a historic house that was once home to six of the college’s presidents. From both historical and strategic perspectives, it is the perfect place for the Honors Center, Gary Bryenton said.

“It is a privilege for the Bryenton name to be associated with this program and this building,” said Bryenton, a trustee and former chairman of the board. The “steeple” program offers an innovative curriculum and a firm commitment to student development. “It’s the perfect place for our students to explore their abilities with other scholars and learners and the perfect place for the artist, the citizen, the scholar and the scientist,” he said.

Those four – the artist, the citizen, the scholar and the scientist – form the metaphoric theme of the Honors Program, titled The Life of the Mind. The program is known for its commitment to civic engagement through service learning and its relationship with the Oxford University study-abroad program. The interdisciplinary curriculum has been recognized by the Templeton Foundation for achievement and character-building. In a recent evaluation, 95 percent of Honors alumni said they would re-enroll in the program if given an opportunity or would recommend it to a friend.

Joining Gary and Barbara Bryenton for the dedication ceremony were daughters Elizabeth and Susan, sister Harlene, and Alan Bryenton, ’62, Gary’s brother who surprised the family with his attendance.

Dr. Jan Younger, associate dean of the Honors Program, told the Bryentons their gift will “influence the size, stature and soul” of the program. “I’m sure you will agree we have a lot to be proud of. Today, Gary and Barbara Bryenton have made generous contributions to make us even more proud.”

“We are grateful for the opportunity to give back to Heidelberg a token of our appreciation for what the college has meant to us,” Gary said. “We hope the program will continue to produce generations of students who will go on to live lives of purpose with distinction.”

 
Posted 6-18-2007