ALUMNI NEWS
James Madison University Renames Building for Dr. Alexander Gabbin a Founder of the National Black MBA Association
The former Jackson Hall, named for Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, is now Darcus Johnson Hall. Sheary Darcus Johnson was the first Black graduate of what is now JMU, earning a bachelor’s degree in library science from Madison College in 1970 and a master’s degree in elementary education in 1974. Earlier, she also was one of the first Black students to enroll in Harrisonburg High School when it began to desegregate. Darcus Johnson Hall is home to justice studies at the university. The former Ashby Hall, named for a Confederate cavalry officer, is now Harper Allen-Lee Hall. Its new name honors Doris Harper Allen, who worked as a cook for a Madison College president and is a longtime community leader in Harrisonburg, as well as Robert Walker Lee, who provided janitorial and maintenance service at the school in the early 20th century and was believed to be its first Black employee. Harper Allen-Lee is a residence hall. Founded in 1908 to educate women, the school began awarding degrees to men in the 1920s and took the name of Madison College in 1938. It became JMU in 1977 and now enrolls about 21,000 students.
Dr. Alexander Gabbin (Xi 1965).
J ames Madison University’s Board of Visitors recently approved the renaming of three buildings on the campus’s historic Quad for Sil- houette Dr. Joanne V. and Dr. Alex- ander Gabbin (Xi 1965). Others JMU alumni recognized included: Dr. Sheary Darcus Johnson (’70, ’74M); and Doris Harper Allen (’19H) and Robert Walker Lee. James Madison University has renamed three prominent buildings for African Americans who made significant contributions to the public institution in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, culmi- nating a process of historical reckoning that began last summer when officials removed the names of Confederate lead- ers from the halls. The buildings, all on the Quad of the campus in Harrisonburg, now honor ele- ments of the school’s past that had long been overlooked.
The action “is part of our deliberate effort to underscore JMU’s commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive insti- tution,” the university’s president, Jona- than Alger, said in a statement. “These names help us to tell a more complete history of our institution. They highlight and celebrate the contributions and ac- complishments of important individuals and groups who have historically been underrepresented in prominent campus namings. “Collectively they represent faculty, staff, students, alumni and prominent members of our local community.” What had been Maury Hall, honor- ing a Confederate naval officer, is now Gabbin Hall. Its new name honors Joanne V. Gabbin and Alexander Gab- bin, a married couple who are longtime members of the university faculty. Joanne Gabbin is an English professor and Alexander Gabbin an accounting professor. Gabbin Hall houses academic offices and classrooms.
Silhouette Dr. Joanne V. Gabbin
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