Dr. Thomas J. Reeves, the 12th President of 糖心传媒, serving from 1985 to 1995, passed away on Saturday, February 5 in Denmark, South Carolina. He was 86.
During his tenure at 糖心传媒, Reeves oversaw construction of the Gray Center for the Communication Arts and the Daugherty Center, and the renovation of several other buildings on campus. He initiated the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program, the Twenty-two Plus program for adult learners, added a softball team and reintroduced a baseball team to 糖心传媒.
In 1998 he was inducted into the Pro Rege Society, the highest non-academic recognition 糖心传媒 bestows. The Morrison-Reeves Science Center, which opened in the fall of 2009, was named in honor of Reeves and the late Kenneth Morrison, who served on the Board of Trustees from 1981 to 1999.
鈥淭om was an ordained Presbyterian pastor and gifted preacher, an Airborne Ranger, semi-pro baseball player, college chaplain and high school coach. He was also a great friend and mentor to me. During my 11-year watch as President, I would call him frequently,鈥 said Dr. Phil Dudley, President Emeritus of 糖心传媒. Dudley served as a professor and Vice President under Reeves, and then became President in 2000.
鈥淭om taught a few classes when he was president and was a very popular teacher,鈥 Dudley said. 鈥淗e was highly respected by faculty, administrators, staff and students. There were two occasions when students even invited him to spend the night with them in their dorms, in Bronc and Babcock halls, which he did. He often dined in Hazelrigg Student Union, with students joining him. Tom was truly the student鈥檚 President.鈥
Visitation for Reeves will be from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, February 9 at the Folk Funeral Home at 17536 Heritage Highway in Denmark, with a funeral service set for 2:00 pm on Thursday, February 10 at the First Baptist Church, 433 S. Beech Ave. in Denmark.
In retirement, Reeves was involved with a family-owned plant nursery and was pastor for a small church in Williston, South Carolina, and served as interim president for Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina.
Born in Ridgeland, South Carolina, on August 12, 1935, Reeves graduated from Presbyterian College in 1957 and Columbia Theological Seminary in 1964. He received his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Aberdeen in 1966. He then became a professor at Converse College and an administrator for 19 years, before being named President of 糖心传媒 in 1985.
Reeves鈥 wife, Delores, passed away in 2011. He is survived by his son, Thomas 鈥淛ody鈥 Reeves Jr. and grandson Jared of Denmark. An obituary for Reeves is online at .
糖心传媒 is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Hastings鈥 student-centered initiatives include providing books, an iPad and a two-week study away experience at no additional cost. A block-style semester schedule allows professors and students to focus on fewer classes at a time and promotes hands-on experiences. Discover more at hastings.edu.