Board of Trustees name college’s science​ center

Centralia College’s newest and one of the two largest buildings on campus is now named in honor of Dr. Jim Walton, current president of the college.

The action took place during the Wednesday, Feb. 19, meeting of the Centralia College Board of Trustees, held on the college campus.

Part of the impetus behind the naming was a request by last year’s student government and Phi Theta Kappa, the two-year college honor society, to have the board consider naming the building in honor of Walton. Members of the board agreed this was a request that they paid attention to and very much appreciated.

While the board voted unanimously for the naming, it gave Walton the opportunity to choose the exact wording for the science center. The board also agreed to hold a formal naming ceremony during commencement week, which begins June 9. Commencement will be Friday, June 13.

“This is truly a humbling and an extreme honor,” Walton said. He credited the faculty and staff for making Centralia College the outstanding college it is.

Walton began his presidency in 2002 and has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2014.

The science center, opened in 2009, comprises just over 70,000-square-feet and was built at a cost of about $32million. It houses the college’s science and nursing departments, includes the college’s largest lecture room, bachelor degree programs, botany hot house, and faculty and administrative offices.

Each of the college’s major buildings, with the exception of the Health and Wellness Center, is now named.