This information about the Gemmell Complex Project and Dr. James Gemmell is provided in the dedication program:
The Gemmell Complex Project:
"The Gemmell Student Complex is Clarion University's latest effort to provide the best in student facilities. Funded entirely by student fees, the $6.2 million construction and renovation project included the construction of a two-story, steel-frame addition of approximately 48,000 square feet to the former Riemer Student Center and renovations of approximately 17,700 square feet of the original 24,000 square-foot center. The new wing of the building houses three racquetball courts, an aerobics/exercise center, a fitness center, the University Book Center, three meeting/conference rooms, game room, TV lounge, and a multi-purpose room which is large enough to host a catered banquet and houses a fixed stage suitable for small band performances, dances, and lectures. For the first time, office space for the Students Association, Student Activities, University Center, Greek Life, Clarion Call, Sequelle, WCCB, and other groups is in a single location. The former Eagle's Den snack bar area was renovated and seats approximately 200. An outdoor amphitheatre was constructed between Gemmell and Tippin Gymnasium. The location was planned as a performance staging area, meeting place, and crossroads for the south end of campus. Pre-existing sidewalks were redirected and improved to tie in with surrounding buildings. Some highlights of the Gemmell Complex project:
Early to mid-1980s - Because of increased enrollment, Riemer Center could not house the many functions, programs, and services of a student union. Student groups expressed interest in expanding the existing center, and obtained permission from the university administration to begin examination of the project.
1987 - The State System of Higher Education (SSHE) gave permission to develop a feasibility study for submission to the SSHE Board of Governors. An architectural firm was hired, and meetings were held to determine what the building should contain.
1988 - During the spring, the design and a budget for the project were completed. In the fall, the students passed a referendum establishing the fee to pay for the construction.
1990 - The final design of the project was completed in January. SSHE was given construction authority in July, and ground was broken on November 16.
1992-92 - Interior design plans were begun in the fall, and by spring of 1992 the furnishings were chosen. The building opened for student use in June."
Dr. James Gemmell:
Dr. James Gemmell served as president of Clarion State College from 1960 to 1976, presiding over some of the most dramatic changes in the history of the institution. Gemmell arrived in Clarion during the completion of the change from a state teacher's college to a state college. During his tenure, enrollment increased from just over 1,000 to nearly 5,000 students. The size of the physical plant doubled to a total of 15 buildings, and an athletic stadium complex, Venango Campus in Oil City, and McKeeveer Environmental Center in Sandy Lake were established. Academic programs expanded as well, including the creation of the School of Business Administration (now the College of Business Administration). He was born on October 13, 1914, in Glasgow, Scotland, and was raised in Hornell, N.Y. He married the former Mary Elizabeth (Mitzie) Robbins, and they had a daughter, Kathleen, and two sons, Chris and Ted. He died on September 8, 1986, in Chapel Hall, N.C. Gemmell received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wyoming in 1938, a master of science degree from the State University of New York at Albany in 1943, and a doctorate in business and higher education from New York University in 1946. He served in a variety of positions on the Penn State University faculty from 1945 to 1960, including professor of economics and chairman of the division of business education, before his appointment as Clarion's president. Prior to his Penn State tenure, he also taught in three New York state high schools and in the New York State College for Teachers. He was the author of a number of economics textbooks. After leaving Clarion he was affiliated with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), Washington, D.C., for two and a half years."
