Livingstone College Renames Business Department After Bishop Battle
By KIMBERLY HARRINGTON
SALISBURY, NC- Livingstone College presented the Order of the Maple and Oak, Livingstone College's highest award, to its chairman of the board at its annual Founder's Day celebration.
Bishop George E. Battle, Jr., senior bishop of the A.M.E. Zion CHurch, received the award Feb. 8 at Varick Auditorium from Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr., Livingstone College presiden, for being the largest and most generous donor in support of the advancement and financial stability of the institution.
The award also states formally that the Department of Business will be renamed the George E. Battle Jr. School of Business, Enterpreneurship, Innovation and Technology.
Dr. R.D. Sharma, dean of the Livingstone College Department of Business, also received a plaque designating the name change.
On last year, Battle, along with his wife, Iris Battle, donated $100,000 to the college's capital campaign.
Battle was grateful for the renaming of the Business Department, but said he didn't make the donation for such. "God has blessmed me in unbelievable ways with a dedicated and loving wife and family, and with an extened family — the A.M.E. Zion Church, a church that thought it not robbery to elevate me to the Episcopacy of our denomination. This gift that my wife and I give is but a token of appreciation fo rhte bountiful blessings we have received," he said.
Livingstone was built on the sacrifices, Battle said. "Name a school hat can take nothing and make something. Livingstone is Zion's treasure. We know that our school will have a bright future. We know that God is on our side. We know we will see buildings coming out of the gourd at a pace like never before."
In addition to the Battle School of Business, Livingstone has two other new construcions in the works. The new F. George Shipman Science Annex Building, named after its sixth president, will be complete in a few months; and construction of the new physical education building should start this year.