In January of 2020, shortly after Union
University trustees approved a campus
master plan, Tom McAfee invited President Samuel W. "Dub" Oliver to Georgia
to make a proposal for a new facility for
the McAfee School of Business.
In response to that pitch from Oliver, the McAfee family agreed to provide a lead gift for a new building, and the announcement was scheduled for March 16, 2020.
Then turmoil hit the whole world with the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement, along with almost every other campus event, was canceled. Uncertainty abounded.
"We didn't know what exactly was going to happen next," McAfee said. "It's the patience that comes to mind. So many things in life are solved by patience, letting the Lord do his work in his time, not in ours."
Sure enough, things slowly returned to normal, and a year later, on March 18, 2021, the McAfees announced their lead gift. That officially began the four-year process that culminated March 21 in the dedication of Union's newest academic building, The Ethos Forum, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Great Lawn — fittingly enough, on McAfee's birthday.
The Ethos Forum, a 40,204-squarefoot facility, houses Union's McAfee School of Business and the computer science and engineering departments.
Oliver said the facility is more than an academic building, with a name that was chosen to remind the university community of that truth. The Greek word "ethos" means "character," and The Ethos Forum complements its neighbor across the Great Lawn, The Logos (Union's library).
"While 'logos' is the word and represents our beliefs, 'ethos' represents
how we live out our beliefs as we go
about our daily lives, as we enter places of business and as we go about our
work," Oliver said. "The idea this name
communicates is that we are living out
our faith as we create, as we build, as we
market and as we sell."
Oliver expressed his appreciation to the McAfee family for their support. Carolyn McAfee Bruner and her late husband, James T. McAfee Jr., were both Union graduates in 1961. Their son Tom ('94), chairman and president of Hallmark Systems Inc., and his wife Julie (Crangle, '93) are both Union graduates.
In addition, Oliver thanked the 170 individuals, families, organizations and foundations that contributed to the $20 million project.
"We're so grateful for each of you and the part you played," Oliver said. "It really would not be possible without each of you."
McAfee said his family's prayer is that
The Ethos Forum classrooms would be
hallowed ground, where questions are
revered and the pursuit of truth is a sacred journey.
"A place where the faculty is a shining example of inspiration, guiding with wisdom and fostering an environment where minds flourish," he said. "A place where the students who walk these halls be equipped with not only academic prowess, but also with the courage to challenge, humility to learn and compassion to lead."
Jeff Perkins, chairman of Union's Board
of Trustees, highlighted the significance
of dedicating spaces to the Lord.
"As a community of believers, a body of brothers and sisters, we hold firmly to the truth that all things come from God and all things belong to God," Perkins said. "Our prayer for The Ethos Forum is that it would cultivate not only a hunger for knowledge, but a love for the Lord. While students study in the lobby or percolate ideas in our entrepreneur studios, we pray that they'll fall deeper in love with the creator of their mind and the giver of their dreams."
Lili Pettigrew, president of Union's Student Government Association, said she
remembers coming to Union as a freshman and hearing about the new building,
then watching its construction over the
following months.
"We students have little to no idea how much has gone into this building, and just the thought of that makes me so grateful," she said. "As a student, I felt cared for to see something this impressive come to life, because this building is not just for Union, it's for the people at Union. It's for the students, and how we can continue to glorify God in all areas of campus, old or new."
In addition to the McAfee family, Oliver
recognized others who made significant
contributions to The Ethos Forum — including architectural firm TLM Associates
and general contractor Linkous Construction. He also recognized Hyran Barefoot,
Union's 14th president, who championed
the building from the beginning and gave
significant gifts to ensure its completion. The Joyce Barefoot Lobby on the first
floor of the building is named in memory of Barefoot's wife, the 14th first lady
of Union.
The Ethos Forum is designed to foster creativity, entrepreneurship, innovation and academic excellence. It includes a makerspace, a business incubator, numerous learning spaces, 171 computers, 19 classrooms and labs, 39 offices and five study rooms.
