Limestone President Dr. Walt Griffin honored by Cherokee County Council

On Monday, October 16, Limestone College President Dr. Walt Griffin was honored with a proclamation by Cherokee County Council. After 25 years of service to Limestone, Dr. Griffin will be retiring in December of this year. Dr. Griffin was also honored with a proclamation recently by the Cherokee County School Board. Additional photos from both of those proclamation presentations can be found at www.facebook.com/limestonecollege.

Accompanying Photo: Left to right: District 5 councilman Charles Mathis, District 6 councilman David Smith, District 3 councilman Quay Little, District 4 councilman Tim Spencer (chairman), Limestone College President Dr. Walt Griffin, District 7 councilman Tracy McDaniel, and District 2 councilman Mike Fowlkes. (Photo by Charles Wyatt, Limestone College Communications)

Below is the proclamation in its entirety.

CHEROKEE COUNTY COUNCIL PROCLAMATION

Honoring the accomplishments of Dr. Walt Griffin as President of Limestone College in
Gaffney, South Carolina, in recognition of his upcoming retirement in December of 2017.

WHEREAS, Dr. Walt Griffin has served since 1992 as the President of Limestone College; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Griffin is an accomplished scholar, educator, and author and has earned the respect and admiration of his colleagues, peers, and students; and

WHEREAS, with an academic background in the field of American history, Dr. Griffin completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Loyola College in Baltimore and his Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at the University of Cincinnati; and

WHEREAS, after a six year period in which Limestone’s budget operated at a deficit, with the hiring of Dr. Griffin, Limestone found financial stability and since that time has operated with a surplus for the past 25 years; and

WHEREAS, thanks to Dr. Griffin’s leadership, Limestone has a solid reputation as a private liberal arts college and continues to enjoy an era of growth, stability, and renewal; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Griffin has been involved in the successful college education of over 10,000 Limestone students, which constitutes more than one-half of the College’s living alumni; and

WHEREAS, Limestone College’s Block Program, established in 1976 to offer evening classes to working adults has flourished during Dr. Griffin’s presidency as the Online & Evening Program; and

WHEREAS, Limestone College was one of the first in the United States, at Dr. Griffin’s direction, to add a Virtual Campus via the Internet in 1996; and

WHEREAS, during Dr. Griffin’s tenure, Limestone’s budget has grown from $5.6 million to over $50 million and its endowment has grown from $2.4 million to over $17 million; and

WHEREAS, Limestone’s number of combined majors and concentrations have increased from 18 to 54 over the past 25 years; and

WHEREAS, under Dr. Griffin’s guidance, Limestone’s Day Program and Online & Evening combined enrollment has grown from 923 to over 3,300, making Limestone one of the largest accredited private colleges in South Carolina; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Griffin has been instrumental in increasing Limestone College’s student enrollment while simultaneously broadening the demographics and diversity of the campus both geographically and culturally, leading to a stronger student collegiate experience built upon an inclusive Christian identity of academic freedom, hospitality, and respect of all people; and

WHEREAS, starting in 2012, Limestone College added an innovative online Master’s of Business Administration program designed for working professionals; and

WHEREAS, the number of full-time faculty members has grown from 29 to 101 and Limestone has upgraded its faculty qualifications, going from just over 50 percent of the faculty having terminal degrees to over 80 percent today; and

WHEREAS, with Dr. Griffin’s leadership, the Limestone College Athletics program has grown from eight to 25 intercollegiate teams; and

WHEREAS, during Dr. Griffin's presidential tenure, Limestone College brought national attention to all of Cherokee County through NCAA Division II Intercollegiate Athletics including 11 team and individual national championships, demonstrating that academic and athletic excellence is achievable with honor; and

WHEREAS, during his presidency, Dr. Griffin served Cherokee County on numerous community boards; and

WHEREAS, in the past quarter of a century, no fewer than 18 new buildings have been constructed or acquired, and practically all other Limestone College structures have received extensive renovations; and

WHEREAS, the impact of Limestone College carries well beyond its campus with a multi-million dollar economic impact on Cherokee County as students, their families, College employees, and visiting athletics teams and their fans frequent Cherokee County restaurants, entertainment and shopping centers, and hotels; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Griffin’s late wife Penni was a vital part of Limestone’s growth and progress, especially in regard to the accreditation of the College’s Social Work program; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Griffin has four children – Megan, Rebecca, Kathleen, and Shawn – and eight grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, the community extols Dr. Griffin’s example of servant-leadership and commitment to excellence in character and achievement; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Griffin has served Cherokee County admirably and now announces his well-deserved retirement as the President of Limestone College;

THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED, on this 16th day of October 2017, that Cherokee County Council wholeheartedly recognizes and congratulates Dr. Walt Griffin upon his retirement as President of Limestone College and tenders President Griffin best wishes and expresses its appreciation for his 25 years of service to Limestone College and to Cherokee County.