GODFREY - After more than four decades of dedicated service to students, staff, athletics, the community and Lewis and Clark Community College, Vice President of Student Life George C. Terry will find his name a part of the very same building where he spent the last half of his career.

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On Saturday, Nov. 3, Lewis and Clark will officially rename and dedicate the River Bend Arena the "George C. Terry River Bend Arena." The ceremony will begin at noon in the gymnasium and is open to the public. Following the ceremony, the men's basketball team will officially open its season at home in a 3 p.m. game.

"George Terry is a respected leader among employees, students, athletes and the various community organizations which he serves," said Lewis and Clark Board chairman Robert Watson. "His presence on this campus had a tremendous impact on the lives of thousands of students he mentored, and the renaming of this building, where Mr. Terry made the biggest impact, is a fitting tribute to his dedication to this institution and its people."

Terry served the college in various student support roles throughout his 41 years of service to Lewis and Clark, with extensive work in minority affairs and student services, before retiring this spring. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously in favor of renaming the building for Terry at its August meeting.

"First I thanked God when I heard about the renaming of the River Bend Arena in my name," Terry said. "I am so grateful and appreciative that President Chapman, Board Chair Robert Watson and the entire Board of Trustees honored me by renaming the River Bend Arena in my honor.

I came to Lewis and Clark hoping it would give me an opportunity to pay back and give back to this community that has done so much for me. I never thought that a boy born and raised in an area of Alton called 'Mexico' would grow up and be a vice president of Lewis and Clark and have a building named in his honor. This is a historical event in the Terry family. All I can say is that God is good, and he is good all the time."

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Terry earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Illinois State University, and completed a Specialist in Educational Administration degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He has served on the Alton School Board for more than 20 years and is a past president. He is a life member of the Alton branch of the NAACP, serving more than 25 years, and has been a member of 100 Black Men of Alton since its early years. In addition, he has provided more than 20 years of service as a member of the Madison County Urban League, and was a member of the executive board of the Madison County Equal Opportunity Commission. His other board commitments include, among others: the Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education, the Salvation Army, the Alton Boys and Girls Club, the Gateway Council and the Alton Park and Recreation Commission.

Terry has been the recipient of numerous accolades throughout his decades of service. He has also been honored for his athletic prowess and support. He is a member of four halls of fame including the Athletic Hall of Fame at ISU as an individual player and as a member of a team. He was recently named to both the Illinois Coaches Basketball Association Hall of Fame and the Lewis and Clark Community College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Edwardsville School District Superintendent and Lewis and Clark Board Member Ed Hightower praised Terry for his commitment to community above self.

"I am pleased to see that George Terry will be formally recognized for his many years of service to the citizens of the Alton/Godfrey community," Hightower said. "I have known George for more than 40 years and consider him to be one of my closest friends. George has never asked for anything that would benefit himself, but rather his life has been about doing good for other people. He has been and continues to be a role model, a leader and respected person among the greater Alton community. There's no better way that the citizens of the Alton/Godfrey community could say 'Thank you, George' for making a difference."

President and CEO of the Madison County Urban League and Lewis and Clark Board Member Brenda Walker-McCain said Terry's commitment to the community is worthy of recognition.

"I consider George Terry an outstanding individual, humanitarian, and most importantly - a great friend to the community," Walker-McCain said. "He has been involved with the Urban League for a number of years, and we, like so many other community organizations, are enriched by his service. The naming of the River Bend Arena in his honor is such a proper salute to a man who continues, even in retirement, to have such a significant impact on this community."

L&C President Dale Chapman said he is honored to have had the experience of working alongside such a revered community leader.

"As much as the college and our students have benefitted from his involvement with many community groups, the community has benefitted greatly from George's knowledge, experience and leadership," Chapman said. "We hope the community will join us for this tribute as we honor his leadership and devotion, not just to Lewis and Clark, but to the entire River Bend community."

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