{"id":92775,"date":"2022-06-08T10:52:15","date_gmt":"2022-06-08T14:52:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/?p=92775"},"modified":"2022-06-08T15:36:41","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T19:36:41","slug":"university-center-naming-celebration-honors-rucker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2022\/06\/08\/university-center-naming-celebration-honors-rucker\/","title":{"rendered":"University Center Naming Celebration Honors Rucker"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mary Washington\u2019s University Center is four stories and 100,000 square feet, but a new name is about to make it even bigger.<\/p>\n

\"UMW
UMW Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Life Cedric Rucker (center) was honored Sunday during a naming celebration. Upon Rucker’s retirement later this month, the University Center will bear his name. Photo by Edward John Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cToday we are celebrating two giants,\u201d Vice President for Student Affairs Juliette Landphair said Sunday at UMW. \u201cOne of the giants is behind me, the University Center. The second giant, of course, is Cedric Bernard Rucker.\u201d<\/p>\n

The structure\u2019s new moniker becomes official when Rucker retires later this month as associate vice president and dean of student life. That means the central campus building dedicated to student success will bear the name of the man who\u2019s devoted his life to that goal.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a story decades-long in the making. Arriving on Double Drive as an undergrad in 1977, just as institutions of higher education began accepting more students of color, Rucker was the first African-American male graduate to live in a residence hall. He quickly became an integral part of campus culture, immersing himself in clubs, activities and organizations.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll these doors opened, and Mary Washington just felt like mine,\u201d said Rucker who majored in sociology and went on to earn a master\u2019s degree at the University of Virginia, where he began his career before returning to his first alma mater in the late \u201980s.<\/p>\n

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UMW President Troy Paino congratulates Rucker after the two conducted the ceremonial ribbon cutting. Edward John Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His 33 years at UMW \u2013 as professor of sociology, and as dean of student activities and student life \u2013 have come with myriad achievements and accolades. He\u2019s collected countless awards and appointments across the community and the commonwealth. But it\u2019s the care, compassion, energy and enthusiasm he\u2019s brought to generations of students that have made him a Mary Washington legend.<\/p>\n

So, under bright skies and brushed by a delicate breeze, city officials, former students, and members of the UMW faculty, the Fredericksburg region and Rucker\u2019s family gathered to honor him at the end of Reunion Weekend. Here, in order of their presentations, are excerpts from their words about the iconic dean.<\/p>\n

\""He <\/a>
“He was such an awesome big brother,” Diane Rucker said of Cedric, while brother Kim looks on. Many members of Rucker’s family were present for Sunday’s ceremony. Photo by Karen Pearlman. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Rucker <\/a>
Rucker hugs former SGA President Jason Ford ’20, who spoke during Sunday’s celebration, while Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw looks on. Photo by Karen Pearlman. <\/div> <\/div>
\"Rucker's <\/a>
Rucker’s family members attended Sunday’s naming celebration. Upon Rucker’s retirement, the University Center will be named the “Cedric Rucker University Center.” Photo by Karen Pearlman. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Fredericksburg <\/a>
Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw (seated) comforts an emotional Sabrina Johnson, former UMW chief diversity officer, after Johnson delivered comments about Cedric Rucker. Also pictured is former SGA President Jason Ford ’20. Photo by Karen Pearlman. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
A sea of Rucker’s classmates from the early ’80s surrounds him in front of the soon-to-be Cedric Rucker University Center. Photo by Karen Pearlman. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n