CNU's new library to be named for Paul and Rosemary Trible;
$500,000 endowed scholarship established

News Release - Dec. 8, 2006

Media contact:
Carolyn Cuthrell
Office of Communications and Public Relations
(757) 594-7331

(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.)— Christopher Newport University's Board of Visitors announced that the University's new library will be named the Paul and Rosemary Trible Library, in honor of the President and his wife and their leadership and many contributions to the success of CNU over the past 10 years.

The announcement was made on Dec. 8 by Claude A.S. “Chip” Hornsby III, group chief executive of Wolseley plc and rector of the CNU Board of Visitors, at a special dinner honoring Paul and Rosemary Trible for 30 years of public service to Virginia, 10 years of leadership at CNU and celebrating Paul Trible's 60th birthday.

“Over the last 10 years, a true transformation has occurred,” Hornsby said.  “Based on the leadership you've provided, no one would recognize CNU today.  All of us applaud the tremendous accomplishments that have occurred under your leadership.”

Since Trible was inducted as the University's fifth president on Jan. 2, 1996, CNU applications have exploded by more than 600 percent, the average SAT of incoming freshmen has increased by more than 200 points, and the campus and community have been transformed by more than $400 million of capital construction including the world-class Ferguson Center for the Arts.

The Vice Rector of the CNU Board of Visitors James R. “Jay” Joseph also announced at the dinner the establishment of a $500,000 endowed merit scholarship in honor of Paul and Rosemary Trible.  This fund was created through a scholarship challenge grant from Lewis and M.E. McMurran III and matched by other donors, including proceeds from the CNU Alumni Society and CNU Educational Foundation's Inaugural CNU Scholarship Golf Classic and Auction, to be held March 24, 2007, at the James River Country Club.

“Paul and Rosemary's dynamic leadership over the past 10 years has raised Christopher Newport University to the ranks of America's finest liberal arts and sciences universities,”  Lewis McMurran said.  “CNU is now a first choice for high-ability students from throughout Virginia and many other states.”

The Paul and Rosemary Trible Library will include more than 110,000 square feet, will house 400,000 volumes and will be a dynamic teaching and learning facility and the information technology center of the campus. It is expected to open in fall 2007. Its 14-story cupola marks the heart of the CNU campus.

Timeline of CNU's 10 years of progress

1996	Paul S. Trible Jr. is inducted 1,204 applications to CNU 960 average SAT scores 2.8 Average GPA 543 students in the freshman class 301 residential students
1998	Creation of the President's Leadership Program
1999	CNU ranked #2 among regional public liberal arts colleges in the South by U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges."
2000	James River Residence Hall opens The Freeman Center (sports and convocation center) opens
2001	NCAA Division III football established 4,683 applicants to CNU 1,048 first-time freshmen
2002	Construction begins on the Ferguson Center for the Arts York River Hall and CNU Apartments open
2004	Phase I of the Ferguson Center for the Arts opens with a performance by Tony Bennett
2005	CNU establishes the Office of International Initiatives and Fellowships Forty new faculty members join CNU President's Leadership Program grows to 180 members with a 3.7 GPA and a 1232 SAT Phase II of the Ferguson center for the Arts opens with a performance by Michael Crawford and the New York Pops Smithfield Foods' $5 million gift establishes the Joseph W. Luter, III School of Business Luter School achieves international accreditation by the world's top business accrediting organization, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business CNU Village opens, housing 400 upper-class students in apartments above retail spaces CNU's Teacher Preparation Program becomes fully accredited by the Virginia Board of Education New library under construction
2006	7,115 applications for CNU 1165 SAT scores 3.43 Average GPA 1,187 first-time freshmen Students enroll from every part of Virginia, 32 other states and several foreign countries Study Center in Prague opens CNU offers a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry Eighty-five percent of faculty members hold a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their fields First graduates of Five-Year Master of Arts in Teaching program Highest graduation rate in CNU history In the Class of 2006, 58 graduated with advance degrees, the largest number awarded at CNU in a single year 116,000 square-foot David Student Union opens

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