Roscoe Williams has always believed that no one accomplishes anything of great and lasting value without the help of others.
On Nov. 4, Williams, Augusta University’s first black dean of students, reflected on that as the ballroom at the Summerville campus’s Jaguar Student Activities Center was named in his honor.
“This is an out of the world experience,” said Williams, who added that he was “humbled” by the gesture and grateful for all those attending the ceremony and reception.
Williams joined Augusta University — then Augusta College — as the first African American hired in a professional position serving as assistant dean of students to then dean J.W. “Pete” Galloway.
At the time, there were only about 50 black students on campus.
Galloway saw the potential of those students, he said, believing they had bigger and better things in store. He believed a few would become millionaires.
“He saw them as glasses that were half full. He said, ‘My goal is for black students to move from a state of being tolerated to being empowered,’” Williams said.
While many other institutions of higher learning ask their students to leave their identities at the gate and assimilate into a uniform mold, Augusta University never did, Williams said. That allowed students to achieve their potential.
Among the students who attended Augusta University in Williams’ early days were Henry Ingram, the owner of International Formal Wear.
Prior to attending Augusta College, Ingram had only attended segregated schools. He thought he could attend the school for its academics, but if he wanted a social life, he’d have to go to Paine College.
But with Williams’ encouragement, Ingram found lifelong friends and enjoyed his college days, he said.
He called Williams “a builder of bridges” and a “road builder.”
[adrotate banner=”55″]
Another person who praised Williams was Joyce Jones, the University System of Georgia Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, who succeeded Williams when he retired after 27 years.
Jones said she’d asked others how she was doing in her job and dealing with the students. One person she petitioned was Fred Barnabei, who was serving as the vice president of student services at the time.
“He asked ‘Joyce, can you walk on water?’” said Jones as a tribute to the amount of respect Williams had gained.
And when Jones felt she wasn’t doing a good job, she could cry on Williams’ shoulder, and he’d tell her she was doing a “great job.”
Having the ballroom in the heart of the building the students call home named for Williams’ was a fitting tribute, Jones said.
As for Williams, he said most people only hear such touching tributes at their funeral. He was grateful and humbled to hear them while he still could.
A task force for diversity created by Augusta University President Brooks Keel decided on the renaming of the ballroom, but Keel said the initial suggestion came from members of the Black Student Union, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
