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DCC dedicates newly revamped Womack Hall
By RUSSELL CARTER/Star-Tribune Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 9:31 AM EDT
DANVILLE - Danville Community College held a dedication ceremony for the newly renovated Estelle H. Womack Hall on Tuesday.
"This is a wonderful day inaugurating a new era for this building," said Dr. Carlyle Ramsey, president of the college.
The hall, which originally held a collection for the Natural History Museum, has been revamped and will now be the home to the college's Wellness/Physical Diagnostics Center.
Funds for the renovation came from the Virginia Tobacco Commission.
The tobacco commission's chairman, retired state Sen. Charles Hawkins was on hand to dedicate the building.
Hawkins commended the Womack family for their continued support of the surrounding community.
"We are indebted to families that this community was built on," Hawkins said, adding that families like the Womacks have put untold amounts of money back into the community.
Del. Danny Marshall was at the ceremony as well, and recognized not only the efforts of the Womack family, but the faculty and staff for their efforts in the area.
"Folks at DCC are an intricate part of the revitalization of this community," Marshall said.
The building first opened in 1967 thanks to a gift to the DCC Educational Foundation from Charles and Estelle Womack.
The collection that was once housed in Womack Hall was moved to the Danville Science Center in June 2005.
Charles "Zan" Womack, Jr., the eldest son of Estelle and Charles Womack, remembered his mother before unveiling the hall's lettering on the side of the building.
He described his mother as a loving mother of five who was active in Mt. Vernon Church, and a constant support to his father.
"She was a steady influence and a model to look up to in any family," Womack said.
DCC Education Foundation chairman Landon R. Wyatt Jr., and DCC Board chairman Ann Brown also spoke at the ceremony.
The new wellness center is available for use by DCC students and employees as well as health and fitness classes.
The building houses a variety of equipment including two treadmills, two elliptical trainers, two incline bikes, one stair stepper, rowers, weight benches, dumbbells and men's and women's locker rooms with showers and full size lockers.
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