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West Virginia University at Parkersburg 300 Campus Drive Parkersburg WV 26104 Phone:  304-424-8203 | Fax:  304-424-8315

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A dedication ceremony will be held Monday, Oct. 18, to honor the late John William Pack for his years of service to the Jackson County Center of West Virginia University at Parkersburg.

 

During the 5:15 p.m. program, a memorial plaque will be laid in the center of the soon-to-be-completed Pack Plaza so present and future JCC students will understand his importance in the center’s history.  In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to the lobby of the center's classroom building. 

 

In addition to the dedication of the plaque, a short program will highlight Pack’s contributions to the center.  His widow Lou and other family members will be in attendance to celebrate the occasion.  In addition, prominent leaders in the Jackson County educational community have been invited to participate. 

 

The ceremony is open to the public.

 

Pack's distinguished career in the public school system included teaching in Mason County, serving as principal at Ripley High School, and a career-topping experience as the Assistant Superintendent and Director of Facilities at the Jackson County Board of Education central office. 

 

He served as principal at Ripley High School for many years during the 1970s.  In the academic year 1973-74, Pack's son Paul was a senior at RHS.  He and his friends were interested in taking college courses during their senior year so that they would be a semester ahead when they went to WVU in the fall.  Mr. Pack lobbied academic leaders at the then Parkersburg Community College to offer classes at the high school. 

 

According to Mrs. Pack's recollection, the first courses were offered on the auditorium stage at Ripley High that year.  Paul reported passing his placement tests at WVU with "flying colors," and was glad to have completed a semester of college. 

 

Paul encouraged his dad to keep working to get more classes in Ripley.  From these beginnings, Mrs. Pack reported to Pam Braden, Director of the JCC, "you have achieved John's goal to provide the means for every student in your area to receive a college education.  This was, in his thinking, the most important contribution he made in education to Jackson County." 

 

Pack served on the Jackson County Commission's Building Commission for many years, during which time he lobbied the County Commission to provide financial assistance in the form of a lease-purchase agreement with the college's administration to enable purchase of the current classroom building at the center.  This was the first time in its history that the college owned its own facility for the JCC.  Eldon Miller, president during that time, publicly noted that the Jackson County Center had established a lasting presence in the community with the purchase of a permanent facility. 

 

The Oct. 18th dedication celebration will mark the kickoff for a campaign to raise funds to complete landscaping and campus beautification projects at the Jackson County Center.  Generous contributions have already been made toward that end to the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation, Inc., noted Ms. Braden.  The goal is to generate sufficient funds so that the park will be fully completed by next spring’s growing season.

 

To make a contribution to the fund, contact Ms. Braden at JCC, 372-6992 or Paul Daugherty, executive director of the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation, 424-8340.   

 
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