Ground breaking at Perk

J.E. Bryan Jr. speaks to more than 30 guests attending the ground breaking ceremony for the new dorm being named in his honor.

Dark thunderstorm clouds parted just in time for guests, students and officials at Gulf Coast to break ground for a new women’s residence hall on June 2. The soggy conditions didn’t dampen the spirits of long-time Stone County resident and businessman James E. Bryan Jr., after whom the new Perkinston Campus dorm is being named.

Bryan received this recognition after 26 years of service on the college’s Board of Trustees and a lifetime of community work. With the sound of thunder in the distance, Bryan told the crowd this is quite an honor for an “old forestry man”.

“I want to thank the college’s Board of Trustees for this recognition and the Stone County Board of Supervisors for appointing me to serve as trustee. During my time on the board, I learned about the impact this college has on the community. Here, with my family by my side, I can truly say, my cup runneth over,” Bryan said.

Two days of heavy rain made it easy for Bryan, along with Gulf Coast president Dr. Willis Lott; Bobby Eleuterius, president of the Harrison County Board of Supervisors; Dr. Clyde Strickland, chair of the college’s Board of Trustees; Dr. Mary Graham, vice president of the Perkinston Campus, to break the earth with the ceremonial gold shovels and signify the start of the $4.8 million project.

The project is being made possible through a combination of state and county funding. A collection of state bonds worth $3.5 million is paying for construction, while an additional $1.3 million of capital support from Jackson, Harrison, George and Stone counties is providing the dorm’s furnishings, parking lot and a roadway project. J.E. Bryan Jr. Hall is the first new dormitory the college has built in 17 years.

“Our college has seen a 32 percent increase in full-time students in the last four years. This new residence hall addresses one of the growing needs of our students and will benefit the entire Coast. More than 60 percent of the students living here on the Perk Campus come from Jackson and Harrison counties,” Lott explained.

Despite the dark skies overhead, supervisor Bobby Eleuterius called the groundbreaking a bright sign for the college’s future. A 1963 Perk student, Eleuterius had high praise for his alma mater.

“The message I send from Harrison County is we understand your needs, and we are working for ways to come up with the funds to support the community college. This college is as good as anywhere in the nation, definitely in the state,” he said.

The new Georgian-style hall combines old-school charm with the latest 21st century student conveniences. When completed, the 25,596-square-foot building will feature 50 suites with baths; a dorm supervisor area; laundry; a study area; a lobby; and video-camera security. Each room will include voice/data connections for Internet and phone service.

The residence hall is slated for completion in July 2005 –in time for the fall semester.

J.E. Bryan Jr. Hall is the first of three new dorms that will eventually form a residential complex. For the second straight year, applications are up around 40 percent for both freshmen and returning students compared to the same time last year.

MGCCC officials break ground on new women’s dorm at the Perkinston Campus on June 2.