East Tennessee State University’s Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy held a special ceremony Friday to unveil a wall that is engraved with the names of people who made the college possible through their financial contributions.ETSU President Dr. Paul E. Stanton Jr. and Dr. Larry D. Calhoun, dean of the college, unveiled the Gatton College of Pharmacy donor wall, which is located in the main hall. An additional new, permanent display is a plaque that bears the likeness of Bill Gatton, the Tri-Cities businessman and philanthropist for whom the school is named.

To date, Gatton has donated $3 million to the college through the ETSU Foundation. He announced an additional $1 million gift Thursday, bringing his total commitment to the school to $4 million.

The donor wall lists more than 1,100 names of supporters, many of whom responded – prior to the founding of the college – when Gov. Phil Bredesen challenged the region in 2005 to raise $5 million in three months in support of the school. ETSU raised that $5 million in two months.

The Gatton College of Pharmacy has since graduated its first class, and members of the Class of 2010 have already become practicing pharmacists, while others are enrolled in pharmacy residency programs. ETSU was also awarded full accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education this summer.

“We have a donor wall at the Gatton College of Pharmacy because we think it’s important to have a tangible reminder of what was accomplished here through the collective vision of our donors, particularly Mr. Gatton,” Calhoun said. “Without the support of those whose names are now permanently displayed at our college, we would not be here. We want all who walk through our main hall – faculty, students and visitors – to see the names of donors and reflect on their contributions today and decades from now.

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