Furman dedicates Trone Student Center

President Carl Kohrt ’65 presents keys to the building to donors Robert ’83 and Margaret Hill (left) and David ’77 and June Trone.

See photographer Jeremy Fleming’s images of the event

Furman University celebrated the completion of the newly expanded and renovated Trone Student Center with a dedication ceremony Thursday, Sept. 19.

More than 100 people attended the ceremony, which took place outside in the Hill Courtyard of the Trone Student Center.  The facility has undergone a $7.75 million expansion and renovation during the last 18 months in an effort to make it a more central part of student life.

The dedication included remarks by Furman interim president Carl Kohrt and trustees David Trone ’77 and Robert Hill ’83.  The Trone Student Center is named for Trone and his wife, June, in honor of their $3.5 million naming gift.

The redesigned building includes new spaces for student clubs and organizations, as well as expanded social and dining areas for students.  A new full-service restaurant, The Paddock, has both indoor and outdoor seating.  In addition to the Hill Courtyard, the outside area features a fire pit and a new promenade along the Furman Lake that includes shaded pavilions for dining.

The offices of the Rinker Center for Study Away and International Education, Cothran Center for Vocational Reflection, and Johnson Center for Engaged Learning moved into the Trone Center moved as part of the redesign.  The building also houses the offices of Career Services and the Shucker Center for Leadership Development.

David Trone is owner and president of Total Wine & More, a company he started with his brother, Robert, in 1991. The company operates 95 Wine superstores in 15 states, and is the largest independent retailer of wine in the country.

After graduating from Furman, Trone earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to serving as a member of Furman’s Board of Trustees, he serves on the Wharton Entrepreneurial Advisory Board and on The Bullis School Board of Trustees in Potomac, Md.

June Trone earned a degree in engineering from Stony Brook University and worked at Scott Paper Company for five years as both a process engineer and industrial engineer.  She earned an M.B.A. degree from the Wharton School in 1985.

The Trones have four children, and reside in Potomac, Md.

For more information, contact Furman’s News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.