SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford College on Saturday, Sept. 17, named its new fraternity, sorority and multicultural houses for trustee, alumnus and longtime supporter Stewart H. Johnson.

The Stewart H. Johnson Greek Village, at the corner of Evins and Cumming streets near the senior Village housing and Gibbs Stadium, features 11 Greek Revival-style 2,050-square-foot houses for each of college's Greek-letter organizations. The non-residential houses are used for meetings and social events.

“While many colleges and universities are choosing to direct their energies away from the Greek system, Wofford College has recommitted itself to Greek life on campus,” President Nayef H. Samhat told the attendees at the dedication ceremony before the Terrier football team’s home opener. “Look around you. This beautiful village is proof, and we are eager for our students to enjoy this space and this accomplishment.” Samhat also thanked those who contributed to “the completion of this remarkable place at the heart of Wofford’s campus.”

Dr. David S. Wood, senior vice president for advancement, said, “Today, we formally embark on ensuring the continuation of an important educational and social experience for Wofford’s students, a tradition almost as old as the college itself and one that now will be sustained for the remainder of this century and beyond.”

The Stewart H. Johnson Greek Village is named in honor of Johnson, a 1967 Wofford graduate who joined the board of trustees in 2012. He serves as on the committees of operations, advancement and honorary degrees. He and his wife, Ann Cobb Johnson, provided the lead gift for the Greek Village construction project. Ann Cobb Johnson served as a trustee from 2005 to 2009. The Johnsons have had three of their four children attend and graduate from Wofford – David, class of 1995; Jamie, class of 2000; and Ann, class of 2004. All three were active campus citizens engaged in numerous student activities, including membership in Greek-letter organizations.

The Johnson family has provided philanthropic leadership to numerous Wofford projects, including service as founders of the Terrier Ball Homecoming event and assisting with international travel opportunities for generations of Wofford students.

Wood noted that more than 2,000 alumni, parents, students, staff and friends of the college made gifts and commitments to the construction of the houses, contributing $3.5 million to the total $8 million total project cost. “More than 800 of these donors contributed at the ‘brick’ level with gifts of $2,500 or more,” he said. “More than 70 people contributed at the ‘column’ level with gifts of at least $10,000. Some gave at levels extending into six figures.” The college's board of trustees provided additional gifts to ensure the project could go forward.

In addition to the Johnsons, Wood recognized the gifts of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Richardson for the Richardson Family Pavilion located in the Greek Village; Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy I. Gibbs, who donated funds for the Marsha Gibbs House occupied by Delta Delta Delta sorority; and James Meadors and his family, along with the Black Alumni Association, for making the Meadors Multicultural House a reality.

Three students – Shelton Blue, Lillian Fant and Alex Hardy – expressed appreciation to the Johnsons for their support and contributions for the Greek Village.

“Greek life at Wofford is more cohesive than ever before,” said Blue, a senior from Columbia, S.C., “and I’m excited about leading the Interfraternity Council into a new era of leadership, service and scholarship.”

“Thank you, Wofford College and Greek Village donors, for giving Wofford women houses that we didn’t know we wanted until we got them,” Fant, a senior from Greenville, S.C., added. “They are awesome.”

Hardy, a junior from Spartanburg, who represented both Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and the Association of Multicultural Students, also added, “This sets Greek Life at Wofford College apart, and I’m proud that Kappa Alpha Psi and the Association of Multicultural Students have been a part of this positive change at Wofford College.”