By Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89
BY EVERY MEASURE, WOFFORD COLLEGE IS BETTER THAN IT’S EVER BEEN.
Over the past 13 years, the endowment has grown from $167 million to more than $520 million; net assets now top $680 million, up from $196 million. Academic and athletics scholarships have almost doubled to 1,058 funds. Applications and selectivity are at all-time highs, and the entering classes break records each year for academic quality. Eight new buildings fill out the campus map, and nine other facilities have undergone major renovations.
The grass is literally greener than it was 13 years ago when Nayef and Prema Samhat joined the Wofford community, and still, both say that Wofford’s biggest strength now is the same thing they discovered when they joined the community in 2013: the people.
“The Wofford community is a family, with an obvious commitment to taking care of this place and each other...”
“The faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni, parents and supporters in the surrounding Spartanburg community are what make Wofford,” says Dr. Nayef Samhat, 11th president of Wofford College, who steps down as president on June 30, 2026. “The Wofford community is a family, with an obvious commitment to taking care of this place and each other. The academic program, financial foundations and physical campus are as strong as ever, but it’s the people who make Wofford so special. Each of them — no matter their role — makes a difference. I have been so very fortunate to work with colleagues and friends throughout our tenure dedicated to tirelessly advancing the vision of our college.”
NEW CONSTRUCTION SINCE 2015
Stewart H. Johnson Greek Village
Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts
Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium
Chandler Center for Environmental Studies
Jerome Johnson Richardson Hall
Hope Field
Wofford House, Northside Station
Wofford College Bookstore
MAJOR RENOVATIONS SINCE 2015
Mungo Student Center
Richardson Physical Activities Building
Sandor Teszler Library
Burwell Building
Blackwell-Quattlebaum Center for Wellness and Counseling Services
Keisler Family Building/Reeves Tennis Center
Residence Halls (Greene, Marsh, Senior Village)
Kang Center
Campus houses
MOVING IN AND FOSTERING COMMUNITY
When the Samhats arrived on campus, the President’s Home was under renovation, so they spent three months in Magnolia Lofts in downtown Spartanburg before moving onto campus. They used the time to explore their new community and meet as many people as possible.
“We tried to put people at ease,” says Nayef Samhat. “We met Wofford people and went to dinner in downtown Spartanburg. We most recently had lived in Gambier, Ohio, and Danville, Ky., so downtown Spartanburg seemed like New York City to us. There were so many places to eat, and Spartanburg has only become more vibrant over the past 13 years. The future for our city is so bright.”
Prema, whose father was a college president in India, was no stranger to living on a college campus.
“It was fun to live downtown in an urban setting for a few months, but moving onto campus was — in a word — fabulous,” says Prema. “We love being in the middle of things, having students walk by all day. Being surrounded by so many people and so much activity is energizing.”
Immediately, they opened the President’s Home to campus and community groups. The house was available to reserve for events, and they started a monthly social gathering for faculty and staff and invited students to their home for pizza. The annual facilities Christmas breakfast, the undergraduate research reception, cocktails with new faculty, celebrations of championship teams, speaker’s dinners ... . During 2025, there were 39 scheduled events in the President’s Home. And who’s counting the impromptu invites to the kitchen for a sip and the Samhats’ signature pistachios and chips?
“Both Nayef and I live here, but the home belongs to the college, and we’re both from cultures that prize hospitality. We’ve appreciated the opportunity to open it up so people can connect in a comfortable setting,” says Prema, who also quickly gives credit to the people who helped make the entertaining possible. “It’s easy to entertain when someone else does much of the work.”
People, in turn, enjoy the experience because the house doesn’t feel fussy. Now that the Samhats are grandparents, toys sprinkle the corners and sometimes there’s a stray crumb on the floor that Ava, their hound mix, may have missed.
“Nayef and I are both of the opinion that the house doesn’t need to be perfect, which is a moving target anyway. We learned pretty quickly that being ourselves helped build community,” says Prema. “It would have been harder if we had young children or were actively raising middle schoolers. We’re fortunate that our daughters — Alia, Jehan and Leila — and their families embraced us living on campus, and our grandchildren think Wofford’s campus is the best place to play. Melding the two parts of our life made things easier and more fun for us.”
FALL 2013 TO FALL 2025
ENROLLMENT GROWTH AND SELECTIVITY
Enrollment from 1,600 to 1,800 students.
Acceptance rate from 76% to 55%, more selective, while maintaining academic profile.
Applications from 2,442 to 4,516, up 85%.
Maintained in-state/out-of-state around 50%.
THE FACULTY
Student-faculty ratio consistent at 11:1.
Faculty size increased from 131 to 151.
FINANCIAL STRENGTH
Endowment 2013 (June 30) = $167.5 million
Endowment 2025 (June 30) = $521.5 million
Net assets 2013 (June 30) = $196.9 million
Net assets 2025 (June 30) = $680.4 million
A shared commitment
For Nayef, the presidency of Wofford College was never simply a job. His parents, Harold and Elinor, grew up in Detroit, Mich., and Windsor, Canada, right across the river, during the Depression. After military service, his father became an independent business owner who worked with his brother, for whom Nayef is named, at a well-known gas and tire shop in Detroit. He eventually moved into the soda pop business, building Towne Club beverages in the 1960s and 1970s into a popular brand throughout the Detroit area and beyond. Nayef spent summers and holidays — when pop really sells — working at the bottling plant in Warren. He and his sisters, Diane and Sharon, were first-generation college students who, thanks to their parents, learned the transformative power of education and the importance of a strong work ethic in all that one does.
“I entered this profession to teach and share my academic discipline. Becoming president of Wofford was the result of an unexpected professional journey and the support of mentors along the way. But once here, I felt a deep personal responsibility of care for the college and the people, for the Wofford family,” says Nayef. “Without question, others care deeply about Wofford as well, but I felt that I had to understand everything. Every nook and cranny mattered to me. The presidency at Wofford College was not just a privilege but a trust, and I have always felt a tremendous responsibility to Benjamin Wofford and all who came before me and all who will come after to leave Wofford stronger than I found it.”
Prema shared that commitment.
“When we came to Wofford, Prema and I were committed to doing this together,” says Nayef. “She had always worked (primarily in hospitality or marketing), but she wanted to commit herself to serving the college and community, and she’s done that.”
In addition to opening herself and their home to the Wofford family, Prema has served on local foundation and nonprofit boards. She’s represented Wofford at community events and is a fixture walking their dog on and around campus.
“She’s been instrumental to whatever I’ve been able to do in my career and at Wofford, and she’s loved every minute of it. People have come to appreciate that,” says Nayef. “There are always great candidates for college presidencies: smart people, hardworking people who would be dedicated to the institution, but I had an advantage that they didn’t have, and that’s Prema. While some may be happy that I’m leaving, no one is happy that Prema’s leaving.”
Vision
Nayef initiated and completed two strategic visions during his presidency.
“One of the things I learned early on is that faculty, staff and students have a desire to express their own vision of the college,” he says. “I had ideas, but it was important to hear the ideas of others.”
During the 2014 strategic vision, teams of faculty, staff, alumni, trustees and students participated in listening sessions and developed a forward-looking vision for Wofford. The vision focused on academic excellence; the student experience; attracting and retaining the best students, faculty and staff; strengthening community; enhancing the physical campus; and developing a plan to support and sustain the college well into the future. Committees then presented specific recommendations and an action plan to reach goals.
It worked. By 2021, the strategic vision process had initiated a campaign that led to $470 million in giving, 189 new endowed scholarships and five new or renovated buildings.
“I stayed back and let this community work its magic,” says Nayef. “I was impressed when I saw the contours of the plan, but I didn’t know if any of it was really doable. It came down to financial resources. That’s when Jerry Richardson ’59, who was serving on the board of trustees at the time, stepped in.”
Richardson donated the Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts in honor of his wife, Rosalind, and her love for and dedication to the arts. The Stewart H. Johnson Greek Village, the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, Jerome Johnson Richardson Hall and the Chandler VisionCenter for Environmental Studies followed. The new residence hall allowed the college to grow strategically to 1,800 students, which made possible the renovation of the Sandor Teszler Library, several residence halls and the Richardson Physical Activities Building. In part because of the strategic vision and Samhat’s leadership, Richardson also made the largest single, individual gift to the college in its history: $150 million to the endowment for scholarships, experiential learning, raising the minimum wage on campus, and maintenance and repair of Richardson buildings.
“It’s hard to describe the feeling I had driving back from Charlotte after meeting with Mr. Richardson and his team and signing that fund agreement. The gravity of it settled in as I drove. I knew this gift, if managed properly, would preserve the college forever,” says Nayef, who was sworn to secrecy but given the OK to tell Prema. “I went to the store and bought a really nice bottle of champagne. When I got home, I told Prema, and we drank it in about 20 minutes sitting in the kitchen. It was a remarkable moment.”
Prema says the first strategic vision and the explosion of energy and construction on the campus were a powerful demonstration of love that so many have for the institution.
“Witnessing that was really moving,” she says. “The Greek village opened, and it was beautiful. Then the center for the arts opened, and it was beautiful. Then we dedicated the environmental studies building and a new residence hall, and they were beautiful as well,” she says, noting the way the scenery during her walks down Campus Drive changed. “Now we have Hope Field and a new lacrosse field, a renovated dining hall, student center and wellness center. It’s been remarkable.”
The second strategic vision followed the COVID-19 pandemic and the social justice movement that swept the country during 2020. Every decision — regardless of the hours of consideration given to history, logic and facts — became political, which made navigating the feelings of Wofford’s varied constituencies complex and challenging.
“Black at Wofford gave us a lot to consider. With so many voices on and off campus raising concerns, I felt strongly that we needed to review our policies, practices and systems. I wanted us to have a reasoned and emotionally neutral process to talk about issues of social justice as they affect the college and how we might best respond,” says Samhat, who, along with the board of trustees, launched the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee to gain community feedback and consider steps forward. “Like in the earliest days of COVID-19, there were unsettling, dark moments, but we weren’t the only ones. Every institution faced these, and I’m proud that on campus we were not afraid to ask important questions and address concerns in a manner that reflected the mission and values of our institution.”
After a year of digging deeper into the college’s history and, again, listening to community voices, the result was a document that focused on creating opportunities for all students. Discussions that started with race and justice became outcomes with the goal of providing access and opportunity. The endowment grew during this second campaign, much of it in the way of scholarships so students with financial need could have the support to study abroad, intern, do mentored research and engage more deeply in the community.
Challenge and aspiration
“We’re at a place in the college’s history where we can think and plan ambitiously and know that we can achieve those aspirations,” says Nayef. “We’re in good and competitive shape in the enrollment space, and our graduates are doing amazing things all over the world. Our faculty are among the best in the country, and I’ve never worked with a more committed staff and senior team. But we do have challenges.”
Resources top the list. Continuing to provide access to all that Wofford offers to all students requires funding, as do fostering faculty research and mentoring and keeping the campus tour-ready. There’s also a persistent need for funding as Wofford finds its place in the changing NCAA Division I landscape.
“Innovative and strategic thinking will be necessary to determine how best to navigate these challenges,” Nayef says. “For example, how do we integrate AI into the educational and curricular experience of our students? And, like other mid-major institutions, the cost of operating athletics is only going to grow, but here our primary revenue base — an enrollment of 1,800 students — is probably going to stay stable.”
Nayef believes the next president will be up to the challenge because of the Wofford community, including the support of a senior leadership team that — in addition to expertise, Wofford knowledge and care — offers collegiality, friendship and mutual respect.
“I know the next president will enjoy being president of Wofford College the way I have and will appreciate the Wofford community the way Prema and I have. If they do that, they will do well. And I hope they bring in big gifts, too.” He grins. “That’s another wish.”
Now as Nayef and Prema prepare to move off campus, they can’t help but feel the desire to wind back time. Walking the Wofford campus for the first time. Meeting the community. Settling into the house. Drinking coffee as students walk by on their way to breakfast.
“I’m incredibly grateful for this experience and that Nayef put himself in the position to become president of Wofford College. I’m grateful to the people who selected him. Wofford will forever be a special part of our life and world and heart,” says Prema.
She says she will miss leading groups to her native India, traveling to support Wofford athletics teams, hosting philanthropists in the Mungo Box during football games and connecting with alumni in their communities and with students on campus as she walks Ava. “This has been the best gig ever.”
For the next year, Nayef and Prema will move to Asheville, where Prema will try to keep him from sneaking back to Wofford to watch the Terriers in action or check on the trimming around the sidewalks. During his sabbatical, he’ll be available to consult with senior leaders and will enjoy more time traveling, writing and with family.
And Nayef and Prema Samhat certainly have.
“I guess I’d like to be remembered as a nice guy, who along with his wife, cared deeply about the college and people here,” says Nayef. “And who worked hard to make a difference.”
THREE CHEERS (AND FUNDS) FOR THE SAMHATS
LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP CONTINUES TO BENEFIT THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
It was May 2025, and Tally Roberts ’25 was about to graduate when the announcement went out that President Nayef Samhat would step away as president of the college at the end of the next academic year.
“I’ve had dinner at the President’s Home, and he’s attended my sorority events. He and Prema — and it’s always been Nayef and Prema — attend all kinds of events to support groups or individual students. He remembers my name when he sees me off campus in Publix,” says Roberts, one of the youngest people to make a gift in honor of the Samhats. “Wofford gave me opportunities and experiences and love and friendship that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to find in the same way again. I didn’t donate that much, but I believe donating little by little makes a difference, and I wanted to do something to say thank you.”
Roberts gave to the Nayef and Prema Samhat Endowed Scholarship Fund, one of three funds that trustees and friends established to honor the Samhats. The other two are the Nayef H. Samhat Chair in Government and International Affairs and the Nayef H. Samhat Faculty Development Fund. Combined, the funds now total almost $4 million, and every dollar will be used in the classroom beginning this fall to support students and faculty.
“That’s what Nayef wanted,” says Calhoun Kennedy ’89, vice president for philanthropy and engagement. Kennedy sat down with Samhat about designating gifts already made in his honor not long after he announced that this would be his last year as president.
“It was an incredibly unselfish decision,” says Christopher A.P. Carpenter ’90, chairman of the Wofford College Board of Trustees. “A visioning process and comprehensive campaign take five to seven years at a minimum, so Nayef’s decision to step aside, knowing he was approaching retirement age, for someone else to lead and inject new ideas shows that he continues to put Wofford first.”
Carpenter and his wife, Cathy Henson, made gifts to the scholarship and faculty development fund.
“We’ve traveled to India with Prema and have hosted events with the Samhats. Getting to know them and working with them has been a highlight of my service on the board,” says Carpenter. “For Nayef and Prema, it’s always been about ensuring that all students have access to everything that Wofford offers. We can think of no better way to honor them and all that they’ve meant to this institution.”
Mike James ’73 chaired the presidential search advisory committee that recommended Nayef as the college’s 11th president.
“My wife, Katie, and I are fortunate to be able to contribute to a professorship in Nayef’s honor, with our hope being that whoever fills that chair and educates our students in the years ahead will exhibit the kind of ethos, open-mindedness and willingness to deliberate and discuss important questions the way Nayef has,” says James. “He’s always been willing to try to find common ground with people.”
“For Nayef and Prema, it’s always been about ensuring that all students have access to everything that Wofford offers. We can think of no better way to honor them and all that they’ve meant to this institution.”
James served as chairman of the board for Samhat’s first three years as president. They worked together closely.
“He checked all the boxes,” says James, referring to Samhat’s academic background and leadership experience in some of the finest liberal arts institutions in the country. “I think we all sensed Nayef’s humanity and compassion as well. It came through to everyone who engaged in the process. He was exactly what Wofford deserved and needed, and the results speak for themselves.”
Stewart Mungo ’74, who made a gift to the Samhat chair, was about to rotate off the board after 12 years of service when he and other trustees endorsed the search committee’s recommendation to elect Samhat in 2013.
“Voting to hire him was my last act as a trustee,” says Mungo. He says trustees knew what a difficult job they were asking someone to fill. “You’re asking people to have the academic degrees and management skills and be good with finances and understand enrollment and all the other pieces. You’re asking them to wear a lot of hats, and Nayef has worn them well. He’s proven to be a great leader.”
According to Mungo, Prema brought added value to Nayef’s selection. Getting Nayef and Prema, in a sense, was a two-for-one deal.
“Prema’s a superstar. Everybody loves her,” says Mungo. “I remember the search committee telling us we were going to get Prema, too. It was as advertised. They were an efficient and effective couple. Voting yes to the Samhats was one of the better investments I’ve made in my life.”
Jack McBride, who joined the board of trustees in 2024, along with his wife, Stacy, made a lead gift to establish the funds to honor the Samhats. They met and became friends with the Samhats through shared service in the Spartanburg community.
“Nayef is leaving Wofford in a much better place than when he found it 13 years ago,” says McBride. “He’s such an approachable guy — on and off campus — and he’s been a great asset to the community. Stacy and I believe that opening Wofford up more to the community has been important. Wofford’s standing in the community benefited from Nayef and Prema.”
There are now five funds at the college to celebrate Nayef, Prema and their families. In addition to the new funds, in 2021 Nayef and Prema established the William and Latika Rajpal Endowed Scholarship in memory of her parents and the Harold and Elinor Samhat Endowed Scholarship Fund to honor and memorialize his parents.
Join the move to honor the Samhats. Visit Wofford.edu/give to make a gift to any of the funds or contact Kennedy at kennedycl@wofford.edu.
THE PUSH TO ENDOW WOFFORD GOLF
ENHANCING THE STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCE AT THE HEART OF NEW FUNDING DRIVE
Wofford student-athletes in men’s and women’s golf could soon see expanded travel, training and competitive opportunities thanks to a new multimillion-dollar fundraising initiative led by alumni, PGA Tour professionals and longtime college supporters.
The growing commitment to endow Wofford golf was front and center when Wofford golfer Ben Jordan ’26, a finance major from Greensboro, N.C., teed it up in February at the Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase at Riveria County Club outside of Los Angeles. At stake was an exemption into a PGA Tour event, and his dad and coach, as well as Wofford supporters Mike Smith ’75 and Steven Mungo ’81 were there cheering him on.
“We are in a unique position at Wofford to give our student-athletes on both the men’s and women’s golf teams opportunities for development, growth and success,” says Smith. “Nancy and I have enjoyed successful careers and have raised two daughters, who now have families of their own. Our experiences have inspired us to provide future generations of student-athletes on the men’s and women’s golf teams with the financial resources needed to enhance their collegiate golf experiences.”
Others have joined the cause: a generous anonymous donor, Rob and Julie Lever Freeman ’87, and Wofford’s PGA Tour Terriers William McGirt ’01, who won the Memorial Tournament in 2016, and Andrew Novak ’17, who had two PGA wins in 2025, the Zurich Classic in New Orleans and the Grant Thornton Invitational. McGirt and Novak have agreed to serve as captains for this initiative.
“I am honored to co-captain this campaign with Andrew,” says McGirt. “We both know from our experiences playing on the PGA Tour how important it is to be able to play in various climates and on courses with different types of grasses and terrains. The sooner we can help our teams figure this out, the more successful they can be. I think the biggest goal in all of this is to leave Wofford golf better than we found it.”
Novak makes time to play with the men’s team when he can, and he follows their scores the way PGA Tour fans follow his. “It’s about providing opportunity,” says Novak, one of the hottest players on the PGA Tour right now. “I was given a ton of opportunity by Wofford, and it’s gotten me to where I am today. It’s about passing down that opportunity to current Wofford student-athletes.”
The plan is, over the next few years, to raise an endowment of at least $6 million that will fund all the advantages that more well-funded teams have while ensuring the educational experience that’s made Wofford a top-tier liberal arts college for the past 172 years. Gifts of $250,000 or more will be matched dollar for dollar; gifts of less will be matched at 50 cents on the dollar.
The Freeman family started giving to Wofford golf 30 years ago at the death of Rob’s father, Bobby. “When Julie and I married, we redirected the gift specifically to the women’s team because of our admiration and respect for Coach Angie Ridgeway,” says Rob. He and Julie love the idea of the women using the extra funding for travel and experiences that enrich them athletically and academically.
They met women’s golfer Maggie Jackson ’25 last year at a scholarship dinner.
“We’ve been modest and steady givers over the years, but we were so impressed with Maggie that we decided to do more,” says Rob.
“Maggie made such an impression on us,” says Julie. “We realized that we’d been missing out on getting to know the studentathletes. It made us step up.”
Ridgeway, who has served as head women’s golf coach for the past 21 years, says she can’t thank the Freemans and Smiths enough. “They are champions of our student-athletes, and the women on our team practice, condition and compete with more confidence knowing that people like them are in our corner.”
Funding for the initiative now tops $2 million, which is split among several named funds. While the interest generated makes an immediate difference, other funding is needed to make the impact that the Smiths, the Freemans, McGirt, Novak and others envision.
Todd Eckstein is in his second year as head men’s golf coach. He says this initiative could be a game-changer when it comes to recruiting. “Championship-level golf means offering championship-level experiences. I can already guarantee an elite academic experience, and with additional funding, I can offer prospects the opportunity to play the best courses and compete against the best collegiate golfers in the country.”
According to Calhoun Kennedy ’89, vice president for philanthropy and engagement, Wofford golf received its first major financial commitments when Douglas Joyce ’79 and his wife, Sue, established two athletics endowed scholarship funds with a matching gift from the estate of Homozel Mickel Daniel in the late 1980s. The funds continue to provide four scholarships to student-athletes on the golf team who demonstrate integrity, sportsmanship, leadership and academic achievement.
“This new initiative is about taking the next step in building operational and scholarship support for the college’s thriving NCAA Division I athletics program,” says Kennedy. “I appreciate the Joyce family for their early commitment, and now the Smith and Freeman families have picked up the torch.”
The new initiative to fund the golf program has been a few years in the making. Mike and Nancy Smith have been generous contributors to a variety of funds and capital projects through the years. Mike served on the college’s board of trustees from 2003 to 2015. He and Nancy wanted to make a major commitment to something meaningful to them that would also meet a college need. Golf was an obvious choice, especially considering Mike’s “second career” as a volunteer leader and rules official with the Carolinas Golf Association. Involved at every level of the organization, including serving as president and continuing as a member of its executive committee, Smith also serves on the USGA National Committee, through which he’s officiated 28 USGA National Championships, including recent U.S. Opens, U.S. Women’s Opens, U.S. Women’s Seniors and U.S. Amateurs. In addition, Smith has officiated collegiate tournaments, currently serving on the SEC Men’s Golf Conference Championship rules team.
Mike considered joining the golf team at Wofford, but he had no illusions regarding the commitment required to play intercollegiate golf. He chose to focus on his academic performance and campus life and leadership, graduating magna cum laude in three years with a B.A. in economics. An interview with Harold Chandler ’71, who was working with C&S Bank at the time, led to a first job in banking. Mike then joined the family business and has never forgotten his love of and respect for the game of golf.
“Nancy and I understand the commitment needed to play intercollegiate golf, and we marvel at our student-athletes and the way they handle the pressure of academics and athletics performance,” he says. “We have such a high regard for any student-athlete, and we want to give back to Wofford for their continued development.”
Kennedy says this initiative is exactly the type of thing that the team in Philanthropy + Engagement is eager to talk with Wofford alumni, parents and friends about.
“Helping givers find the places at Wofford where their philanthropic interests intersect with the needs of Wofford students is rewarding for everyone involved,” says Kennedy. “We look forward to supporting the Smiths, the Freemans, the McGirts, the Novaks and others as they support Wofford student-athletes and the golf program. It’s a win-win-win-win!”
To learn more, contact Kennedy at kennedycl@wofford.edu.
ROBBY ATKINS ’65 DOES IT AGAIN
NEW PERFORMANCE CENTER TO GIVE TERRIERS AN ADVANTAGE
Wofford student-athletes go to class. They write papers on the bus after road wins. They study for tests while waiting to see an athletic trainer or squeezed between conditioning, practices and competition. While their futures are brighter for the lessons they learn balancing Wofford’s rigorous academic expectations and their commitment to NCAA Division I athletics, the path is nevertheless challenging.
Robby Atkins ’65 wants to make life a little easier for these deserving student-athletes, and the Robby Atkins Performance Center is his answer.
“For the past few years I’ve been a part of a group looking at athletics needs at the college, and a weight room renovation and nutrition center kept coming up, among other things. Our student-athletes are busy, and they need to be able to grab something and keep moving,” says Atkins. “A stocked fueling station and updated training facilities will impact all student-athletes from all sports. It’s important.”
Atkins’ $1.3 million gift for the nutrition center also will be used to help fund renovation of the weight room and conditioning areas in the Joe E. Taylor Athletics Center, where the fueling station will be housed.
“My desire is to make this new performance center first class,” says Atkins. “It’s one of the first things recruits will see when they visit our campus. In the current NCAA climate, we need every advantage we can get. I look forward to what August brings when the renovations are complete.”
Atkins has been fully funding a full-tuition, room-and-board scholarship for a studentathlete on the college football team each year since 1989. He and his wife, Susan, endowed a scholarship for a studentartist and a student-athlete on the men’s basketball team. He also made a major gift to the student-managed James-Atkins Investment Fund in support of students studying business and finance. In 2024, he created the first endowment to fund a staff position at the college, and Scott Kull became the first Robert D. Atkins ’65 Director of Athletics.
“I am eternally grateful for the opportunities Wofford has given me in life. Although I was older before I realized how valuable my Wofford education was, I always stayed connected, and I always gave a little something,” says Atkins. “Staying connected now and following our studentathletes brings me a lot of joy. No matter what stage of life, I’ve always felt a warmness in my heart for Wofford College.”
Years ago, Atkins says he had an opportunity to sit down with Jerry Richardson ’59, founder of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and Wofford’s most generous lifetime philanthropist. Richardson and Atkins came from similar backgrounds, and both had created successful professional enterprises based on hard work and personal integrity.
“He really inspired me,” says Atkins. “I committed then to doing everything I could to give back to Wofford like Mr. Richardson had.”
According to Kull, most of the college’s athletics weight room equipment was older than the student-athletes who were using it. When he joined the community, he began asking head coaches for a list of priorities.
“Revamping the weight room and getting new equipment is vital for student development, so that was a priority,” says Kull. “Coaches were also interested in a fueling station that would be a way to support student-athletes and their nutritional needs, reassure their families that we were taking care of them and boost recruiting efforts, since we would be the only Southern Conference institution with that enhancement.”
Kull shared his vision with Atkins and others, and Atkins once again rose to the occasion.
“This impacts all 450 student-athletes,” says Kull. “The new Robby Atkins Performance Center will be one of the first stops on a recruiting visit. It will be a differentiator.”
Atkins realizes that Wofford needs every advantage in the ever-changing world of NCAA athletics.
“Without significant financial support from donors, I’m not sure where Wofford will be athletically in the next five years,” says Atkins. “It’s disheartening to bring a student-athlete in and then lose them to NIL and the transfer portal. The real shame is that they won’t get the same experience somewhere else. I know they would get a better education if they stayed at Wofford.”
He wants student-athletes to know that Terrier fans have their backs, and he wants student-athletes to stay at Wofford to compete and earn a Wofford degree.
“I’m proud that I’m able to do this for our student-athletes,” says Atkins. “There are lots of us out there who want to support them and give them the tools they need to be the best they can be.”
“Robby Atkins has always given in unselfish ways to address the greatest needs of the college,” says President Nayef Samhat. “His contributions have touched every corner of our institution — the arts, athletics, business and finance, the buildings and grounds, scholarships — and now every student athlete will benefit from the Robby Atkins Performance Center.”
“His contributions have touched every corner of our institution — the arts, athletics, business and finance, the buildings and grounds, scholarships — and now every student-athlete will benefit from the Robby Atkins Performance Center.”
President Nayef Samhat