CAMPUS BUILDINGS, COLLEGES AND SITES
Dorothy ("Dottie") S. Dorion Fitness Center

Dedication Ceremony
October 31, 1995
Remarks by UNF President Dr. Adam Herbert

THIS IS ANOTHER VERY SPECIAL DAY FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA. THIS AFTERNOON WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE, HONOR AND EXPRESS OUR DEEP APPRECIATION TO MRS. DOROTHY S. "DOTTIE" DORION FOR HER SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA AND FOR THE STRONG LEADERSHIP ROLE SHE HAS PLAYED IN SERVICE TO HER COMMUNITY THROUGH EXTENSIVE VOLUNTEER AND CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES.

DOTTIE DORION HAS HAD A VERY DISTINGUISHED CAREER IN HEALTH, SPORTS MEDICINE AND ATHLETICS.  SHE IS INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS A WORLD-CLASS TRIATHLETE AND HAS EARNED SEVERAL WORLD RECORDS IN HER AGE CATEGORY. SHE CLEARLY SERVES AS A ROLE MODEL FOR US ALL.

WHEN NOT TRAINING AND COMPETING, OR GIVING PRESENTATIONS AT SPORTS MEDICINE CONFERENCES, DOTTIE HAS SOMEHOW MANAGED TO SERVE HER COMMUNITY IN A WIDE VARIETY OF ROLES.  SHE HAS BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT ACTIVITIES RANGING FROM HOSPICE OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA (OF WHICH SHE WAS A FOUNDER) TO CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES (FOR WHICH SHE HAS RECEIVED SPECIAL STATE LEVEL RECOGNITION).  HER EFFORTS HAVE EARNED HER NUMEROUS AND WELL DESERVED LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL RECOGNITION.

WHEN I CAME TO UNF ALMOST SEVEN YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE FIRST SUPPORTERS OF THIS UNIVERSITY THAT I HEARD ABOUT WAS DOTTIE DORION. 

I WAS TOLD THAT SHE CARED VERY DEEPLY ABOUT THIS UNIVERSITY AND OUR STUDENTS;

I WAS TOLD THAT SHE WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE OSPREY CLUB, UNF'S ATHLETIC BOOSTER ORGANIZATION, AND SERVED WITH DISTINCTION AS PRESIDENT OF THAT ORGANIZATION;

I WAS TOLD THAT SHE HAD SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE UNF FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES;

I WAS TOLD THAT SHE HAD BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE IN SECURING FUNDS FOR A FLEDGLING ATHLETICS PROGRAM;

I WAS TOLD THAT IN ADDITION TO HER OWN PERSONAL CONTRIBUTIONS, SHE ALSO SOLICITED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NEEDED TO FUND ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS FOR OUR WOMEN'S ATHLETICS PROGRAMS; AND

I ALSO WAS TOLD THAT SHE COULD BE VERY TOUGH AND DEMANDING IN HER EXPECTATIONS THAT THINGS SHOULD ALWAYS BE DONE IN THE RIGHT WAY.

TODAY I CAN TELL YOU THAT ALL OF THE THINGS I WAS TOLD ABOUT DOTTIE DORION ARE TRUE .

AND HER STORY OF SERVICE TO UNF HAS CONTINUED ON THE UNF COLLEGE OF HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD AND THE NURSING ADVISORY BOARD.  WHEN WE WANTED TO EXPAND AND ENHANCE THE UNF FITNESS CENTER, ONCE AGAIN SHE WAS THERE WITH A DESIRE TO MAKE IT ONE OF THE BEST COLLEGE FITNESS FACILITIES IN THE NATION.

DOTTIE, WE LOVE YOU BECAUSE YOU CARE SO MUCH; BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN SO WILLING TO GIVE OF YOU ENERGY, IDEAS, ARM TWISTING SKILLS AND PERSONAL RESOURCES TO MAKE THIS A BETTER, MORE CARING UNIVERSITY.

WE COULD NOT ASK FOR MORE!

AS AN EXPRESSION OF OUR LOVE; AS AN EXPRESSION OF OUR PRIDE IN THE HIGH STANDARDS OF PUBLIC SERVICE WHICH HAVE BECOME YOUR HALLMARK; AND AS AN EXPRESSION OF OUR APPRECIATION FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO TO MAKE THIS SUCH A SPECIAL INSTITUTION, THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA IS VERY PROUD TO RENAME THE UNF OSPREY FITNESS CENTER.

BY THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME BY THE FLORIDA BOARD OF REGENTS, AND WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS, THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, I AM PROUD TO RENAME THIS BUILDING THE DOROTHY S. DORION FITNESS CENTER.

DOTTIE, IF YOU WOULD COME FORWARD SO THAT I CAN READ THE OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION. GEORGE DORION, WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN US.

READ PROCLAMATION

DOTTIE, I ALSO AM PLEASED TO GIVE YOU THIS RENDERING WHICH I HOPE WILL BE A CONSTANT REMINDER OF OUR LOVE, RESPECT AND APPRECIATION.

DOTTIE DORION SPEAKS

BEFORE CUTTING THE GRAND OPENING RIBBON, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE A FEW SPECIAL PEOPLE.

FIRST, DOTTIE'S FAMILY IS ALWAYS SO SUPPORTIVE OF ALL THAT SHE DOES. AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE PRIDE YOUR FAMILY FEELS OVER TODAY'S EVENT, DOTTIE, YOUR FATHER, MR. CARL SIMPSON HAS CONTRIBUTED $2,500 TO THE DORION FITNESS CENTER.

IN ADDITION, YOUR HUSBAND, DR. GEORGE DORION -- WHO ALSO HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF UNF FOR MANY YEARS -- AND YOUR CHILDREN -- MARK, CHRISTOPHER, LISAANNE AND TIMOTHY HAVE CONTRIBUTED $7,500 TO THE DORION FITNESS CENTER. THESE GIFTS WILL PROVIDE A LANDSCAPED PATIO AND PICNIC AREA, AS WELL AS ROWING ERGOMETERS AND A NORDIC TRACK.

ALSO PRESENT TODAY IS DR. PAUL SHIRLEY.  DR. SHIRLEY HAS SERVED AS TEAM PHYSICIAN FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA'S INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS PROGRAM FOR SEVERAL YEARS.  HE IS AN ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON, SPECIALIZING IN SPORTS MEDICINE AND KNEE SURGERY AND HAS BEEN IN PRIVATE PRACTICE IN JACKSONVILLE SINCE 1977. DR. SHIRLEY IS A PIONEER OF THE JACKSONVILLE SPORTS MEDICINE PROGRAM.  HIS COMMITMENT TO MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF YOUNG ATHLETES IS EVIDENT BY HIS MANY YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE SPORTS COMMUNITY.

WE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF DR. SHIRLEY'S GIFT OF FITNESS ASSESSMENT EQUIPMENT WHICH WILL OUTFIT THE NEW DR. PAUL SHIRLEY FITNESS ASSESSMENT CENTER, AN EXCITING NEW FEATURE OF THE DORION FITNESS CENTER.  DR. SHIRLEY, ON BEHALF OF THE UNF COMMUNITY, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THIS PLAQUE WHICH EXPRESSES OUR APPRECIATION FOR ALL THAT YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO FOR UNF STUDENTS.

PRESENT PLAQUE TO DR. SHIRLEY & HIS COMMENTS

ALSO WITH US TODAY IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION, MR. JOSH KUETHE.  JOSH, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES ON THE UNF STUDENT SENATE FOR YOUR ALLOCATION OF $50,000 TO BE USED FOR THE PURCHASE OF NEW EQUIPMENT FOR THE DORION FITNESS CENTER.

FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE TWO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE UNF FAMILY -- DR. ROLAND BUCK, VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS.

ON HIS STAFF IS THE YOUNG LADY WHO HAS OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS CENTER, THE ARENA AND THE NATATORIUM, MS. BECKY PURSER. SHE HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB IN PLANNING FOR THE CENTER AND ASSURING THAT EVERYTHING HAS MET THE HIGH STANDARDS THAT HAVE BEEN SET FOR IT. THANK YOU BECKY.

THE RIBBON CUTTING AND UNVEILING

NOW IT IS TIME FOR THE BIG EVENT.  I WILL NOW GIVE MRS. DORION THE OFFICIAL SCISSORS TO OFFICIALLY OPEN THE DOTTIE DORION FITNESS CENTER.  AS SHE DOES SO, STUDENTS WILL SIMULTANEOUSLY UNCOVER THE BUILDING PLAQUES AND THE NEW OFFICIAL NAME OF THE CENTER WHICH WILL BE UNVEILED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE DORION FITNESS CENTER.