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Rocky Mount, N.C.—North Carolina Wesleyan College dedicated and named its new recreation center and field house in a ceremony held Friday, October 8, at 7 p.m, during the College’s homecoming weekend festivities.

The recreation center, an 11,650-square-foot addition to Everett Gymnasium, is a brick and glass facility that includes an athletics Hall of Fame, an education center, a fitness center, additional athletic offices, and a laboratory for exercise science study. The field house supplements the space and facilities of the recreation center and is conveniently located near the field for Wesleyan’s outdoor sports.

During the dedication, the recreation center was officially named the Roger G. and Gaile D. Taylor Recreation Center. The athletic Hall of Fame also was named for the Taylors. The lobby and fitness center were named in honor of Virgil Otho Dodd, and the new gymnasium was named for Jean Brake Edge.

Roger Taylor, a 1970 graduate of Wesleyan, and his wife, Gaile Davenport Taylor, are among the College’s most enthusiastic and generous supporters. Their long history of giving to Wesleyan demonstrates their interest in all aspects of the College, both academic and athletic.

The Taylors actively support the growth and development of Wesleyan. Roger helps to lead the College as a member of the board of trustees and has served as president of the Alumni Association. In recognition of his contributions, Wesleyan honored him in 1978 with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. He was Wesleyan’s first basketball All-American and has made his mark in Wesleyan basketball history.

The Taylors, both natives of Nash County, have been a guiding force in promoting and establishing football at Wesleyan through their personal efforts and generous philanthropic participation. Roger Taylor heads Roger G. Taylor & Associates—AXA Advisors in Rocky Mount, and Gaile Taylor assists him as office manager.

The lobby of the recreation center and the fitness center was named to honor the memory of the late Virgil Otho Dodd. A native of Commerce, Georgia, Dodd attended the University of Georgia, where he was known as the "Commerce Comet," lettering in both track and football, and receiving scholarships in both sports. He realized his dream of owning his own business when he moved to Rocky Mount in 1968 and purchased Odom Wholesale, changing the name to Dodd Distributing Company. He was active in the Rocky Mount community, demonstrated a strong love of sports, and emphasized the importance of education and the contributions of North Carolina Wesleyan College.

Jean Brake Edge retired from Wesleyan in 1994 after an outstanding career as a professor of physical education that spanned 32 years. She came to Wesleyan in 1962 as the College’s first women’s physical education instructor. For her dedication to athletics and her students, she was honored twice with Wesleyan’s Distinguished Professor Award. Her service to the local community touched the lives of many and has included assistance to the Special Olympics, the Red Cross, and the Heart Fund.

The support of The Boice-Willis Clinic was recognized by the naming of The Boice-Willis Education Center in honor of the clinic. Long-known throughout Eastern North Carolina for its quality medical care, the clinic today is comprised of over 55 physicians who represent 16 medical specialties. The clinic operates seven medical office locations within the areas of Rocky Mount, Nashville, and Spring Hope. An Immediate Care facility offers extended office hours with no appointment necessary, and the clinic provides ancillary services. The clinic employs a staff of more than 400 who support it. Since 1991, the Boice-Willis Clinic’s main facilities have been located in the Rocky Mount Medical Park, near Nash General Hospital.

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