Above: College of Charleston President Andrew T. Hsu unveils a sign dedicating the Anthony J. Meyer ’49 Alumni Welcome Center at Towell Library. (Photo by Clifford Pate)
On a gorgeous Saturday in the Cistern Yard during the 2021 Fall Alumni Weekend, the Alumni Welcome Center at Towell Library was dedicated to the memory of alumnus Anthony J. Meyer ’49 . The change was marked with a formal ceremony and a plaque to commemorate the center’s new name.
Tony Meyer
After Anthony J. Meyer, better known as Tony, passed away in 2020, the Alumni Association asked the Board of Trustees to honor the beloved alumnus, which voted unanimously to name the Alumni Welcome Center in his memory.
On Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, Fall Alumni Weekend attendees, proudly dressed in maroon, gathered around the steps of Towell Library to watch College of Charleston President Andrew T. Hsu formally unveil the new sign on the exterior of the Alumni Welcome Center. Meyer’s three sons, three grandsons, and two granddaughters were in attendance, and Hsu encouraged the attendees to share their “Tony stories” with the family.
In a speech to the crowd, CofC Board of Trustees Chair David Hay ’81 reminisced about how Meyer was a great advocate for the College and that his support was transformative. When the announcement for the dedication was published, Hay said, “We will all miss Tony dearly, but through the naming of this welcome center, the College of Charleston will never forget him.”
Members of Tony Meyer’s family, including his sons and grandchildren, attended the dedication ceremony on Nov. 20. (Photo by Clifford Pate)
In addition to the plaque, a portrait of Meyer will be placed in Towell Library. To close out the ceremony, CofC’s concert choir sang Meyer’s favorite song, the College of Charleston Alma Mater.
A lifelong Charlestonian who grew up just a few blocks from campus, Meyer passed away on April 25, 2020, at age 91. He was associated with the College for about 70 of those years, first as a student and men’s basketball team member, and then as a faculty member, coach and chair of the Department of Health and Physical Education. He went on to serve as director of six other departments before becoming vice president of alumni relations and executive secretary of the Alumni Association. In 1984, he created the Student Alumni Associates, one of the College’s premier leadership organizations for undergraduate students. After retiring in 1994, he became executive secretary emeritus three years later and came to campus just about every weekday.
