LIVINGSTON, Ala.— Glen Bridges can find his name on several prestigious rosters at the University of West Alabama, and now one of the newest facilities on campus will bear his name. The newly-renovated auditorium at Wallace Hall will be dedicated at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday at 2 p.m. The community is invited to join the campus in celebrating Bridges’ legacy at the University.

Bridges Auditorium was recently renovated to provide a state-of-the-art gathering place for meetings, conferences, entertainment, and more. The project is being made possible through support from those who aim to honor the legacy that Bridges carries. It’s a legacy of dedicated service.

Bridges, a 1951 graduate of the University (then State Teachers College, Livingston) spent nearly his entire career in service to his alma mater, following a three-year tenure at Demopolis City Schools teaching classes in business education. Prior to enrolling as a student, he served two years in the U.S. Navy.

He joined the University faculty 1954 as an instructor of business education and administration. Over the next four decades, he climbed the professorial ranks to assistant professor, associate professor, then professor, department chair, associate dean, and acting dean.

A Camden, Ala., native, Bridges demonstrated a level of commitment and dedication admired by those around him, especially in times of transition among faculty and staff within the college. He carried an exceptionally heavy load of administrative and teaching duties, but his colleagues insist that he “always kept time open for students and their problems.”

Dean Bridges, as he is affectionately known by generations of students, was named professor emeritus in 1994 upon his retirement. The same year, he was presented the Faculty/Staff Loyalty Award from UWA’s National Alumni Association. In 2002, the organization awarded Bridges its Alumni Loyalty Award for his unselfish devotion of time and talent to the University.

Bridges, who holds a 1959 master’s degree in business from the University of Alabama, has offered his leadership to the University in several capacities over the years. His leadership brought Blue Key honor fraternity and Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity to the University. He served in several capacities in addition to his faculty position over the years — like advisor for the L-Club and Paragon — in times when there was no stipend for the jobs.

Bridges has long been affiliated with organizations that promote business education, including Delta Sigma Pi International Business Fraternity and the Alabama Association of Higher Education in Business.

Those who have known him over the many years he has served UWA know him best for his willingness to step in and help wherever he can, from scholarship committees to golf tournaments, and fundraising to keeping the football scoreboard in years past.  All of these things he has done because of his love for the University.

Bridges continues to serve UWA through the UWA Foundation, the primary fundraising body for the University for which he served as treasurer, and he is treasurer of UWA’s National Alumni Association. He and his late wife, Emogene, have long been familiar faces at events across campus. It’s fitting that a facility designed to draw people campus and enhance their experience at UWA be named for Bridges. After all, his lifetime of service has led to the enhancement and improvement of many aspects of campus, from academics to athletics. Located just steps away from the office and classrooms he taught in, the auditorium will for many years serve as a gathering place for student groups and various campus guests.

The renovation gives the facility a much-needed facelift, but also enhances its functionality and increases accessibility. The design makes way for additional seating to accommodate entertainment-style events and lectures alike, and an improved stage setup provides for better visibility and presentation.

A fund has been established in support of the project so those who wish to honor Bridges can do so through the UWA Foundation.