The Western Student Recreation Center – funded, constructed and opened during the presidency of Donald S. Spencer – was dedicated and renamed in his honor during an Oct. 8 ceremony. President Spencer, his wife Dr. Sue Spencer, and their daughter attended the ceremony.

Spencer served as Western’s ninth president from 1994 to 2001. During President Spencer’s tenure, a New Student Convocation to welcome new students and their parents to the University was started; and a Founders’ Day program was initiated in the fall for faculty, staff and the community. It was also during his administration that the University announced single rooms as the predominant campus lifestyle option in campus residence halls, and Washington and Lincoln halls reopened to accommodate students accustomed to having their own room. Knoblauch Hall restoration was completed and the building was rededicated during Homecoming weekend 1995; and the Student Recreation Center, a student initiative, opened in Fall 1997.

Initiatives were launched to guarantee timely and cost effective degree completion for WIU students. GradTrac, which guarantees degree completion in most majors in four years, began with Fall 1998 incoming students. Western’s timely-degree commitment included transfer students with the development of dual admission agreements with participating community colleges.

Spencer retired in December 2001 as the longest serving of the 15 presidents and chancellors of Illinois public universities at the time.