Bethune-Cookman University

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Tours

1. Academic Tour

   Bethune-Cookman University offers 39 undergraduate degrees and six master?s degrees. Our faculty are dedicated to teaching and mentoring our students as well as conducting research, publishing and maintaining the highest standards for academic excellence.

   Stops

   1. Helen Kottle Memorial Building

      Mr. Louis Kottle, trustee and major donor to Bethune-Cookman, wanted to honor his wife and so we have the Helen Kottle Memorial Building which houses the College of Education, including the Teacher Education Institute. This building has 12 classrooms, large lecture hall and two computer labs. Dr. Willis Walter, Jr. is the dean.

   2. Gross Science Hall and R.J. Gainous Annex Building

      This is the College of Science, Engineering and Mathematics and Dr. Herbert Thompson is Dean. The building was erected 1948 in honor of a major donor and Trustee Mr. John O. Gross. The Alice G. Mickens Lecture Hall was added in 1973 and has a Lecture Hall, computer lab, and she was a member of the Board of Trustee and became a major donor. In 1989 to honor the former Chairman of Science Division and a College Executive Vice President and 1951 graduate the Rabie J. Gainous, Jr. Annex was added. In this building you will find- offices for faculty, classrooms, supply rooms, heavy equipment room, a darkroom, and an Observatory. 

   3. Harrison Rhodes Building

      Erected in 1941, it was named in honor of Mr. Harrison Rhodes who was an author of sports books and became a major donor. This building housed the library until 1971. Renovated and re-opened in the Fall of 2015, this state of the art building now houses the School of Liberal Arts where Dr. Janice Allen Kelsey is the dean. 

   4. Julia E. Robinson Music Bldg. & Annex & Larry R. Handfield Music Building

      The building was erected in 1968 in memory of Mrs. Julia E. Robinson. Mrs. Robinson’s husband, a black retired railroad clerk, happened to be on the Cookman campus and Dr. Richard V. Moore, president at that time, learned that this elderly gentleman from Jacksonville had $100,000 that he was going to invest in stocks and bonds. Not wanting to miss a golden opportunity, Dr. Moore convinced the man to donate $50, 000 and the college would name the building after him. He chooses instead to have the building named after his wife. This building houses the offices of Concert Chorale and Bethune-Cookman Bands, classrooms, and the Cultural Affairs Program. In 2004 the Larry R. Handfield Annex was added and is named in honor of Mr. Larry Handfield a 1978 graduate and major donor and member of the Board of Trustee. 

   5. Wendell P. Holmes, Jr., Business Building

      This building was erected in 1998 and houses the College of Business and Entrepreneurship Mrs. Ida Wright is the Acting Dean and the building contains offices for faculty, lecture rooms, hospitality management program facilities- culinary arts lab, hotel management lab and conference rooms.

   6. Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Fine Arts Building

      The Fine Arts building is home to the Dr. LaDoris McClaney School of Performing Arts and Communication where Dr. Hiram Powell is the Dean. This building was built in 1991 and has lecture rooms, conference rooms, a computer lab, art studio, the Harvey W. Memorial Gallery and the Marian Speight Language Lab. The school houses our Music, Speech communication, Theater Arts and Mass Communication majors. The debate teams, campus newspaper, magazine and other student publications are housed here.

   7. Gale L. Lemerand Nursing Building

      The Gale L. Lemerand Nursing Building was opened in 2007. It falls under the College of Health Sciences and Dr. Deanna Wathington is the Executive Dean. This building houses offices, classrooms and simulation labs, lecture halls and the Odessa Chambliss Center for Health Equity (entrance located on Lockhart Street).

      The School of Nursing (with Sandra Tucker as Dean), Department of Aging Studies, Department of Counseling & Psychology and the Health Careers Program comprise the College of Health Sciences.

   8. Graduate Studies Building