From These Roots

As the student population continued to rise in the early 2000s, overcrowding in the Neves Dining Hall and Foster Student Center became a major issue. An addition to Neves Dining Hall in the 1990s relieved the issue for a few years, but more space was needed. During high traffic times in the dining hall, students would have to stand around with their food trays waiting on other students to finish eating so they could have a seat. The seating situation in the grill area at Foster Student Center was not much better. Students would often get their food and take it elsewhere because the tables were full.

Construction on a new cafeteria and student center building was originally set to begin September 22, 2003 but had to be pushed back two months. The delays were caused by problems in the grading of the site and small changes to the building plans to help cut costs. Construction began the second week in December 2003 and was expected to be completed by fall 2004. The upstairs of the building was 27,650 square feet and housed the new dining hall. The downstairs was 27,865 square feet and housed student center. Also included in the student center were the new grill, a game room, the bookstore, the post office, the Mass Communications Department, the Student Services Department, the Baptist Student Union, and Campus Ministries offices. The total estimated cost was between $3.2 and $3.6 million.

After some construction delays, the new dining hall and student life center was completed in time for the Fall 2005 semester. The dedication service was held on September 21, 2005, as a part of the Founder’s Day celebrations. Charles Stanley, an author and the pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta, was the keynote speaker for the event.

The new dining hall was built to accommodate 1,200 students and was named the Elton and Doris Todd Dining Hall after the Todd family. Elton Todd was the founder of Southern Management Corp., a chain of consumer finance companies. Mr. Todd was also a member of the North Greenville College Council of Advisors and served on the North Greenville Board of Trustees. Mrs. Todd was a member of North Greenville’s Women’s Auxiliary Board, and the couple started the Elton and Doris Todd Scholarship Fund in 2001 to provide scholarships for students entering a church-related ministry.

The student life center was named the Jacks and Deborah Tingle Student Life Center in honor of the Tingle family. Jacks Tingle was a former partner of Omega Food Service, Inc., a Burger King franchise with 27 restaurants. After he sold his business, Mr. Tingle accepted a position at North Greenville as the Director of Development. Mr. Tingle was also a 1969 North Greenville Junior College alumnus and son of North Greenville employees Neal Tingle, Sr. and Doris Tingle.

Several departments and student facilities were located in the new Tingle Student Life Center. The ’63-’64 Grill was an alternative food service option that served a variety of grab-and-go items as well as traditional diner food such as burgers and fries. The new campus post office was named the Helen R. Wood Post Office in honor of Helen Wood. Mrs. Wood was a longtime post mistress in Tigerville who was murdered in a robbery in 1981. Mrs. Wood’s husband, Pralo, and three of their four children were North Greenville alumni.

The new bookstore was named the Don and Mary June Ward Family Bookstore in honor of the Ward family. Don Ward was a North Greenville Junior College alumnus, successful businessman, and a member of the North Greenville Board of Trustees. The Wards often supported the school financially and encouraged their children and others to attend North Greenville.

The Mass Communications Department suite was named the George E. Bomar Department of Mass Communications in honor of Mr. Bomar. Mr. Bomar was born a short distance from the Tigerville campus on Camp Creek Road in 1934. He and his wife, Barbara, were longtime financial supporters of North Greenville and Mr. Bomar served on NGU’s Council of Advisors.

The game room was named the Dr. Arnold E. and Pauline Emery Gameroom in honor of the Emerys. Arnold Emery was a 1958 alumnus of North Greenville Junior College. He began and operated his own successful company, Arnold Emery Lumber Company, after graduating with his associates degree from North Greenville. When North Greenville became a four-year college, Mr. Emery returned to school and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1996. Mr. Emery also served as a trustee and the Emerys were financial supporters of North Greenville.

The area for Student Services and Campus Ministry was named the Dr. Nesbitt Q. and Dr. Martha M. Cline Student Services and Ministry Offices after the Clines. Mr. Cline had lost his parents to the 1918 flu epidemic and grew up at the Connie Maxwell Children’s Home. He worked for companies like Goodyear and Standard Oil before starting his own business in 1948. The Cline Company specialized in hydraulic and industrial hose solutions. The Clines were major financial supporters of North Greenville, having at one time given the largest single donor gift to the school. The Cline suite in the student life center also included the Patt McCaskill Fero Music and Conference Room.

Todd Dining Hall received some updates in 2016. The overall station configurations and dining area were transformed. New flooring was installed, and the cabinetry was updated. The flatware, dinnerware, and service equipment were all replaced, and the electric kitchen equipment was replaced with gas-operated alternatives. In 2025, the name of Todd Dining Hall was changed to Todd Gathering Space as a part of the new Trailblazer Hospitality brand. With the name change also came ten redesigned food stations.

Updates came to the Tingle Student Life Center in 2018. The ’63-’64 Grill closed and was replaced by a Chick-fil-a. The bookstore and post office were moved into the Wood’s Store building in 2022. The space in the Tingle Student Center that had housed the bookstore was remodeled and named the 1892 Place. The 1892 Place includes a coffee bar, drinks, snacks, and a sitting area.