Trevecca to dedicate Pulliam Plaza, honor longtime trustee and friend of the University
Trevecca Nazarene University will dedicate Pulliam Plaza on Friday, Nov. 3, at 11:15 a.m. The new outdoor gathering space was created to honor Jim Pulliam, a longtime member of the University’s Board of Trustees and a devoted churchman. Pulliam passed away on Oct. 21.
Pulliam was a tireless supporter of the University. In addition to serving as a trustee, Pulliam was a father figure for many in the North Carolina District of the Church of the Nazarene, a role that often involved introducing prospective students to Trevecca.
“He’s the reason many of us from North Carolina fell in love with Trevecca,” said Holly Whitby, Trevecca’s associate provost and dean of enrollment management, in at a luncheon last fall announcing plans for Pulliam Plaza. “I am just one of many who have stories about how Jim Pulliam poured his life into young people, pastors and into the North Carolina District.”
Whitby and many of Pulliam’s closest friends spearheaded the project to raise the money to complete and name the project in Pulliam’s honor. Located on the steps of the existing Jernigan Student Center, Pulliam Plaza creates a gathering space for students and includes expanded outdoor seating, a double-sided fireplace, small amphitheater and a fire pit.
The owner of Carolina Industrial Chemical in Rock Hill, S.C., Pulliam will also be remembered as a committed Christian and churchman. In addition to his decades of service to Trevecca, Pulliam served as a trustee for the Native American Christian Academy (Arizona), treasurer for the North Carolina District of the Church of the Nazarene, finance chair and board member of Pineville Church of the Nazarene, as well as a youth director, Sunday School teacher and teen camp director.
Pulliam’s obituary remembers him as a man who served the church quietly, often taking on the tasks that didn’t carry a title or pay. He was an active caretaker of the church property, from making repairs and replacing light bulbs to picking up litter. He maintained the church vehicles and often served as a driver for church trips.
Pulliam is survived by his wife of 54 years, Martha; one daughter, Carla (Alan) Gibson-Detering; two grandchildren, Ariella and Adam Gibson; two sisters, Susan Pulliam and Becky (Mike) Smith; and one brother, Mark (Carolyn) Pulliam. He is also survived by the countless kids who regarded him as an adopted father. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Pulliam and his family will be honored during the dedication service for Pulliam Plaza on Friday. Trevecca officials including Whitby and Dr. Dan Boone, president of Trevecca, will offer thanks for Pulliam’s service to the University and the impact he has had in their own lives, while Greg Mason, district superintendent of the North Carolina District, will pay tribute to Pulliam. Jared Caperton, Student Government Association president, will offer thanks to the family and donors on behalf of Trevecca students.
The Pulliam family asks that any donations made in Pulliam’s honor be made to: Trevecca Nazarene University/Pulliam Plaza, 333 Murfreesboro Road, Nashville, TN 37210 or Pineville Church of the Nazarene/Building Fund, 8614 Pineville Matthews Road, Charlotte, NC 28226.
The dedication service for Pulliam Plaza is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, at the Jernigan Student Center on Trevecca’s campus. The dedication will immediately follow Trevecca’s Founder’s Day Chapel, which kicks off the University’s Homecoming weekend celebration. The dedication will be livestreamed here. View more photos of Pulliam Plaza on Trevecca's Flickr account.
Media contact: Mandy Crow, mmcrow@trevecca.edu, 615-248-1695