The University of North Carolina at Pembroke hosted a dedication ceremony for the Joseph B. Oxendine Administrative Building on Thursday, March 31. 

"Dr. Joseph Bruce Oxendine was such an important figure in UNC Pembroke's story. I’m grateful for the opportunity to recognize Dr. Oxendine's memory and his lasting impact and ensure his legacy will continue to live on here on this campus," said Chancellor Robin Gray Cummings. 

Thursday would have been Oxendine's 92nd birthday. He passed away in April 2020. Family, friends, former colleagues and university leaders gathered Thursday to honor his legacy and dedicate the new Joseph B. Oxendine Administrative Building.

The building is 40,840 square feet and had a $13.6M renovation in 2020. The building is now home to the College of Arts and Sciences Administration, Accessibility Resource Center, Teaching and Learning Center, Offices of Online Learning, Internal Audit, Title IX Clery and Compliance, and the Division of Information Technology. 

Formerly known as West Hall, the building is now named in honor of Oxendine, who served as the third chancellor of the university from 1989 to 1999. 

"Dr. Oxendine passed in the early stages of the pandemic, and we were not able to celebrate his life as he so richly deserved. I told Adrienne [Oxendine’s wife] and his family then, at the appropriate time, UNCP would honor Dr. Oxendine. Today, we fulfill that commitment for a man who gave so much to this university," Cummings said.

The dedication ceremony was a fitting reminder of the influence Dr. Oxendine continues to have on UNCP, ensuring students would have the opportunity to have a successful life and career.