In these moments, we cannot help but reflect upon the nature of this place we call home, the people whose passion for Wittenberg define their life’s work here, and the legacy they leave behind.

In the days following Pam’s death, the enormity of her legacy became abundantly clear as generations of former and present Wittenberg students, many of them our women athletes, began to share their personal stories about how Pam had “changed their life” – pushed, inspired and helped them become the people they are today. On the weekend before the July Fourth holiday, Weaver Chapel was filled with hundreds of friends, colleagues and family members as we celebrated Pam’s life. Seldom in my 50-plus years have I witnessed such an overwhelming outpouring of love. At the campus memorial service, Pam’s brother relayed the story of how Pam had hoped to become a doctor. Thankfully, her MCAT scores were God’s way of telling her she had more important work to do. This university and the generations of students have been the fortunate benefactors of Pam’s time at Wittenberg.

It is no accident that I am sitting in my study writing this column as our women’s volleyball team competes in the NCAA final four in Illinois and our women’s soccer team competes in the NCAA Round 16 in Pennsylvania. While Pam left a personal legacy in the hearts and minds of all the individual students she touched at Wittenberg, she also left an institutional legacy seen today in the strength of our women’s athletics program. She stood on the shoulders of those who paved the way for women’s athletics and ensured that Wittenberg would develop the kinds of programs our young women deserve.

This past month as I shared with our Board of Directors the story of Pam’s legacy, the Board voted unanimously to approve a resolution to name the Arena in the HPER Center in her memory. For those of you who haven’t been back to campus in a year or two, you may remember the HPER Center Arena as the “new gym.” Early next semester we will dedicate that arena/gym, and it will be a glorious day – a day to celebrate the life and legacy of Pam Evans Smith. It will also be a day to remind us that it is the “people” of Wittenberg – our faculty, our staff and our coaches – who leave the most lasting impact on the heart and soul of this place.

Pam was a Wittenberger to the core. Perhaps no one better embodies the values and passion of this place than she did. She will be greatly missed, but she will never be forgotten. Her legacy lives on.

— Mark Erickson, president