$100,000 contribution to MOC given for bookstore
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on November 6, 2008 1:46 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- Dr. Pepper Worthington, a longtime friend, supporter and faculty member at Mount Olive College has contributed $100,000 that will be designated for expansion and relocation of the college's bookstore.
The 1,500 square foot addition will bring the total size of the bookstore, which will be located in the academic affairs building, to 2,800 square feet. Other features will include additional retail space, an area for processing merchandise, offices, a campus living room and a terrace.
The move to the campus entrance will make the bookstore more accessible to the academic section of the campus, said Bam Alling, vice president for finance.
"We want the bookstore to be a visible part of campus, not just a place to buy books," he said. "The new location will serve more than just academic needs and will be a welcome place where members of the campus and local community can come to read, shop or just spend time with friends."
Construction will begin in December and is expected to be completed during the spring 2009 semester. Additional services will include Starbucks Coffee and convenience foods, daily book buybacks and centralized book orders for the College's six locations.
In appreciation of the gift, the MOC board of trustees recently voted to name the building The Pepper Worthington Bookstore. It will be the second building on campus to reflect ties to the professor. The Poole Administration Building, housing the office of the president, admissions and financial aid offices, business office, MOC Press and the current bookstore, is named after Dr. Worthington's father, W. Roy Poole.
Born in Kinston, Dr. Worthington has been an English professor at MOC since 1979, founding the Mount Olive College Press in 1990 and serving as its editor.