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William and Jacquie Brattain
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Brattain Lounge Naming Ceremony Dec. 19

December 2, 2014

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MACOMB, IL -- Western Illinois University Associate Vice President Emeritus for Student Services and Professor Emeritus of Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration William E. Brattain will be honored by the renaming of the University Union Prairie Lounge to the William E. Brattain Lounge at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19.

Brattain served as director of the Office of Student Activities and the University Union for more than 24 years. In this capacity, he was instrumental in providing leadership opportunities for hundreds of students who have achieved success in their chosen fields.

The fundraising effort for the naming has been led by Sandy Keiser Edwards '71, deputy director of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; Brian O'Connell, president of Live Nation Country Touring; and Beth Triplett ‘81, vice president for enrollment management at Clarke University.

"I am honored to have been taught by Dr. B., and any success that I have achieved in the music business, and more importantly, in my day-to-day life, can be traced back through my years at WIU and specifically to Dr. William E. Brattain. No professor, bartender, teacher, priest or mentor had a bigger impact on me in those years than Dr. B., and I am not alone," said O'Connell.

"Bill was adept at creating an open and rather free-wheeling environment that nurtured the imagination and the entrepreneurial spirit. He'd speak of serendipity and encouraged us to view open spaces and venues unconventionally and as fair game for complex events or an impromptu performance," said Edwards. "He had us thinking outside the box before there was jargon that defined the practice."

Funds raised will be dedicated to acquiring new furnishings for the Brattain Lounge with the remainder dedicated to the Brattain Leadership Award. Contributions can be sent to the WIU Foundation, 303 Sherman Hall, or made online at wiu.edu/giving.


Posted By: Julie Murphy, WIU Foundation (WIUNews@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing