NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt interim chancellor and provost Susan R. Wente unveiled a Vanderbilt Trailblazer portrait of former vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletics director David Williams on Friday. The private event was one of three honoring the Williams on campus during the weekend.
Williams, who made an extraordinary impact on Vanderbilt, college athletics and higher education during his 18-year tenure as a university vice chancellor, died in February.
The portrait, part of a series honoring members of the community who broke barriers at the university and in society at large, hangs in the parlor of the Mary McClure Taylor Lobby in Kirkland Hall. It will remain in Kirkland Hall, along with the other four 2019 Vanderbilt Trailblazer portraits, until dedicated in its permanent location.
The university also celebrated the renaming of the recreation and wellness center in honor of Williams during a private ceremony on Friday. Under Williams’ direction, the Student Recreation and Wellness Center underwent a major renovation and expansion designed to serve the entire Vanderbilt community.
A day earlier, the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center unveiled two new Legacy Pioneer Portraits, one of which honors Williams as a Vanderbilt community member who made the university a more inclusive space for black students, faculty and staff.
Vanderbilt athletics experienced unprecedented success on and off the field during Williams’ tenure. During his 15 seasons on West End, the Commodores won four national championships – in bowling, baseball and women’s tennis.
Vanderbilt also won more than 19 league titles and tournaments, including the men’s golf and women’s tennis Southeastern Conference championships and the Southland Conference Bowling Championship. The Vanderbilt football team played in six bowl games during Williams’ tenure, breaking a 26-year drought in 2008.
A hallmark of Williams’ tenure was the expansion of academic and experiential opportunities for student-athletes. Because of his leadership, the university now offers the nation’s most comprehensive summer internship program for student-athletes.
In addition, the award-winning Summer Bridge program for incoming first-year athletes was introduced to provide workshops on life and study skills.
