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10/15/2009 - MEN'S BASKETBALL
USC Upstate Announces $4 Million Gift For Hodge Center
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Spartanburg, S.C. - Shortly after the final buzzer sounds to end the women's basketball game against Stetson on Feb. 27, 2010, the University of South Carolina Upstate will begin a renovation of the G.B. Hodge Center thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Dolores (Dodie) Anderson, who has provided the University with a $4 million gift to fund the project, the University announced Wednesday at a news conference in conjunction with its men's and women's basketball media day luncheon.
Anderson is a 1981 graduate of USC Upstate with a degree in interdisciplinary studies. She was presented the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006 on the 25th anniversary of her graduation from USC Upstate. She is the former owner of Anderson Hardwood Floors in Clinton and Walterboro, S.C. , the largest privately owned hardwood floor manufacturer in the United States. A co-owner, she recently sold her stake in the company to pursue other business interests. Anderson is a strong supporter of the USC Upstate Athletic Program, especially men's basketball. She received the University's Founders Day Award in 1986, was inducted into the University's Honor Fraternity in May 2005, and is a former member of the Carolina Piedmont Foundation Board of Directors, which is the fundraising arm of USC Upstate. In addition to supporting USC Upstate, Anderson is a loyal supporter of USC football, the Girl Scouts of America and the Greenville Humane Society. She is the wife of the late Bob Anderson and the mother of four daughters, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The $4 million gift to USC Upstate marks the largest single gift to the Athletics Department in University history.
"I was a returning mature student and chose to go to USC Upstate," said Anderson. "It's my school and my husband and I were big fans of the basketball program. We followed them through the national championship we won and throughout the years. I have become good friends with Eddie and Ann (Payne) and am involved with what's going on with the program.
"We needed to give the Hodge Center a face lift to match the rest of the buildings on campus. When you look around, the campus is beautiful. The facilities are grand and the Hodge Center needed improvements to assist the teams in building a Division I program. The improvements will help in recruiting. I think Upstate serves a real purpose and it's nice to think about helping young people become successful. It's fun to be involved with the types of people you work with on projects like this."
