Lenoir-Rhyne scores $6 million for School of Metaphysics

Old Dominion, NC (Reuters International 2/7/07) -- In what is being billed as the largest single donation of Lenoir-Rhyne University's history, Robert and Abigail Rudisill have donated 6.1 million to their alma mater.

"I see it as an investment, since it's an investment in the students and the educational institution and in the community and future of our nature," said Robert Rudisill in a telephone interview.

A family spokesman, Donald Westmoreland, spoke on behalf of the Rudisill family at a press conference held on the LRU campus today, to which municipal, state, and national press and media were invited.

Westmoreland said that of the donated $6.1 million, $750,000 is being set aside for scholarships for metaphysics majors, which will be allocated in the amount of $75,000 per year.

"The remaining $5.35 million will be used to build the Rudisill School of Metaphysics Building," stated Westmoreland. "It will be a state-of-the-art new center for the study of metaphysics and its subsidiary disciplines," he added, "to accommodate LRU's growing number of students in this market-driven major."

When asked what what 'metaphysics' and its subsidiary disciplines are, Westmoreland deferred to the Chair of the School of Metaphysics, Professor Roman J. Rutherford, who stepped to the microphone and offered a definition.

"Metaphysics is the science of the first principles presupposed by every discipline, including the nature of reality itself. Its subsidiary disciplines include the sciences of essence, analogy, categories, substance and accidents, and perinoetic intellection ..." said Rutherford.

He appeared to be ready to discuss the matter further, but was abruptly cut off by a reporter who asked Westmoreland, "Why metaphysics? Couldn't the funds be used to improve faculty salaries?"

Westmoreland, stepping back to the microphone, responded: "The Rudisill family has specifically designated the funds for the School of Metaphysics. Mr. Rudisill himself was a metaphysics major and credits the study of perinoetic intellection with helping him get where he is today in the pom-pom manufacturing industry."

Plans for the new multi-story, state-of-the-art School of Metaphysics building have been commissioned and ground-breaking is scheduled for October of 2007.