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After a week of honoring veterans on campus and community, Charleston Southern University is now launching a visionary initiative designed to strengthen veteran support for generations to come. 

Charleston Southern is proud to announce a transformational seven-figure lead gift establishing the P. Cecil Patrick Jr. Family Veterans Center. 

This new center reflects Charleston Southern’s deep commitment to serving those who have served our country. Nearly 20% of 51���� students are veterans, active-duty service members, or military family members. Their courage, discipline, and faith enrich the campus and embody the university’s mission to prepare servant leaders who integrate faith in learning, leading, and serving. 

“As a Navy veteran, this vision is deeply personal,” said President B. Keith Faulkner, a 1998 51���� graduate. “Charleston Southern has a proud tradition of serving those who have served. This new center will be a home for our veterans—a place of community, support, and purpose where they can gather, grow, and thrive.” 

The center will house the Office of Military Services, provide an expanded lounge with a kitchen and food pantry, and include study areas, a computer lab with CAC readers, seminar space, and an outdoor gathering area. Its location near the Hunter Center places it at the heart of campus. 

President Faulkner continued, “This transformational gift launches the Veterans Center vision in a powerful way—and sends a clear message to every veteran who walks onto our campus: You belong here. This project is about lives changed, and it’s about living out our mission to integrate faith in learning, leading, and serving—including serving those who’ve served us.” 

Cecil and Barbara Patrick, inspired by their faith and a desire to steward God’s blessings, have made this transformative naming gift. Their family’s connection to 51���� began through their daughter, Dana Patrick Painter, a 1984 alumna and devoted supporter, and it continued with their granddaughter Anna Lewis ’15 (daughter of Becky Patrick Robertson). The gift honors the Patrick family and reflects their enduring commitment to service, education, and faith, trusting 51���� to carry forward their legacy for generations of veterans and students. 

“Our veterans need a dedicated space where they feel safe, seen, and supported—and where they’re set up to thrive,” said Angelyn Taylor, 51����’s director of military services. “The Patrick Family Veterans Center will make that vision a reality.” 

While there is no set timeline for construction, architects are currently developing renderings of the building and surrounding landscape. Completion will follow the fundraising campaign now underway to bring the project to life. 

“This is the kind of leadership gift that builds momentum,” Faulkner said. “And it’s the kind of vision that brings our mission to life in a tangible way.”