Construction on the college’s nursing building is well underway.

Payne Hall will be named in honor of C. Ladell Payne, former president of RMC, and Haywood A. “HAP” Payne Jr. ’68, RMC alumnus, Trustee Emeritus, and accomplished business executive and community leader. Both men, although unrelated to one another, are distinguished leaders and are extraordinary supporters of Randolph-Macon College. Payne Hall, slated to open in September 2020, will house RMC’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.  

“We are thrilled that this new facility will be named for two men whose character, outstanding contributions and leadership are inspiring and consequential to the success of Randolph-Macon,” says Lindgren. “Ladell Payne and HAP Payne are individuals whose histories are deeply woven into the fabric and life of the College, and we are very pleased to honor them in this way.” 

Payne Hall
Within the state-of-the-art Payne Hall, nursing students will experience discipline-specific as well as interdisciplinary learning opportunities. Features of the building include a simulation center designed to replicate complex patient care situations; a technology-enhanced classroom to support students’ development of clinical judgment; and dedicated laboratories for health assessment, nursing skills, and delivery of care in a home environment. The 30,000-square-foot building, located between Fox and Smithey Halls along Caroline Street, is being built by English Construction Company. Fund-raising is ongoing to support the $12.575 million cost of construction, with generous lead gifts made by the late Macon Brock ’64 and his wife, Joan, through the Brock Venture Fund at the College; the Birdsong Corporation; and Tom Birdsong ’49 and his wife, Jane. 

“Our new BSN program offers the best in nursing education, and the new nursing facility will be a key part of that experience,” says Lindgren. “This building, combined with RMC’s outstanding faculty, important clinical opportunities, and our nursing students’ ability to access the breadth of the Randolph-Macon experience, ensure that RMC-educated nurses will be exceptionally well-prepared to become leaders in their profession.”  

Beyond the Classroom
RMC’s BSN curriculum is based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. Students in the program learn from experienced faculty with clinical expertise in a variety of nursing specialties. BSN students will also have opportunities to conduct collaborative research with nursing faculty, pursue externships, and participate in clinical practice.

The BSN degree program integrates RMC’s liberal arts tradition as it prepares students to work as collaborative members of interdisciplinary healthcare teams. RMC nursing students develop essential skills as they gain a deep knowledge of the sciences. A Randolph-Macon-educated, professional nurse will also be prepared for entry into graduate nursing programs. 

“As a result of wonderful private support, careful strategic planning and a sound, shared vision, this BSN program further strengthens the importance of our outstanding liberal arts education,” says RMC Board Chair Sue Schick ’84. “Programs like this make a degree from RMC even more relevant and valuable in today’s fast-paced, changing world. I could not be prouder of my alma mater for forging the way to meet this demand.” 

C. Ladell Payne
C. Ladell Payne earned his B.A. from Samford University, his M.A. from Louisiana State University and his Ph.D. from Stanford University. He served with distinction as the 13th president of RMC, from 1979 to 1997.

In 1998, he and his wife, Jean, were presented with honorary degrees from Randolph-Macon, and in 2010 they were named honorary alumni by the College’s Society of Alumni. 

The Paynes are also longstanding members of the College’s Presidents Society and Heritage Society. The Jean and Ladell Payne Visiting Artists and Scholars program, established in 1997 by trustees, alumni and friends, brings renowned artists and scholars to campus to teach, conduct seminars or lead public forums. The Ladell Payne Writing Prize was established by Professor Emeritus and Mrs. Robert Epes Jones to honor annually a student in an American or English literature survey course.

“I am honored and humbled by this recognition, especially after having been away for 22 years,” says Payne.  “Serving as President of RMC was in itself a privilege and an honor, and a challenging experience for both Jean and me. We found a Board of Trustees eager to move the College forward, a faculty of teacher-scholars dedicated to their students and to their disciplines, a staff who were ready to go the extra mile to do whatever was necessary, a bright, talented group of students anxious to learn, and an exceptionally loyal body of alumni. We feel fortunate, indeed, to have spent 18 years among such a wonderful group of people.”

Haywood A. “HAP” Payne Jr. ’68 
Haywood “HAP” Payne Jr. ’68 earned a B.S. in chemistry from RMC where, in 1966, he became the College’s first African American student. He earned an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, and he completed post-graduate work in Carnegie-Mellon University’s Program for Senior Executives. He joined Gulf Oil Corporation in 1970 as a systems analysis chemist and remained with the company after it merged with Chevron. Having held numerous positions in administrative, corporate and research management, Payne retired in 2010 as president of Chevron Business and Real Estate Services, a global enterprise operating in fifty-nine countries.

Payne was also the first African American to serve on RMC’s Board of Trustees, where he served from 1988 to 2000 and from 2011 to 2017 and as board vice-chair. He served on the Society of Alumni from 2008 to 2009 and is recognized for his generous support as a member of the Presidents Society and Heritage Society. In 2016, the 50th anniversary of his matriculation at RMC, Payne served as Commencement speaker and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree. 

“This is an honor that I cannot adequately describe,” says Payne, “without being overwhelmed with emotion. I feel truly blessed by the College for the privilege and opportunities it has provided me. Equally important, I credit the successes in my career to the critical thinking and liberal arts education received at the College. Such future value was not imaginable by me when I graduated from Randolph-Macon in 1968. I am truly humbled, and beyond grateful for this recognition.”