ELON COLLEGE – Elon College will dedicate it new $17.2 million science center, which is named in honor of Dalton L. McMichael Sr., during a special ceremony at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 6.
Attending the building dedication will be the building’s namesake, Dalton L. McMichael Sr., a Rockingham County textile executive. Following the dedication, he will receive an honorary doctorate from the college at its honors convocation.
In 1997, McMichael donated $3 million to Elon – the largest donation in the institution’s history. McMichael’s daughter, Gail Drew of Durham, is the incoming chair of the board of trustees and three of his grandsons have attended Elon.
In 1946, with two others, McMichael began Madison Throwing Co., which eventually was sold to Burlington Industries. In 1970, he co-founded Macfield Texturing, which merged with Unifi in 1991. In 1982, he was one of the co-founders of Vintage Yarns, which also was bought by Unifi in 1993.
McMichael currently serves as chairman of the board of Mayo Yarns Inc., which was formed by the 1993 merger of two companies, which he co-founded — Mayo Yarns Inc. and Dan Valley Yarns Inc.
He served as chairman of the Madison and Madison-Mayodan school boards for more than 15 years and the Dalton L. McMichael High School was named in his honor.
The science center, which opened in August, houses all the college’s science programs as well as the master of physical therapy program.
-30-