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Hundreds gathered Wednesday morning to watch as Walters State Community College unveiled the new name for the Claiborne County Campus main building to honor business leader and philanthropist Eleanor Yoakum.

Many local leaders, faculty, friends and family of Yoakum gathered in the auditorium, inside the building, to support her and her dedication to the school and the community.

The Eleanor E. Yoakum Building includes over 10,000 square feet of space for classrooms, labs, offices and areas for study and student activities.

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology teaches its licensed practical nurse classes on the top floor.

WSCC President Tony Miksa discussed Yoakum’s professional career and the many leadership roles she served in.

“For people who live in East Tennessee the Yoakum name is synonymous with public service and community involvement,” Miksa said. “Eleanor earned a degree in Speech and Hearing Therapy from East Tennessee State University and began her teaching career at Fort Lauderdale Oral School, a boarding school for the deaf in Florida.

“She came back to the area in 1968 following the birth of her daughter and she became involved in the family business, Yoakum’s Banner Warehouse and the First Claiborne Bank.

“In 1974 she became the first woman to serve on the eight state Berlin Auction Warehouse Association. In 1990 George H. W. Bush appointed her to the Federal Advisory Board on Tobacco. Following her father’s death in 1990 she was elected chairwoman to the First Claiborne Bank, becoming one of only four female bank presidents in the state.“

Miksa then mentioned Yoakum’s long list of service she gave to her community and her dedication to the community college.

“Her community service includes 15 years on the election commission. She was appointed by past State Gov. Lamar Alexander to serve on the Tennessee Arts Commission and was later reappointed by past State Gov. Ned Ray McWherter. She served as the Personnel Chief Administrative Officer for past State Gov. Don Sundquist and she has been honored as an outstanding alum by ETSU,” Miksa said.

“Her involvement with WSCC started in 1996 when she became a trustee with the WSCC foundation. She served as president of the foundation in 2010. She has given generously to the college and has encouraged others to support WSCC. She was instrumental in assisting the college in securing the building we are naming today and converting it to a campus.

“I can think of no better example of servant leadership than Eleanor Yoakum. The naming of this building recognizes her commitment to the community and to the college. She will continue to serve as a role model for our students who seek to make a change in the world,” he said.

Yoakum thanked everyone for the honor and remembered how the Claiborne County Campus came to be.

“First of all I want to thank everyone who made today possible,” she said. “It has been my honor and privilege to be associated with an institution that provides quality and affordable education to students in our area.

“When I first got on the WSCC board, I heard these stories about the first place that they wanted a permanent location after Morristown was Claiborne County. So Dr. Wade B. McCamey and I went on a mission to find a location for the campus. We looked at an old factory building which was prohibitive; then I was driving to this building and I thought, that’s our campus.”

After finding the building she went to the superintendent’s office and asked him how much it costs the school system to maintain the building, which had been vacated for several years. He told her approximately $80,000 a year and she asked if he would sell it to the college.

“The school board, after much discussion and negotiations, decided to sell the building,” Yoakum said. “The industrial board stepped in and borrowed a zero interest loan with the blessing of the county commission and WSCC leased the building until the debt was paid.

“That is the most beautiful example of what can be accomplished for good if entities just work together. As I said in 2010 when we dedicated this building, you are sitting in the middle of a dream; a gift that keeps on giving to generations to come.”

As Yoakum concluded her speech, everyone in attendance gathered outside to watch as the Claiborne County Campus’ main building was unveiled as the The Eleanor E. Yoakum Building.