Betty Barrett, a longtime supporter of the West Virginia University Alumni Association, is the newest member of the WVU Alumni Tower Society with her $50,000 contribution in memory of Steve Douglas, the former WVU Alumni Association president and CEO who served in that role for 27 years.
Barrett and her late husband Eddie, who was the sports information director in the Dept. of Intercollegiate Athletics, maintained a close friendship with Douglas.
“Eddie loved the Alumni Center and Steve,” Barrett said. “It is such an important asset for the Association and West Virginia University. I am thrilled to honor the legacies of Steve and Eddie while helping to guarantee the legacy of the facility.”
As president and CEO of the Association, Douglas led the project to construct the Erickson Alumni Center from conception to completion. Heralded as one of the finest alumni centers in the country, the 48,000 square foot facility serves as a hub for many University events and the home away from home for graduates and friends. During 2018, 674 events were hosted there.
Eddie Barrett was the school’s athletic publicity director from 1951-67, except for a two-year stint in the United States Air Force in the mid-1950s. During that time, he promoted the likes of Mark Workman, Hot Rod Hundley, Jerry West, Rod Thorn and Ron “Fritz” Williams in basketball; and Sam Huff, Bruce Bosley, Joe Marconi, Chuck Howley and Fred Wyant in football.
The WVU Alumni Tower Society was established to sustain and upgrade the Center.
The gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the non-profit organization that solicits and administers private donations on behalf of the University.