HPU dedicates school named for furniture rep Plato Wilson

Classes to start in August

Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, April 30, 2009

HIGH POINT — High Point University officials held a dedication ceremony Wednesday for the new Plato S. Wilson

Plato S. Wilson speaks at the April 29 dedication ceremony.

School of Commerce, named for the longtime furniture sales representative and HPU supporter.

The $16 million, 60,000-square-foot building was made possible in large part by a financial gift from Plato Wilson, a 40-year manufacturer's rep for companies that included Heritage, Henredon and Henkel-Harris.

Beyond a large rotunda entrance to the building is a modern trading room featuring a stock ticker, smart boards and monitors with trading information along with investment software and financial databases.

The school also houses the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, a facility that is designed to foster business collaboration and creativity that supports new business ventures.

Classes will start in the new building in August.

Speakers at the dedication included Wilson; High Point University President Nido Qubein; Dennis Carroll, vice president and dean for academic affairs; Tom Dayvault, president and CEO of the High Point Chamber of Commerce, and Marsha Slane, chair of the High Point University Board of Trustees.

HPU President Nido Qubein gestures while talking about the history of the Plato S. Wilson School of Commerce project.

A portrait of Plato S. Wilson hangs just beyond the entrance rotunda.

In August, the new School of Commerce will welcome students planning for careers in areas such as marketing, sales, entrepreneurship, operations management, supply chain management and human resources management.