Wilmington College honored Jerry Scheve's legacy not only with words but with action when it broke ground for the Scheve Athletic Center during Homecoming on Sept 27.
President Corey Cockerill noted, "Every once in a while, a life leaves an impact so deep that it changes the trajectory of an institution. For Wilmington College, that life was Coach Jerry Scheve's. We celebrate a man whose quiet strength shaped generations, and we lay the foundation for a future that will carry his vision forward for decades to come."
Scheve, who donated a record $23 million to the College, was a highly respected accounting professor and championship women's basketball coach at WC who passed away in May. He coached the Lady Quakers for 30 years before retiring in 2021. His 2004 team won the NCAA Division III national championship, the pinnacle of his 518 career wins. He is a member of the Cincinnati and Ohio Basketball Halls of Fame, as well as WC's Athletic Hall of Fame.
The groundbreaking ceremony included College officials, members of Scheve's family and representatives of MSA Design, Megan Construction and Motz Engineering.
Construction of the Scheve Athletic Center is set to start this spring. The facility is part of Scheve's record $23 million "Cornerstone gift" to the College, the bulk of which he designated under the umbrella of fostering athletic excellence. The Center, which is adjacent to Hermann Court, will feature a grand entrance to WC's athletics complex, with the Scheve-Ramseyer-Lewis Hall of Champions providing access to the former Quaker Recreation Center (QRC).
Cockerill quoted Scheve's own words spoken after the 1993-94 season as especially fitting for the day. "Success is a journey, and we were having a pretty good trip. But the road to success is always under construction." The president added, "Always under construction doesn't mean unfinished or incomplete — it means that we are never done striving, never done improving, never done building better, That is the spirit of Wilmington College, and it is exactly what Jerry demanded from his players and students: to never stop learning, to never stop growing, to never stop building toward something better."
Cockerill described the Scheve Athletic Center as a place of preparation for success. "Inside its walls, student-athletes will put in the time, the focus and the discipline required to compete at the highest level," she said. "They will prepare together — not just to win games, but to build lives of integrity, perseverance and leadership."
Scheve wished to build the Hall of Champions as a means of recognizing the College's significant success in its athletic programs throughout its history. Its namesakes are Scheve and, per his wishes, two other legendary WC coaches, Bill Ramseyer and Bud Lewis, both of whom are enshrined in WC's Athletic Hall of Fame.
Ramseyer coached WC's football team from 1972 to 1990, a tenure that included an NAIA runner-up season, multiple championships and 17 consecutive winning campaigns. He also served as director of athletics from 1974 to 1989. Ramseyer, who died in 2021, is WC's longest-serving football coach at 19 years and has the most wins with 144. He is a member of seven halls of fame, including the NAIA.
Lewis coached the men's soccer team for 43 years, from 1975 through 2017. His coaching resume features 506 wins, a national final-four season, several NAIA top-10 finishes and 20 conference and district championships. The coach of 26 All-Americans at WC is a recipient of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's prestigious Bill Jeffrey Award (2004) and a member of several halls of fame, including that of the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association.
Cockerill noted the legacies forged by these three great coaches and how the Hall of Champions that bears their names will remind us of the buzzer-beaters, the championships and the heartbreaks that "shaped character as much as any victory." It will feature the trophies, banners, photos, newspaper headlines and stars of the College's storied history in athletics. "And it will invite new champions to follow in those footsteps!"
Other speakers at the ceremony included Board of Trustees members J. Brent Bill, chair, and Daniel Buckley, who served as chair when Scheve's gift was received this spring, and Director of Athletics Matt Croci.
"Like Jerry Scheve, Wilmington College is mostly quiet, humble and unassuming, but has the drive and vision to make amazing things happen," Bill said. "Thanks to Jerry's generosity, such things are happening. All you have to do is see the 'Pardon Our Dust' signs around campus. Even more than the visible, though, is the renewed vigor and sense of purpose that permeates this community."
Buckley, too, recognized the "upward arc" the College has taken and the role of Scheve's gift in helping fuel this renaissance. He posed the question, "How can we be worthy of Jerry Scheve's legacy?" Buckley said, perhaps, the answer lies in Scheve's mantra he drilled into each of his players: "Play with the poise and intensity of a national championship team." He spoke of faithfully carrying out Scheve's wishes for his gift through its support for athletic excellence, peace and conflict resolution programming, and international affairs.
"We must indeed deliver, with the poise and intensity of national champions, the mission that Jerry's gift embodies: to educate, inspire and prepare students for lives of service and success," Buckley added.
Croci recalled his conversations with Scheve during the 2024-25 academic year and the coach's ideas on fostering excellence in athletics. "That was his word, excellence. What does it look like and how do we get there?" Croci said. "There is no doubt Jerry's gift) will change the trajectory of our athletics program forever. It will significantly affect people, programs and physical spaces."
Croci noted the Hall of Champions was "born from the notion of celebrating our wins and being proud of what we've done. Bud Lewis and Bill Ramseyer were the names that Jerry immediately said had to be included in this project — and it's hard to argue with their accomplishments. That is an example of excellence that we want to celebrate."
The new construction associated with the Scheve Athletic Center and Hall of Champions also includes a new façade extending throughout the Elm Street-facing section of the facility. Scheve's gift has already resulted in numerous improvements to the existing part of the building and Hermann Court, including new bleachers and scoreboards in Fred Raizk Arena and a renovated weight training facility with new equipment. Also, the former QRC — now Scheve Athletic Center — features a gymnasium, weight training area, fitness center, Spinning room, wrestling room, locker rooms and other amenities, many of which are being improved for the benefit of all students. On April 3, the College will break ground on the jewel in the crown of Scheve's gift, the Jenna Parlette Running Center, which features an indoor track and other sports and recreational amenities.
In addition, the College this summer announced the reinstatement of men's and women's tennis and golf as varsity sports, which is also funded through Scheve's Cornerstone gift. WC hopes to field intercollegiate teams starting in fall 2026.
