University given $2.5 million
West Palm Beach will soon have a Center for Biblical Leadership, which Palm Beach Atlantic University hopes will become a national destination for Christians who want to use biblical principles to guide their businesses and ministries.
The center will be one of several new initiatives at Palm Beach Atlantic created by a $2.5 million donation announced Wednesday. The donation from the Watson family, including Karl H. Watson of West Palm Beach, retired president of Rinker Materials Corporation, is one of the largest ever received by the private Christian college.
Watson has been a college trustee since 1997. His son, Karl Jr., is a 1987 Palm Beach Atlantic graduate
This rendering shows Watson Family Hall, a proposed 154-room residence at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
who joined the board of trustees earlier this year. He is the chief executive officer of Forterra, Inc., a large manufacturer of concrete and ductile iron pipe.
Several generations of the family have attended, worked for or volunteered for the college. One daughter works with the admissions office, while a daughter and son-in-law serve on the Parents Council. Two grandchildren are currently Palm Beach Atlantic students.
The money will create Watson Family Hall, an
eight-story, 154-room student dorm, and pay for an athletic director position, improved gym and new exercise equipment for students and faculty.
The Center for Biblical Leadership will “confront a leadership crisis that exists today across business and ministry sectors in North America and around the globe,” according to the university. “Its mission is to develop and support leaders who seek to integrate biblical truth and spiritual wisdom into today’s leadership best practices.”