The Board of Trustees of Brenau University authorized naming a residence hall on the Gainesville Campus to honor the late Anne Skleder, Ph.D.
Brenau officials said “New Hall” which opened in 2016, will be renamed Skleder Hall. Trustees also commissioned a portrait of Skleder that will be installed in the second-floor lounge of the residence hall.
“President Skleder loved Brenau and especially its students, who she often called ‘our reason for being,’” Chair of Brenau’s Board of Trustees, Mike Smith said. “In seeking a way to honor her legacy and lasting impact on Brenau, we found it fitting that her memorial be connected with students. I think she would be pleased yet humbled, as she never sought individual recognition for doing the good work of Brenau.”
A scholarship created by Skleder in 2019 will now be called the Anne A. Skleder First Generation Endowed Scholarship Fund.
“President Skleder established a scholarship for first-generation college students soon after she came to Brenau, and the Board strongly feels it should remain active as a reminder of her dedication to expanding access to higher education,” Smith said.
President David L. Barnett stated that Skleder’s impact will be felt by students for many years.
“Brenau appreciates the actions taken by the Trustees to honor President Skleder, who worked tirelessly to support Brenau and the students,” Barnett said. “Skleder Hall, along with the scholarship fund for first-generation students that meant so much to her, will make a difference in the daily lives of countless Brenau students for years to come.”
Skleder, the first female president in the institution’s 146-year history, passed away in October 2023.
The university will hold an event on Friday, Nov. 8, at 4 p.m. to mark the unveiling of the hall and the portrait.
