Released by Chipola College …
MARIANNA—Chipola College officials hosted a tree-planting ceremony April 16 to plant a white oak descended from a tree growing at the home of President James Monroe.
The tree was presented by Jeff Trammell, Rector Emeritus of the College of William and Mary, which owns Monroe’s Highland home in Virginia. Jeff’s brother, Robert Trammell, is an alumnus of Chipola College and one of its most ardent supporters.
In a letter to Chipola President Dr. Sarah Clemmons, Jeff Trammell said, “It is the honor of the College of William and Mary, the nation’s oldest public university, to present to Chipola College, an institution which shares the mission of public education, this tree which derives from the home of William and Mary alumnus, President James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States. This tree forges a link between Chipola and the nation’ s legacy of public education. Most importantly, it symbolizes the importance of education and the opportunity it provides all Americans. Monroe’ s home, Highland, from which this oak originated, is owned by the College of William and Mary and is located in Albermarle County, Virginia. This tree is from an acorn from the magnificent white oak at Highland, which was there when Monroe built his home in 1799 and remains healthy today.”
Chipola College was established in 1947. Hurricane Michael forever changed the landscape of the college. The 130-acre campus, once known for moss-draped oaks, towering pines and beautiful hickory trees, now has only a few small trees scattered across campus.
Chipola President Dr. Sarah Clemmons is committed to bringing trees back to the campus with a Memorial Tree Project. Friends and alumni are helping to re-forest the college through the project. More than 24 donors have purchased trees for the project, including an anonymous gift of $10,000. The initial planting included 100 trees including: sweetgum, yellow poplar, overcup (white) oak, red maple, redbud, dogwood and dahoon holly.
Checks may be delivered in person, or mailed to: Chipola College Foundation, 3094 Indian Circle, Marianna, FL, 32446. For information, visit www.chipola.edu/foundation or phone 718-2478.