Family and friends of the late Dr. Garlan E. Gudger, Sr., gathered Thursday morning at Wallace State Community College to celebrate the life and legacy of the college’s first Dean of Students at the unveiling of his portrait in the Student Center that now bears his name.

“I believe we could all agree that we cherish community, the quality of life that we have, the availability of good jobs and the ways in which our community values tradition, respect, character and hard work,” said WSCC President Dr. Vicki Karolewics. “Our community is a reflection of its people, of its families, of its leaders and there is no doubt that Dr. Garlan Gudger, Sr., and Dot, his beloved wife, and the entire Gudger family, are outstanding examples of this reflection on our community.”

“This building sits in the heart of this campus, and the name, Dr. Garlan E. Gudger, Sr., Student Center, honors the man who always had student success in his heart,” said Cullman City Council President Dr. Jenny Folsom, who once served as Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs at WSCC. “The portrait to be unveiled today will be an everlasting reminder of his contributions and legacy to Wallace State Community College.”

Gudger’s son, Sen. Garlan Gudger, Jr. said he was proud to see that the athletic and intramural programs his father helped start are thriving and touching students’ lives at Wallace State.

“The more that you can do in college, the more you learn about yourself, the better you can be as you mature into an adult and leave college,” he said. “It makes you a better person as you go into the real world and start working and being a productive citizen. So, we’re thankful there are activities here. My father helped start most of those as the first dean of students and from those, those things have multiplied tremendously with the leadership that’s happened here at Wallace State.”

“He truly loved the students,” Dot Gudger said of her husband. “He would often times pay tuition for students; he wanted to keep them in college. I hear about this all the time, students still come to visit. It makes me happy to hear these stories because I know what these students meant to him. He had a saying that said you need to leave this life better than you found it. I had that put on his tombstone, because he meant that.

“I appreciate you all for being here and all for your support,” she added. “Just remember to leave this life better than you found it.”