April 23, 2024 was a historic day for Faulkner University as the university hosted an official ribbon-cutting ceremony and dedication of its Mobile Campus in Mobile, Alabama now named the Lamar and Marceil Harrison Campus of Faulkner University in recognition of two esteemed donors, Lamar and Marceil Harrison.
The property and building housing Faulkner Mobile were generously donated by the Harrison family, a multimillion-dollar contribution formalized in June 2018.
The dedication ceremony was a momentous occasion and drew dignitaries including members of the City of Mobile Chamber of Commerce, Faulkner University leadership, Faulkner Mobile faculty and staff, Board of Trustees members, and representatives of the Harrison, Eubanks and May families, among them Lamar and Marceil Harrison’s daughters, Tanya Eubanks and Leisha May.
“We are thankful to the Lamar and Marceil Harrison family for their commitment to promote adult Christian education. Mr. Harrison, a 45-year board of trustees member, was often quoted to say, ‘Great accomplishments come with great effort,’” said Dr. Brannon Lentz, Vice President of Extension Centers Services. “This couple’s great efforts, along with the generosity of their children, are one example of why Faulkner has such a strong footprint in the Mobile market.”
Rooms within the newly named facility will be named in honor of the members of the Eubanks and May families. Their love for Faulkner has spanned generations and their desire is to see their alma mater flourish.
Several members of the Harrison, Eubanks and May families have attended and graduated from Faulkner University and because of that, they have been strong long-time supporters of the school and its mission.
Lamar Harrison served on Faulkner University’s Board of Directors for many years and now his son-in-law Mike Eubanks is currently serving on the Board of Trustees as vice chair.
“With how things are going at Faulkner, things are exciting, there is a strong spiritual emphasis,” Eubanks said. “Faulkner University is important to our family and what it means to each and every student. It prepares each student to go out into the world with an education of the whole person.
“Our prayer for the school is for Faulkner to do well and grow and reach more lives.”
The Lamar and Marceil Harrison Campus joins other Faulkner landmarks bearing the family name, including the Lamar Harrison Baseball Field, the Freeman-Harrison Student Multiplex, and the Harrison Apartments. Lamar Harrison also played a pivotal role in the development of Faulkner’s Huntsville campus.
In October 2022, Mike and Tanya Eubanks and Steve and Lisha May made a generous donation toward the funding of the College of Health Science’s Pediatric Gym, honoring Marceil Harrison’s memory and underscoring the families’ commitment to Faulkner’s mission of help, hope, and healing.
Lamar Harrison, who passed away on June 17, 2021, championed Christian higher education as a means to empower young individuals to pursue their dreams. Despite facing adversity and lacking higher education opportunities himself, Harrison became a successful businessman.
Harrison was born on February 21, 1935, and grew up in Andalusia, Alabama. At a young age, he helped his parents and worked full-time to make ends meet. When he turned 19, he hitchhiked to Mobile, Alabama with less than $20 in his pocket and sold coffee and vacuum cleaners. He eventually began working at an international paper company, served in the Alabama National Guard and later started his own business in Wilmer, Alabama. There he built and ran a hardware store, gas station, drive-in restaurant and skating rink.
In 1972, he and his wife Marceil founded and operated Dirt Inc. Shortly thereafter, they started to invest in real estate and later became the original owners of Gulf Hauling & Construction.
Along with his support of Faulkner, Lamar Harrison was also influential in the growth of Mobile Christian School and helped build their football and baseball fields. He also supported Team Focus, a ministry to help fatherless boys have mentors who guide them into becoming Christian gentlemen and productive adults and founded Gulf Coast Bible Camp, a nonprofit summer camp and retreat facility that is affiliated with the Churches of Christ and located outside of Lucedale, Mississippi.
Harrison was a long-time member of the Azalea City Church of Christ in Semmes, Alabama as well as a long-time Faulkner University Board of Trustees member and Trustee Emeritus.
In honor of his dedication to Faulkner University over the years, Harrison was conferred an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters on December 17, 2005 for his unwavering support of Christian education.
