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James Gilliam Portrait Dedicated in Mellon Hall
Simmie Knox, Linda Gilliam, and St. John's President Christopher Nelson admire the portrait of James Gilliam
On Tuesday, May 6, St. John's College dedicated the portrait of James H. Gilliam Jr., a trustee of the Hodson Trust, for whom one of the college's newest dormitories, Gilliam Hall, is named.
Mr. Gilliam, a successful attorney and business executive, died in 2003 at the age of 58. He was a civic leader in his community of Wilmington, Delaware; an advisor to national political leaders; and a committed member of the bar who worked to improve the quality of the legal profession and the judicial bench. He was a charter member of the Board of Trustees of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a trustee for the National Geographic Society, and a board member of several corporations.
The Hodson Trust supports four Maryland colleges, including St. John's College. A gift from the Hodson Trust made the construction of the $7.5 million dormitory possible, allowing the college to house 32 students in a modern and spacious facility.
Hodson also provided funds for the renovation and expansion of Mellon Hall, and the Gilliam portrait graces a wall outside the Hodson Trust Conference Room in the building. Its placement in Mellon, the college's main academic and classroom building, assures that college tutors, students, staff and visitors can view the portrait.
"We are truly honored to receive this portrait of Gilliam and to have dedicated our first new dormitory in half a century to his memory," said St. John's President Christopher Nelson. "When I look at this portrait I can see the man I knew. He touched so many other lives with his generosity and spirit."
Mr. Gilliam's wife, Linda, attended the brief ceremony, as did Simmie Knox, the portrait artist. Mr. Knox made history when he became the first African-American to paint an official presidential portrait, of former president Bill Clinton. Mr. Knox has also painted the former first lady, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton; New York Mayor David Dinkins; Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, comedian Bill Cosby; and many other prominent Americans. His portraits have been praised for their vibrant clarity, lifelike appearance, and technical mastery.
"When you honor a person's memory with a portrait, that says he was important to a lot of people," Mr. Knox said. "In that way, they live a long time."