Inspired by Book’s service to Elon, Trustee Kerrii Brown Anderson ’79 has made a $500,000 gift to name the gathering space at the university’s future health and wellness hub.
The gift from alumna and Trustee Kerrii Brown Anderson ’79 will name the Connie Ledoux Book Courtyard at Slattery Center, which will integrate academics, wellness, campus recreation and fitness programs to ensure students gain the skills they need to thrive on campus and throughout every stage of their lives.
Scheduled to open in fall 2026, Slattery Center is located within Elon’s Innovation Quad, home to the university’s engineering and other STEM programs.
Anderson praised Book for her commitment to Slattery Center, which is a key component of Elon’s broader HealthEU initiative.
“President Book is so committed to student success, both emotionally, physically and academically,” Anderson said. “This garden represents a serene place where students can gather and enjoy spending time together. I could not think of a better idea than to call this ‘Connie’s Courtyard.’”
The courtyard will be located on the west side of Slattery Center, facing Innovation Quad and Richard W. Sankey Hall. The space will include tables and chairs for students, faculty and staff to gather and a lush garden featuring a variety of flowering trees and shrubs.
“I am deeply humbled and grateful to Kerrii Anderson for this generous and thoughtful gift and for her many years of distinguished service on the Board of Trustees,” Book said. “Kerrii’s steadfast support of key institutional priorities like HealthEU and Slattery Center has strengthened Elon’s national reputation for engaged, student-centered learning.”
The HealthEU initiative focuses on six dimensions of health and wellness: community, emotional, purpose, financial, physical and social. The three-story Slattery Center will feature new classrooms, student-faculty research spaces, multiple floors for wellness and fitness activities, and the Mark and Kim Tyson Counseling Center, which will provide individual and group therapy, as well as workshops and outreach programs.
Through coursework, as well as workshops and training programs focused on health and wellness, Slattery Center will impact all students as they progress through their education and learn essential skills and practices related to wellness and well-being. The center is a key priority of the Boldly Elon strategic plan that will guide the university to 2030.
“HealthEU demonstrates our commitment as a university in doing what’s right and in the best interest of our students to be successful long term,” Anderson said. “To Connie’s credit, she recognizes that the total success for students includes a great foundation, both mentally, physically and academically.”
Anderson noted Book’s record of leadership at Elon, including her 16-year tenure as a faculty member and administrative leader, helping to build the university’s national reputation for excellence in engaged teaching and learning. In 2015, Book was named the first female provost and chief academic officer at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, before returning to Elon in 2018 to serve as the university’s ninth president.
“I owe Connie such a debt of gratitude for participating in the presidential search process and for the last eight years of leadership as president,” Anderson said.
Together with her husband Doug, Kerrii Anderson is among Elon’s most generous donors, making gifts to The Inn at Elon, Richard W. Sankey Hall, Ernest A. Koury, Sr. Business Center and Numen Lumen Pavilion. In 2017, Anderson made a generous gift to endow the Kerrii Brown Anderson Odyssey Scholarship to assist talented students with significant financial need. Her gift to Slattery Center will also deepen funding for her Odyssey Scholarship.
Anderson has been a member of Elon’s Board of Trustees since 2008 and previously served as board chair. She received the university’s Alumna of the Year award in 2000 and currently serves on the Women of Elon Advisory Council. Anderson has also been a devoted donor to Elon Day, the university’s largest day of giving.