Witherspoon Park

In 1968 Concord was awarded a $450,000 grant by the Oakley L. and Ethel Witherspoon Alexander Foundation to establish Witherspoon Park. This development comprises a mix of two houses and eight townhouses designed for rental by the college's faculty and staff, enabling them and their families to live conveniently close to their workplace. Witherspoon Park was completed in 1970.

In 1909 Oakley Logan Alexander (1878-1950) wed Ethel Witherspoon (1880-1974). He was the son of William and Isabella Mann Alexander, whose family came from Greenbrier County. He was educated at Concord. 

Ethel was a blue blood with aristocratic lineage that included a signer of the Declaration of Independence. She was born at “Glenartney” the 350-acre Witherspoon estate and farm in Versailles, Kentucky. Her mother’s family was prominent in politics and in breeding thoroughbred race horses in Kentucky. She graduated from Hollis College, then still known as Hollis Institute, in Roanoke, Virginia.

Oakley was a bread salesman for a wholesale grocery company but after marrying Ethel they formed a team that in time amassed a fortune in the bituminous coal industry and later gave generous amounts of it away. He was president of the Pocahontas Fuel Company, Pocahontas Steamship Company, Pocahontas Coal Corporation, Pocahontas Light and Water Company and Pocahontas Corporation as well as several other companies. At one time his directorship totaled fifteen.

Ten years after her husband’s death, Ethel created the Oakley L. and Ethel Witherspoon Alexander Foundation so that their concern for others might continue undiminished. (Source: licf.org, Oakley Logan and Ethel Witherspoon Alexander.)