ALFRED — Alfred State College recently dedicated The Wilder and Linneball Hall of Excellence, a brand-new facility that honors the achievements and contributions of alumni, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Located in the Student Leadership Center on the Alfred campus, this facility was made possible through a contribution from the law firm founded in 2000 by J. Joseph Wilder and his wife, Laura Linneball. Wilder also serves as the college’s major gifts officer.
“Jay and Laura, we thank you so much for your dedication and commitment to the college,” said Dr. Skip Sullivan, Alfred State president. “This Hall of Excellence will be a place to highlight the success of our many alumni and friends and inspire our future Alfred State alumni leaders.”
“I am humbled by this dedication, and Jay and I were happy to donate to Alfred,” Linneball said. “We’ve seen how Alfred really does change lives.”
Wilder said the idea for the Hall of Excellence was inspired by the Shay Family Athletic Hall of Fame in the Orvis Activities Center.
Located next to the Admissions Office and the Campus Store, The Wilder and Linneball Hall of Excellence features a touch screen monitor that allows students, returning alumni and visitors to learn more about the inductees. It can also be viewed on the college website, www.alfredstate.edu/hall-of-excellence.
“The purpose of the Hall of Excellence is to recognize alumni and friends of the college who have demonstrated outstanding professional or personal achievements, service to community or other extraordinary accomplishments,” Wilder said. “We have tens of thousands of alumni and we’ve just started scratching the surface in terms of honoring those who are inspiringly successful. Right now, we have less than 50 people in the Hall of Excellence, but we’re going to be adding a lot more.”
Wilder is a 1977 graduate of Alfred State College, majoring in industrial technology and broadcasting. He continued his education at Purdue University, and then SUNY Buffalo School of Law. He has been a lawyer since 1984, using his industrial and technology education to represent businesses in complex litigations across the United States.
Linneball is a graduate of SUNY Buffalo and the Indiana University School of Law. During her career, she has appeared as counsel in complex civil, utility company, labor and health care litigation.
