HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Dr. Stephen J. Kopp had a passion for Marshall University and a dream of a pharmacy school to be on the health science campus in Huntington.
The former Marshall University president, who died while in office in 2014, will now be remembered forever at that same pharmacy school he wished for with the expansion of health services.
Marshall held a dedication ceremony on Friday afternoon to make its newest building, housing the Marshall University School of Pharmacy, Stephen J. Kopp Hall.
“When you have this vision for something and now you see this vision realized, I only wish President Kopp could have been with us,” Gayle Brazeau, Dean of the Marshall University School of Pharmacy told MetroNews.
“I believe that he is with us and honoring his legacy with this building is going to have a great impact on the number of future pharmacists, the people that will come into this building.”
The 49,560-square-foot facility began holding classes in August and is housing this academic year’s pharmacy students at Fairfield Landing. It sits adjacent to School of Medicine on the Hal Greer Blvd corridor in the Fairfield community of Huntington. Brazeau hopes this school and the health science campus can help revitalize the area.
The school features a Doctoral of Pharmacy degree and a master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
“I understood from him that he was a man of traits with persistence and dedication,” Brazeau said.
“He was all about Marshall. He looked at this as one additional step to advance the great educational and research mission that Marshall is doing.”
Kopp’s widow, Jane, and several of their family members were at Friday’s dedication.
U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, representatives for Congresswoman Carol Miller and Congressman Alex Mooney, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams and Marshall University President Jerome A. Gilbert, among others were in attendance in pay honor to Kopp.
Glad I could be a part of the dedication of Kopp Hall—the new home of @marshallu’s pharmacy school. What a fitting tribute to former Marshall president, the late Dr. Stephen Kopp. His vision helped make the school what it is today. pic.twitter.com/oSZFEONuIH
— Shelley Moore Capito (@SenCapito) September 13, 2019