UC News

UC Board Unveils Portrait of School President Welch
April 28, 2006

Courtesy of The Charleston Gazette
Photo by Chris Dorst

A 4 1/2-foot by 3 1/2-foot portrait of University of Charleston President Edwin Welch was unveiled at a dinner Thursday evening at the University of Charleston.

The university’s governing board commissioned the painting by New Hampshire portrait artist Richard Whitney, and board members personally donated the money to cover the artist’s fee.

Town & Country magazine named Whitney, who has made portraits of four New Hampshire governors, the late New Hampshire Sen. Thomas McIntyre, and former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, one of the top 12 portrait artists in America.

Welch has led UC for nearly 17 years, during which time enrollment has increased, the campus has added new residential and academic buildings, and the university has added a pharmacy school that is set to open in August.

The Foundation for Independent Higher Education named Welch the winner of its Charles Foreman Award for Innovation in Private Higher Education.

Welch will receive the award at the foundation’s annual meeting next week in Portland, Ore.