WC formally opens Kingsley Building
Weatherford College formally opened the doors of the Nan and Bob Kingsley Building with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday afternoon.
Located on the southern edge of the campus, the Kingsley Building will house facilities for the college’s new Audio Engineering program and a future Mass Communications program.
The building is also the new home of the Office of the President and offices for the WC Foundation, alumni relations and other college functions.
Following the passing of Bob Kingsley in 2019, WC acquired the former Bluestem Studios the following year thanks to a generous donation/purchase agreement with Nan Kingsley, where most of the building was donated by the Kingsley estate.
Bob was the longtime host of the nationally syndicated American Country Countdown and Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40 programs, produced in Bluestem Studios. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame and the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
“Bob always dreamed of being a cowboy, so after years of living in Los Angeles, we
moved to Texas in 1995,” Nan said. "As a cutting horse enthusiast, Bob loved being
in Weatherford, the cutting horse capital of the world. Bob's love of horses made
Weatherford the perfect place to have the Bluestem Ranch that was his dream.
“This would make Bob so proud. The only thing he loved more than horses was radio."
In honor of Bob’s love of country music and the format’s songwriters, WC is also partnering with Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and The Bluebird Café to digitize the entire 40-year audio history of the famed performance venue.
“The gift of the Nan and Bob Kingsley Building, when coupled with the WC partnership with NSAI and The Bluebird Café, will dramatically expand our students’ educational opportunities,” said WC President Tod Allen Farmer. “Nan's gift will not only continue to honor Bob Kingsley through the decades, it will also have a profoundly positive impact on Weatherford College.”
The Weatherford Chamber of Commerce and East Parker County Chamber of Commerce helped the college celebrate with a ribbon cutting, which was followed by tours of the building.