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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Jan 16, 2015) – Lowell “Bud” Paxson, co-creator of the Home Shopping Network and the family-friendly network PaxTV, died Jan. 9 at his home in Montana. He was 79.
Paxson served on the Milligan College Board of Trustees for a number of years and in 1987 donated $1.6 million to expand and house the college’s communications program.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Paxson,” said Milligan President Dr. Bill Greer. “He believed strongly in Milligan’s mission to prepare Christians to work in the communications industry. The strength of our communications program today is a testament to his foresight and generosity.”
In 1989, the college’s former Student Union Building was renovated and renamed the Lowell W. “Bud” Paxson Communications Center. It houses a multimedia lab, video edit bays, a convergent newsroom, radio and television stations, and a control room. The communications center also houses a state-of-the-art Macintosh computer laboratory named in memory of Carl Jones of the Johnson City Press Chronicle.
In 1992, Paxson also helped fund the construction of Quillen Hall and Kegley Hall, used as men’s residence halls at Milligan.
Former Milligan President Marshall Leggett met Paxson at Harborside Christian Church in Clearwater, Florida, where he was friends with several Milligan alumni.
“We discussed how a Christian liberal arts college needed a strong communications major so students could understand the influence of mass communication and how to use it effectively,” said Leggett.
Services will be at 4 p.m. on Jan. 22 at Christ Fellowship Church, 5342 Northlake Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. A reception will follow at 6 p.m. at The Breakers.