James P. King Center Part of Virginia Physician’s Legacy

A senior vice president of investments at full-service brokerage firm Stifel Nicolaus in Radford, VA, George Abie Williams is also an active and committed member of his community. Since 1986, he has served as the chairman of the Radford High School Foundation, Inc., directing fundraising efforts that total more than $1 million. Under George Abie Williams’ leadership, the foundation achieved the capital campaign funding that built the James P. King Center at the school in 1999.

Today, the King Center is home to a full-scale gym that accommodates both basketball and volleyball games. Its fitness center, with a strength-training component, is state of the art, and it also includes a classroom for physical education instruction.

The project notably came together and was finished in only 18 months, thanks to the collaboration of the City of Radford and the local school system, facilitated by the foundation. After an initial $100,000 contribution from Dr. William W. King, the foundation further developed the fund on behalf of the King family, reaching the $1.2 million necessary to start construction.

The building honors the late Dr. James P. King, who retired as the medical director of St. Albans Psychiatric Hospital in Christiansburg, VA, in 1976. The James P. King endowment of the Radford High School Foundation, as well as the Dr. James P. King Memorial Nursing Scholarship sponsored by St. Albans, also honor his legacy.