by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Jacksonville University alumnus John Sessions said a lot had changed at the school since he was enrolled there.
He was a member of JU’s first four-year class and graduated in 1959 with a degree in business administration. Four years later, he founded Bug Out Service and grew the pest-control business to six branches before retiring in 1997.
Along the way, he has been a Dolphins sports fan and benefactor, supporting many athletic programs.
Before the May 4 JU vs. University of North Florida baseball game last week, Sessions was honored for his generosity with a framed baseball jersey presented by Kerry Romesburg, JU’s president and threw the first pitch in the newly-named “John Sessions Stadium at Alexander Brest Field” on the riverfront campus.
“When I went to school here, there were a bunch of oak trees where the stadium is now and the baseball field wasn’t much more than a fence. I remember people used to bring their lawn chairs to watch the games,” said Sessions.
“John’s passion to see the University build on all the positive things that are going has been a great inspiration for me,” said JU Athletic Director Alan Verlander. “We feel there isn’t a better way to recognize his devotion to JU than by naming the stadium after him.”