RADFORD -- Radford University isn’t the only organization celebrating a century of service this year. For 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America has been helping shape the lives of the nation’s youth. To commemorate their shared milestone, RU recognized the BSA during its Centennial Charter Day Celebration on March 24.

The Boy Scouts of America exemplify “the spirit of service in programs and activities devoted to enriching the lives of the several communities they serve," said RU Professor Emeritus of Education Gary Ellerman, co-chair of RU’s Centennial Committee. Ellerman presented a plaque during the celebration to Dan Johnson, scout executive of the Blue Ridge Mountains Council of Boy Scouts of America.

In addition to their shared centennials, RU and BSA’s histories are linked in another way, according to Ellerman.

(IN THE PHOTO: Gary Ellerman makes a presentation to Dan Johnson of the Boy Scouts of America during Wednesday's Charter Day Celebration.)

In 1956, Radford University -- then Radford College -- sold 15,000 acres of land in Pulaski County to the Blue Ridge Council of the BSA. The land became known as the Blue Ridge Scout Reservation, the largest council-owned Scout reservation in the United States. The money earned from the sale was used to purchase the pipe organ that is still used today in Preston Auditorium.