C.J. Woollum, a native of Alexandria, was a powerful figure who built a legacy at Christopher Newport University that could be topped by no other. Woollum transformed Christopher Newport’s small area college into a Division III powerhouse. As the leader of the men’s basketball team for 26 seasons, C.J. Woollum established a standard of excellence and a winning tradition rivaled by very few. His contributions to the sport and accomplishments on the court were numerous and well documented – 502 wins; 17 NCAA tournament appearances and 13 conference titles. Woollum served as Director of Athletics for 26 years at CNU and oversaw the facilities boom that included the Freeman Center, a Division III masterpiece, where the basketball court bears his name. Under his realm, the athletic department won 15 straight President’s Cups, awarded to the USA South’s top overall athletic program. Woollum was inducted into the CNU Athletic Hall of Fame and the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame.
