Horace and Geraldine Belmear were married for 65 years, and a good 50 of those were spent at West Virginia University, where the couple served as both a beacon and compass to generations of black students.

On Thursday, Aug. 24, WVU s Center for Black Culture will mark the beginning of the fall semester with a reception to welcome that segment of the student population while commemorating the couples legacy to the University.

The 2006 Belmear reception will be at 6 p.m. in the Gold and Blue Ballrooms of the Evansdale Residential Complex. And even through Geraldine Belmear died two years ago, organizers say the gathering will be just as much about restating a mission as it will be honoring a memory.

The couple logged several years as minority affairs deans and counselors, working to recruit students of color to campus, then working just as hard to ensure that those students clickedin the classroom and out. And that, the centers Assistant Director Todd McFadden said, is a legacy worth noting and celebrating.

Whenever you say the Belmears around here, everybody knows who youre talking about,he said.They shared their time and their wisdom so our African-American students could, and would, achieve their goals.

The center helps that happen, too, with a full range of mentoring services. Its renowned Personalized Academic Support programPASSkey, for shorthas been its hallmark for the past several years, McFadden said.

PASSkey brings together faculty and students who volunteer as mentors and tutors, and representatives from both camps will be there to talk about it during the reception, said Phoenicia Keffer, the centers student program adviser.

The program couldnt be more vital for first-year students,McFadden said.It really serves up support.

The center, in turn, will serve up hot dogs, hamburgers and other delights off the grill to the WVU community during its annual Welcome Back Barbecue on Aug. 31. That event will be from noon-3 p.m. at the centers 590 Spruce St. location, just off the Downtown Campus in Morgantown.

Bring your appetite,McFadden said.