Phat Cat played at Rockefeller Arts Center last month when Jefferson Westwood, at left, announced he would be retiring in August.

On Dec. 12, I attended the Christmas concert at King Concert Hall at the Fredonia College Rockefeller Arts Center. It was an enjoyable event. Although the weather was terrible, the concert was very well attended. Most of the attendees were likely from the Fredonia-Dunkirk area.

At the concert Jefferson Westwood who heads the Rockefeller Arts Center as its Director announced his retirement in 2025.

Westwood, a Fredonia resident for over 44 years, has done a superb job over his past 44 years at the College and as the Director of the Rockefeller Arts Center for over 42 of those years.

The quality of life in the Dunkirk-Fredonia community has been greatly enhanced by Jefferson’s hard work and diligence in bringing to our area wonderful entertainment for the entire community to enjoy.

He has a talent for selecting a wide range of performers from a national field which expands the audience’s entertainment experience. With Jefferson, expect the unexpected. The shows he brings to the Rockefeller Arts Center are always a delight. His traditional jokes at the beginning of every performance are always clever and funny, sometimes a little corny.

While watching the Christmas concert I also thought about how all this began in 1866-67 by Fredonia residents pursuing a farsighted and difficult goal. The village goal was to persuade the State of New York to establish a State College in Fredonia. The village did so by constructing, at its sole cost, the first State College building in Fredonia known as “Old Main” and deeding the building to the State of New York in 1868.

The Village was successful in completing the construction and the State agreed to have a State College in Fredonia. It was solely a Village of Fredonia effort. No grants or aid were given to the Village.

The Fredonia officials and residents in 1867-68 could never have imagined the Rockefeller Arts Center and the enjoyable entertainment it would bring as well as the significant pursuit of higher education that would result from the seeds the Village residents planted 157 years ago.

Much credit goes to Jefferson Westwood in preserving and continuing the tradition of excellence at the State University at Fredonia.

Sam Drayo Jr. is a Fredonia resident.