A section of Commerce Street north of 21st Street on the University of Washington, Tacoma campus was renamed Dolly Roberson Lane Friday, in memory of the mother of Tacoma revitalization leader Fred Roberson.

The block-long section of Commerce Street, vacated this year by the City of Tacoma, was renamed in recognition of an estate gift from Fred and Anne Roberson, who recently arranged to bequeath to UWT a $2 million interest in the Carlton Center building, at 17th and Jefferson streets.

Fred Roberson, active in the Tacoma real estate market for many years, owns the Harmon Building and was among the first to see the potential for downtown Tacoma’s renaissance. He is currently involved in helping to restore Tacoma Avenue.

Dolly Roberson, who arrived in Seattle from Johannesburg, South Africa, as a child, had six children. She was known to distribute money to the needy during the Great Depression and frequently performed as an amateur actress.

She passed away in 1984.