News Release

Donors make possible more than $950,000
in merit scholarships to 149 UNC freshmen

Editors: Donors’ towns are boldfaced; for lists of the scholarship
recipients by N.C. county and by state, go to http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/sep05/recips093005.htm.

CHAPEL HILL -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill awarded more than $950,000 in academic merit scholarships for 2005-06 to 149 freshmen -- 121 from North Carolina and 28 from other states.

All awards are renewable for each of three more years of undergraduate study, bringing the total value of the awards to more than $3.8 million. Many were created by private donations.

Current gifts supporting scholarships count toward the Carolina First campaign goal of $1.8 billion. Carolina First is a multi-year, private fund-raising campaign to support Carolina’s vision of becoming the nation’s leading public university. Campaign objectives include a goal of establishing 1,000 new scholarships and fellowships for students.

Academic achievement was the chief selection criterion for 126 of the merit awards; solid academic records and strong commitment to community service were the criteria for the 23 Pogue Scholarships.

"This is the most competitive and diverse pool of scholarship recipients ever to enroll at Carolina," said Dr. Dan F. Thornton, associate director of the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid. "It was an enormous task for the faculty committee to choose a limited number of recipients from a large pool of excellently qualified candidates.

"More than the offer of a scholarship, however, attracts these students to UNC; they have chosen to come here chiefly for the tradition of excellence that, to them, really defines Carolina."

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Descriptions of each type of scholarship, in alphabetical order, and donors who established them are listed below. Donors’ cities and towns are in bold. A list of scholarship recipients is attached and posted at http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/sep05/recips093005.htm. The name of the student’s scholarship appears at the end of each listing. Refer back to this release for a description of the scholarship.

The Alston-Pleasants Scholarship was established in 1958 by the late Missouri Alston Pleasants of Louisburg in memory of her grandfather, Willis "Congress" Alston. Income from her trust provides for a scholarship of $2,500 to a student from Franklin, Warren or Halifax counties.

These awards, designed to help attract the most academically talented students to Carolina, recognize superlative achievement in high school and potential for success at UNC. Scholars from North Carolina receive $7,500 per year; out-of-state recipients receive $15,000. Types of Carolina Scholarships are:

The Chancellor’s Carolina Scholars awards were established with university funds by the late Chancellor Michael Hooker, who articulated a vision for Carolina becoming the nation’s top public university.

The Pepper Dowd Carolina Scholars award was established by the Dowd Foundation of Charlotte in honor of Elizabeth "Pepper" Dowd. Dowd, a 1953 Carolina graduate, served on the UNC Board of Trustees from 1983-1991, two years as its vice chairman. She was a founder of the Arts and Sciences Foundation, serving on its board of directors as vice chairman from 1975-1995, and was president of the General Alumni Association in 1992-1993.

Mrs. Centre W. Holmberg and her late husband of Southern Pines established the Centre W. Holmberg Jr. Carolina Scholars award in his name to support students from outside North Carolina. Mr. Holmberg was the retired chief executive officer and president of Holmberg Electronics Corp.

Dr. and Mrs. William R. Jordan of Fayetteville established the William R. and Jeanne H. Jordan Carolina Scholar awards in 1997. Dr. Jordan earned his undergraduate degree in 1964 and his medical degree in 1970, both from Carolina. The chief executive officer and Chairman of Sonorex, LLC and Global Lithotripsy Systems Inc., Dr. Jordan served on the UNC Board of Trustees from 1993 to 2001.

William R. Soles Jr. and Janette Soles of Greensboro established the W. Roger Soles Carolina Scholar award in 2001 in honor of their late father, a 1947 Carolina graduate.

The Winstead family and the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation of Dallas, Texas, established the Samuel G. Winstead Jr. Carolina Scholars award in honor of Winstead, a 1930 graduate of UNC and a Dallas attorney and civic leader.

The Benjamin W. Woodruff Carolina Scholarship was established in 1996 by Dr. and Mrs. Leon F. Woodruff Jr. of Raleigh and Molly Woodruff Painter of Charlotte in memory of their son and her brother, Benjamin, who died in the May 1996 Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house fire.

The UNC Board of Trustees established these scholarships this year to attract academically talented freshmen. North Carolina residents receive $2,500 annually; non-residents receive $15,000.

Coker-Fox Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 1980 by a gift from Charles D. Fox III and his wife, Preston Fox, of Lahaina, Hawaii; their sons, Charles D. Fox IV and Francis P. Fox: and the late Louise Coker of Chapel Hill. Scholars are nominated at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va., and chosen for academic achievement and leadership. The scholarships range from $5,000 for in-state recipients to $10,000 for recipients from outside North Carolina.

College Fellows awards are academic, non-need-based scholarships of $2,500, awarded to North Carolina residents who plan majors in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences. A faculty committee chooses winners based on Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, difficulty of and performance in high school courses and potential for success in, and contribution to the intellectual life of, the college. Types of College Fellows awards are:

The Ashford-Ward Family College Fellows award was established in 1986 by Mr. and Mrs. David L. Ward Jr. and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hall Ashford Jr. of New Bern to honor the memory of Dr. Charles Hall Ashford and David L. Ward. Ashford, a 1923 Carolina graduate, was a surgeon; his friend and college roommate, Ward, a 1924 Carolina graduate, was an attorney and legislator.

The Hargrove "Skipper" Bowles College Fellows award was established in 1987 by family and friends in memory of Bowles, a 1941 Carolina graduate. A prominent Greensboro businessman, Bowles chaired the UNC Board of Trustees and the successful fund-raising effort to build the Dean E. Smith Center.

The James Loring Seely College Fellows award was established in 1986 by friends of Seely of Newport Beach, Calif., a member of the Carolina class of 1956.

This scholarship was established in 1992 by Copland’s wife, the late Lillian Copland, and his sons, James R. Copland III and Ronald Copland, all of Burlington, and their companies, Copland Inc. and Copland Fabrics, to honor one of Alamance County’s leading businessmen. The scholarship goes to the person judged by the university to be Alamance County’s most distinguished and promising high school graduate. It recognizes outstanding academic performance, strength of character, leadership and physical vigor. One winner receives $5,500 annually for four years of undergraduate study. The scholarship also permits entrance to the honors program and provides $3,000 for study abroad.

These scholarships were established in 1989 in recognition of Carolina’s Bicentennial with revenue from sales of merchandise bearing UNC trademark logos. The award is named for the man considered to be the father of the university, who sponsored the bill in the N.C. House of Representatives chartering the university in 1789. Davie scholars are chosen for superior academic achievement, leadership and potential for success at Carolina. In-state winners receive $5,000 per year; out-of-state winners, $12,000.

Meisenheimer, of Charlotte, a 1909 Carolina graduate, established this $3,000 scholarship in 1962. The award goes to a graduate of a public school in the Charlotte area, based on recommendations from counselors in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system.

James J. and Angelia M. Harris of Charlotte established these scholarships in memory of Morrison, a former North Carolina governor. Morrison received an honorary law degree from Carolina in 1922. The Cameron Morrison Scholarships are awarded each year to outstanding students from Mecklenburg and Richmond counties. Recipients receive $5,000 per year.

This scholarship was established as a bequest of John E. Neal of Kilmarnock, Va., in memory of his son, a 1962 UNC graduate.

These scholarships recruit and help support students from North Carolina based on distinguished academic performance. Each provides an annual award of $3,750.

The Josh Dormagen Old Well Scholarship was created by Joseph S. and Jackie W. Dormagen of Gurnee, Ill., in honor of their son, Josh, who planned to attend Carolina before his death in 1998. The scholarship is based on outstanding academic and extracurricular achievement in high school and promise for continued success as a scholar and leader at Carolina.

The Fred N. Kahn Old Well Scholarship was created by Fred Natchman Kahn of Asheville, who graduated from UNC in 1957. Recipients are outstanding students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership ability and promise of success at Carolina.

The Ben Robinette Old Well Scholarship was established in loving memory of Robinette, a cross-country runner for South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte. Robinette was struck by a vehicle and killed during a practice in 1998. Funded by the Foundation for the Carolinas, the scholarship is awarded to an outstanding student from Charlotte-Mecklenburg who is a competitive runner, demonstrates high academic achievement and is active in community service and extracurricular endeavors.

These scholarships were established in 1977 with a gift from the late Dr. Pogue and his wife, Grace. A Raleigh native, Pogue received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UNC in 1906 and 1907. He earned a doctorate at Yale University and became a leading geologist and mineralogist. He was a curator at the Smithsonian Institution, a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey and a successful businessman in the oil industry. The university received his bequest of $11 million in 1976. Income from the Pogue Fund supports these scholarships and other academic needs.

The scholarships were established to attract the most outstanding N.C. high school students. The awards have traditionally emphasized minority applicants, but students of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Successful candidates demonstrate and value academic achievement, have strong leadership potential and identify ways to implement positive change. They show clear evidence of commitment to their local communities and display maturity and wisdom in trying to impact important issues. The Pogue Scholarship is UNC’s only merit scholarship requiring an application. Pogue Scholars receive $7,500 for each of four years of study.

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Scholarships contact: Dr. Dan Thornton, (919) 962-4168 dan_thornton@unc.edu

News Services contact: L.J. Toler, (919) 962-8589