Eyre Receives GAA Faculty Service Award

Congratulations to one of our own, Doug Eyre (prof emeritus). Doug was one of 2 just honored with the General Alumni Association's Faculty Service Award. Given annually since 1990, the award recognizes faculty members whose service has had a lasting impact on the university and the GAA.

From the press release:

"Eyre retired in 2001 after 44 years of teaching and service at UNC. He was the first chair of the geography department, in 1962, when it split from the geology department. He came to Carolina in 1957 after earning three degrees from the University of Michigan and teaching at the University of Washington for six years. He chaired the library's administrative board and founded Friends of the Library, serving as chair.

In 1984 Eyre set a goal of matching a $150,000 alumni bequest for the new Davis Library. He set out to ask 150 alumni to contribute $1,000 each. Eyre called on a former student of his, 1986 graduate Michael Jordan, who made the initial pledge.

"It is hard to imagine any other professor who would have been as willing to take on such a venture on behalf of the library," said Dr. Joe Hewitt, associate provost for university libraries.

In part because of Eyre's efforts, today the libraries enjoy a $34 million endowment that keeps them among the country's top 20 public libraries.

"Doug did a great job leading the raising of building support at a time when it wasn't easy to do," said Michele Fletcher, director of library development. "He was one of the first people to decide that the library needed its own fund-raising activity."

Eyre's fund-raising prowess also was demonstrated during the 1993 Bicentennial Campaign, when he co-chaired the Faculty-Staff Campus Campaign that raised some $9.9 million from about 34 percent of the university community.

Today, Eyre's cause celebre is supporting the Chapel Hill Museum. He also enjoys a personal interest in the library's map collections."