UNC Asheville Honored Seven from Its History During Founders Day;
University Celebrated Its Past, Future and Focus on Civic Engagement

UNC Asheville honored seven distinguished individuals from its history at a Founders Day dinner on Friday, Oct. 1. Earlier that day, UNC Asheville Chancellor Jim Mullen and Anderson Cooper, host of the CNN evening news program Anderson Cooper 360°, spoke about importance of student civic engagement at a special program in Lipinsky Auditorium.

This annual celebration highlights UNC Asheville's start in 1927 as Buncombe County Junior College and its transformation into a leading public liberal arts college.

"It is appropriate that we pause during this busy academic year to look back with appreciation and toward the future with expectation and anticipation," said Chancellor Mullen. "Founders Day commemorates the bringing to life the belief of A.C. Reynolds and others that the future of this community and this region was inexorably linked to the educational opportunities available to young women and young men, who in many cases had little access to higher education."

At the 1:30 p.m. special program, Chancellor Mullen discussed UNC Asheville's historic and continuing commitment to civic engagement. Anderson Cooper spoke about the role of broadcast journalism in covering the upcoming presidential election and the challenge of educating new generations of college students to be informed and engaged citizens. 

Pete McDaniel

At the dinner, UNC Asheville's highest nonacademic honor, the Chancellor's Medallion, was awarded to Pete McDaniel, a senior writer with Golf Digest who has chronicled Tiger Wood's career since 1994. A literature major who graduated from UNC Asheville in 1974, McDaniel is the author of "Uneven Lies: The Heroic Story of African-Americans in Golf" and co-author of the best-selling book, "Training a Tiger."

A native of Arden, he has been employed by the New York Times Co. since 1979, serving for 12 years as sports editor of the Hendersonville Times-News. From 1993-1997, he was senior writer for Golf World magazine. He began covering Tiger Woods when he wrote the 1994 cover story for Golf World's Man of the Year issue. In 1997, McDaniel joined Golf Digest as senior writer with the primary responsibility of collaborating on instructional articles with Woods.

McDaniel is the recipient of the prestigious Black Achievers in Industry Award, presented annually by the Harlem YMCA, and is the winner of several North Carolina Press Association awards.

Audrey Byrd Mosley

Jim Shields

Awards were also presented to the Alumna of the Year, Audrey Byrd Mosley, and Alumnus of the Year, James A. Shields.

Mosley, an Asheville native, is Deputy General Counsel for the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. A 1974 UNC Asheville graduate who majored in political science and classics, she holds a law degree from Harvard Law School. Her practice includes intellectual property, employment law, real property and general corporate matters.

Shields is head of Anderson Hamilton Inc., an investment firm in Winston-Salem. A 1975 graduate and philosophy major, he is continuing his studies as an external graduate student in philosophy at the University of Wales, Lampeter.

Two people who were instrumental in the growth of UNC Asheville's Athletic Program and two exceptional student-athletes were inducted into the UNC Asheville Athletic Hall of Fame. This year's inductees are: Ed B. Harris, Athletics Administrator in 1981-1985; Jerry Green, head men's basketball coach in 1979-1988; Kim Duncan, a member of the 1984 women's basketball national championship team; and Brian Shehan, who played baseball during 1987-90 and still holds a number of hitting records.

Harris is noted for his leadership in moving the University Athletics Program from the NAIA to NCAA Division I. During his tenure, the women's basketball team won the 1984 NAIA national championship and the men's basketball team reached two District 26 championship games. Harris is now Athletic Director at West Texas A& M University in Canyon, Texas.

Green led UNC Asheville's men's basketball program from a struggling NAIA team to a NCAA Division I winner during his nine-year tenure. While at UNC Asheville, he guided the Bulldogs to seven consecutive winning seasons and an overall record of 150-108, the highest winning percentage of any UNC Asheville basketball coach. Green, who is now retired, lives in Surf City, N.C.

Duncan, who played women's basketball from 1981 to 1985, helped lead the Bulldogs to three straight winning seasons and the NAIA national championship in 1984. A four-year starter, Duncan finished her career as the university's second all-time leading scorer with 1,975 points and as third leading rebounder with 888 rebounds. She lives now in Gastonia, N.C.

Shehan, who played baseball from 1987 to 1990, continues to hold seven UNC Asheville hitting records. In 1989, he had a single-season record for home runs (19), RBIs (59), slugging percentage (.786), doubles (14) and total bases (140). Shehan was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1990. A 1992 UNC Asheville graduate and a management major, he lives now in Granite Falls, N.C.

Ed Harris

Jerry Green

Kim Duncan

Brian Shehan