1989
Walt W. Rostow
Economist and author Walt W. Rostow (1916-2003) served in a number of high-level government positions. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed Rostow as deputy special assistant to the president for national security affairs. He was later appointed counselor of the U.S. Department of State and chairman of the Policy Planning Council of the Department of State. In 1964, the President appointed him to the additional duty of United States member of the Inter-American Committee on the Alliance for Progress with the rank of ambassador. He served in these latter two capacities until early 1966, when President Johnson called him back to the White House as his special assistant for national security affairs. After leaving Washington, Rostow taught economics and history at University of Texas at Austin. The author of more than 30 books, Rostow held a doctorate from Yale and attended Balliol College, Oxford, England, as a Rhodes Scholar.
Russell Edgerton
Russell Edgerton is chairman of the American Association for Higher Education. He began his career in higher education as an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He then moved into public service as a special assistant to Department of Health, Education and Welfare secretaries Robert Finch and Elliot Richardson, and as a member of the Planning and Evaluation Staff in the Office of the Secretary. He was deeply involved in working on the Education Amendments Act of 1972, and helped author several national reports on higher education. Edgerton grew up in Los Angeles and holds a doctorate in public law and government from Columbia University.
John M. Reynolds
Buncombe County native John M. Reynolds is a longtime contributor to the University. Following four years in the Navy and completion of college, Reynolds was asked by the chairman of the County Commissioners to serve on the board of Asheville-Biltmore College, UNC Asheville’s predecessor institution. Reynolds, along with his uncle A. C. Reynolds, became very active in the school’s development. He was instrumental in obtaining a $500,000 bond for the College, raising other funds, and in deciding on the school’s present location. In 1977, he received UNC Asheville’s Distinguished Service Award.
1988
Robert L. Gale
Robert L. Gale’s distinguished career has spanned higher education, government service, publishing and consulting. For 18 years, he was president of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), the only national association serving public and private university board members. Prior to his appointment to AGB, he founded Gale Associates Inc., a consulting firm that worked with nonprofit organizations on strategic planning, program development and fundraising. In addition, he was the first director of recruiting for the Peace Corps and later acted as director of public affairs. Gale is a member of the board of directors of the National Peace Corps Association and was a founder and board member of the National Center of Nonprofit Boards.
Fred D. Chappell
Canton native Fred D. Chappell is a widely acclaimed author. Chappell’s first novel, “Dagon,” is a recasting of a Cthulhu Mythos horror story as a psychologically realistic Southern Gothic. It was named Best Foreign Book of the Year by the Academie Française. Chappell joined the UNC Greensboro English Department faculty in 1962 and recently received the O. Max Gardner Award, the highest teaching award given by the UNC system.
Ernest A. Mills
Businessman Ernest A. Mills founded Mills Manufacturing in New York City in 1935. The company moved to Asheville in 1952 and since that time has been devoted entirely to the manufacturing of military parachutes and related components. Mills and his wife Albina have established a number of important endowments at the University, including the Mills Foundation, which provides a variety of scholarships. Mills Residence Hall was constructed and named in their honor in 1987.
1987
John Ehle
Noted author John Ehle is a native of Asheville. He is the author of 17 books — ranging from historical novels to nonfiction surveys of French wine and cheese — which have been translated into more than six languages. As a member of North Carolina Governor Terry Sanford’s staff in the 1960s, he was the “idea man” and an integral part of the creation of the North Carolina School of the Arts and the Governor’s School. He went on to serve with the White House Group for Domestic Affairs and on the First National Council of the Humanities. Ehle also helped start the North Carolina Film Board, North Carolina Institute of Outdoor Drama, the North Carolina Advancement School and the North Carolina School of Science and Math. Five-time winner of the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for fiction, Ehle holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UNC Chapel Hill, where he also taught for 10 years.
Virginia Bryan Schreiber
Virginia Bryan Schreiber joined the faculty of Buncombe County Junior College, UNC Asheville’s predecessor institution, in 1928. For many years she taught freshman composition and sophomore English literature and served as Dean of Women. Schreiber and her students formed the Bluets, a creative writing magazine, which won several national awards.
1986
Merrimon A. Cunninggim
North Carolinian Merrimon A. Cunninggim served as president of Salem College in Winston-Salem, N.C., from 1976-79. A Rhodes Scholar, Cunninggim holds degrees from Vanderbilt University, Duke University, Oxford University and Yale University. He served as professor of religion at several institutions before becoming dean of the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. Cunninggim has served as advisor to the president of the Ford Foundation and as executive director of the Danforth Foundation. He is the author of several noted books, including “The College Seeks Religion,” “The Protestant Stake in Higher Education” and “Private Money and Public Service: The Role of Foundations in American Society.”
Sarah Belk Gambrell
Sarah Belk Gambrell is an accomplished businesswoman and civic leader in Charlotte and the Southeastern United States. She serves as a director for Belk, Inc., which includes 210 department stores spread across sixteen states. She is also very active in business and civic affairs and the arts in New York City, where she maintains a second residence. Gambrell has demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to the cultural life of the state, especially music and the visual arts. She was a longtime board member of the Friends of Art and the Friends of Music at Queens University and was the catalyst for a creative collaboration between the Friends of Music and Charlotte Sister Cities.
Roy A. Taylor
Roy A. Taylor (1910-1995) was a 1929 graduate of Asheville-Biltmore College, UNC Asheville’s predecessor institution. He continued his education at Asheville University Law School, earning a law degree. He practiced law in Asheville until World War II. Taylor served in the Navy and was a commanding officer of a tank landing ship. After the war, Taylor went into politics and was elected to the North Carolina Congress, where he served two consecutive terms. He went back to practicing law, but in 1960 North Carolina Congressman David M. Hall died while in office, and Taylor was elected to take his place. Taylor served out the term as the 12th District Representative, and was elected to eight more terms as the 11th District Representative. Throughout his legal and political career, Taylor has remained dedicated to his alma mater. He served on the Board of Trustees for 11 years and created the Roy A. Taylor Public Speaking Contest, which offers cash prizes to students.