You Can Go Home Again — At Last

Posted on March 1, 1989

“Too long we have been too large a family without a home.” So I began a column in this space nearly four years ago. I was happily announcing that the Association would soon begin a capital campaign to raise funds to build a first-ever alumni center. I am pleased to say that with your generous support and the hard work of the campaign’s volunteer leaders, this much needed and long overdue facility will soon become a reality.

This month during Alumni Reunion-Commencement Weekend, hundreds of Carolina alumni came together to officially “break ground” on the George Watts Hill Alumni Center.

As those familiar with the campaign know, our road has been a long one. What was to be a 43,000 square foot facility requiring $8.5 million on a site to be located near the Dean E. Smith Center became a 60,000 square foot facility requiring $12 million which will now be located near Kenan Stadium. Such an increase in our goal might have discouraged some, but our campaign leadership and alumni stepped forward to more than meet the challenge. This is testimony to their vision and commitment as well as to our alumni’s determination that at long last there would be an alumni home in Chapel Hill.

With early generous gifts of $500,000 from the James M. Johnston ’17 Trust and $3.5 million from Mr. George Watts Hill ’22, GAA treasurer for 35 years, we began our campaign with $4 million in gifts and pledges. Through the sustained hard work of an outstanding volunteer committee, headed by former Board of Trustees Chairman and GAA Past President Ralph N. Strayhorn ’47, we received the generous, strong support so critical to any campaign. I want to thank particularly Ralph Strayhorn ’47 and his volunteer committee of Anne Cates ’53, Bob Eubanks ’61, Ray Farris ’62, Phil Harris ’54, Tom Lambeth ’57, Tony Rand ’61, Richard Stevens ’70 and Charlie Winston ’53 for their tireless efforts. We are particularly grateful to former UNC Chancellor Christopher Fordham ’47 and President Emeritus William Friday’48 for their early, strong and sustained support. We are also grateful to our new Chancellor Paul Hardin who enthusiastically lent his support to our effort.

The Steering Committee also has decided that the Director’s Office in the new Alumni Center will be named for J. Maryon “Spike” Saunders ’25. Spike was president of the American Alumni Council as well as recipient of the Association’s Distinguished Service Medal and the University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. He guided alumni relations at Carolina from 1927 unti11970 and his name will be forever synonymous with Carolina alumni.

The days are soon gone when we must neglect much needed expansions in our programs and staff because there just isn’t room. Like other major public universities such as Michigan, Texas, Kansas and Nebraska, which have recently opened new or expanded alumni centers, our facility will greatly increase alumni involvement on behalf of the University. It is particularly fitting that it will be available as we approach the bicentennial of this first state university and the sesquicentennial of the Association.

As the Association addresses new challenges, including the need to help the University with student recruitment and legislative representation, it becomes critical, as we have noted before, that our Association have a headquarters for our activities. The new Alumni Center will be a facility that is for the entire University family, one that brings everyone together.

With nearby parking, easy access and a central campus location, the Alumni Center will be a home to which Carolina alumni will point with pride. Carolina has a long, proud tradition of enduring support from our alumni family.

Again I thank all our readers, alumni, faculty and friends of the University who have given so generously to assure that the dream shared by so many for so long will soon become a reality. While the University faculty and administrators will come and go, our alumni family will be here with enduring loyalty and commitment to their alma mater. It is fitting that at long last we will have a home in Chapel Hill.

Yours at Carolina,

 

 

 

Douglas S. Dibbert ’70