ECU Foundation
This article describes the creation of the ECU Foundation. This and other articles may be found in records of the Chancellor's Office, Record Group CH1050, Series 1, Scrapbook File, 1914-1978 in the University Archives.
Citation for this article is: Howard, Henry, "Foundation Can Eventually Mean Big Enrichment Program for ECU," Daily Reflector, January 20, 1969.
The $231,000 in seed money which has been raised to launch a full-time professional fund raising office at ECU, could mean a multimillion dollar program of enrichment and development for the university.Dr. Leo Jenkins, university president, and Richard K. (Dick) Worsley, chairman of the drive, during the weekend announced that the original goal of $150,000 had been exceeded.
When East Carolina became a university Dr. Jenkins envisioned a campaign for at least $500,000 for ECU programs enrichment. Now, with funds available for a full time foundation office and director, plans call for raising enrichment funds in the millions of dollars.
In announcing the results of the seed money campaign, launched in mid-November, Dr. Jenkins and Worsley expressed gratitude to contributors and praised both contributors and members of the socilitation committee which carried out the campaign.
The foundation itself, through action of its corporation members, expressed appreciation to the Greenville Chamber of Commerce whose University-City Relations Committee originally proposed creation of the foundation during Worsley's term as chamber president.
Commenting on the success of the drive, Dr. Jenkins noted that, while the campaign was concentrated in the Greenville area, several gifts from outside the area indicate "tremendous potential" for national as well as state-wide and local support for the foundation.
The next step is the employment of an executive vice president of the foundation to direct the continuing fund-raising effort. President Jenkins has been instructed to proceed with this project, and a person described by an ECU spokesman as an "outstanding nationally known man" is under consideration of the position.
The $231,000 raised to finance the fund-raising office came from some 86 charter members of the foundation (who agreed to contribute at least $1,500 over a three-year period), a number of ECU faculty and staff members and around 40 other contributors. The total includes a $20,000 gift from Union Carbide Corporation as profit from the foundation's resale of property acquired from Union Carbide Corporation at below market value.
Dr. Jenkins, noting that the "Torch of Hope" is the foundation's identifying symbol, said, "This campaign assures us that our foundation's Torch of Hope has been well-lighted and we confidently look forward to its burning brightly in the years ahead."
Members of the solicitation committee, headed by Worsley, included: Dr. Charles Adams, Dr. M.W. Aldridge, Leo Brody, Troy Dodson, James Ficklen, Bill Glidewell, Curtis Hendrix, Wally Howard, Max Joyner, Ford McGowan, Waverly Phelps, Ed Rawl, David Reid, W.M. Scales Jr., Jimmy Sutton, Clarence Tugwell and Bob Young.
