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50 years of giving: App State families change lives, build legacies

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A small cadre of Mountaineer families have fostered a legacy of consistent giving to Appalachian State University for approximately 50 years. Pictured, an aerial view of Founders Plaza, with statues of two of App State’s co-founders, B.B. Dougherty and Lillie Shull Dougherty, and Founders Bell Pavilion. Photo by Marie Freeman

“Education changes lives, and these families exemplify that. The significance of their generosity cannot be overstated. Decade after decade, they have given generously of their time, advocacy and financial resources to help ensure a bright future for our students, university and community.”

App State Chancellor Sheri Everts

By Megan Bruffy
Posted July 6, 2022 at 10:45 a.m.

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University alumni have often said that once you become part of the Mountaineer community, you never truly leave. While many share this sentiment, some alumni have bolstered these connections by consistently donating to and supporting their alma mater for more than 50 years.

“Education changes lives, and these families exemplify that. The significance of their generosity cannot be overstated. Decade after decade, they have given generously of their time, advocacy and financial resources to help ensure a bright future for our students, university and community.”

App State Chancellor Sheri Everts

Their legacy of giving has provided countless benefits and opportunities for members of the campus and surrounding communities, including:

  • allowing generations of current and future students to pursue their educational aspirations with less student debt, making an App State education both accessible and affordable;
  • supporting students’ athletics success; and
  • enriching the university and Greater Boone community with arts programming and cultural resources.

“Education changes lives, and these families exemplify that,” App State Chancellor Sheri Everts said. “The significance of their generosity cannot be overstated. Decade after decade, they have given generously of their time, advocacy and financial resources to help ensure a bright future for our students, university and community.”

Roughly two dozen donor families, who represent App State alumni and former university employees, as well as local and regional leaders in education and technology, have contributed to support the entirety of the App State Experience — from scholarships and academic resources, to athletics, summer programs and beyond.

“For so many of our donors, App State is where they earned degrees, met their spouses, made lifelong friends and found their career paths,” said Jane Barghothi, vice chancellor of university advancement. “They often tell us they want to do for the university what the university has done for them, and we are thrilled to help them find ways to uplift future generations of Mountaineers.”

A legacy of giving

“I have gotten way more from Appalachian than I’ve ever given.”

A.C. Larrimore ’54 ’77

Nanci Tolbert Nance ’73 said she and her husband, Larry Nance ’62 ’63, have given to the university for 50 years because the university gave them “solid foundations on which to build successful careers.” They both believe the best way to show their gratitude is to give back to their alma mater.

“I have gotten way more from Appalachian than I’ve ever given.”

A.C. Larrimore ’54 ’77

A.C. Larrimore ’54 ’77, who has also given for 50 years, said he has consistently donated to the university because “I have gotten way more from Appalachian than I’ve ever given.”

Read on to learn more about the Nances, Larrimore and their alumni peers.

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Left photo: Pauletta Parker ’66 ’75 ’82, left, with Appalachian State University Chancellor Sheri Everts. Right photo: Charles “Chuck” Parker ’66 ’70 ’81, left, with App State Chancellor Sheri Everts. Photos courtesy of University Communications

Charles ‘Chuck’ and Pauletta Parker

52 years of giving

Chuck and Pauletta both graduated with bachelor’s, master’s and education specialist degrees from App State, and Chuck played soccer as a student-athlete. They spent their careers in education — Chuck retired as the chief technology officer for Wilkes County Schools and Pauletta served as an elementary school principal in the same school system. They also both taught courses at App State. The Parkers are active in their community, including in their local school system and in their church. In 1985, Chuck received the Alumni Association’s Outstanding Service Award, and he is also a former Alumni Council member. The Parkers have been Yosef Club members for more than 30 years, with Chuck previously serving as an Advisory Board member. The couple provided primary sponsorship for the biannual Children’s Literature Symposium coordinated by Belk Library and Information Commons and the Reich College of Education, and initiated an endowment to support the symposium in perpetuity.

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Julia Adams ’56, left, and Gerald Adams ’54 ’62, photographed in 2009. Photo courtesy of University Communications

Gerald and Julia Adams

50 years of giving

Gerald, a former Mountaineer football player who passed away in 2016, was director of App State’s Yosef Club for 25 years and previously served as the assistant superintendent of human resources in Virginia’s Pittsylvania County. Julia, a former App State cheerleader, was the supervisor of health and drug free schools in Florida’s Duval County and later served as an adjunct professor in App State’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She was also inducted into the Bell Ringers Society in 2019. Gerald and Julia — who were known as Mr. and Ms. Yosef because of their commitment to App State athletics and affinity for dressing in black and gold — met at the university in the 1950s but didn’t marry until after they reconnected at an App State reunion in 1993. They each served as president of the university’s Alumni Council and received the Alumni Association’s Outstanding Service Award — Gerald in 1983 and Julia in 2008. Notably, the couple established the Gerald and Julia Adams Endowment for Athletic Scholarship, the Yosef Club Endowment and the Julia Ross Adams Varsity Cheerleader Scholarship.

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James “Jim” Jones, left, and Elaine Jones ’61. Photo courtesy of University Communications

James ‘Jim’ and Elaine Jones

50 years of giving

Jim, a professor emeritus, taught accounting at App State for 36 years and also chaired the Department of Accounting. He served as a tennis coach and athletics director for the university, and he is a founding member of the Yosef Club, which provides scholarship assistance to student-athletes. He has been inducted into the App State Athletics Hall of Fame, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame. During the 50th anniversary celebration of women’s sports at App State, he was honored as one of seven trailblazers. His wife, Elaine, earned a master’s degree in educational administration from App State and taught physical education and general science. She was the first woman elected to the Watauga County Board of Education and served as its first female chairperson. For many years, Jim and Elaine regularly volunteered at Watauga Medical Center, in the pharmacy and outpatient surgery units, respectively. In addition to their other donations, the Joneses contribute to the Jim Jones Scholarship Endowment for App State tennis players and the James F. Jones Endowment Fund. They are also members of the 1899 Legacy Society.

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A.C. Larrimore ’54 ’77, right, and Bonnie Larrimore ’54. Photo submitted

A.C. and Bonnie Larrimore

50 years of giving

A.C. and his wife, Bonnie, met at App State and were married for 64 years. According to A.C., when they were students, they said good night each evening in front of East Hall, a location that became especially meaningful to him after Bonnie passed away in 2016. They both retired from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools — he was the assistant superintendent and she was an elementary education teacher. A.C. was inducted into the Rhododendron Society in 2005 and received the Alumni Association’s Outstanding Service Award in 1990. He is also a former App State Alumni Council president and an emeritus member of the Reich College of Education Advancement Board. The Larrimores became members of the Yosef Club at its inception, and, most notably, they established the A.C. and Bonnie Larrimore Endowed Scholarship for Education.

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Yearbook photos of Nanci Tolbert Nance ’73, left, and Larry Nance ’62 ’63. Photos courtesy of Appalachian State University Archives and Records

Larry and Nanci Tolbert Nance

50 years of giving

The Nances met when the university was still Appalachian State Teachers College and their only son, Geoffrey, was born in Watauga County Hospital — now known as Watson-Brumit Hall — on the university’s campus. Both Larry and Nanci have multiple degrees from the university — his in physical education, history and college administration and hers in English, history and secondary education. Larry served as the university’s director of human resources for more than 30 years and Nanci retired as chair of the English Department at Watauga High School. Nanci is a member of the University Libraries Advisory Board, supports the Library Student Employee Scholarship Fund and serves as the volunteer librarian in the university’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies. Larry, a former Mountaineer basketball and tennis player and member of the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame, is a longtime member of the Yosef Club. Together the Nances support An Appalachian Summer Festival, where they are members of the Founders Society.

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Fred Robinette ’66 ’67, left, and Priscilla “Prissy” Robinette ’68 at Prissy’s 25th App State class reunion. Photo courtesy of University Communications

Fred and Priscilla ‘Prissy’ Robinette

50 years of giving

Fred, a former Mountaineer football player who passed away in 2014, retired as App State’s associate vice chancellor of university advancement, and Prissy retired from her position as a third grade teacher at Hardin Park Elementary School in Boone. At App State, Fred helped found the Yosef Club, the Appalachian Fund, the Alumni Travel Program and local alumni chapters, and was an emeritus member of the Reich College of Education Advancement Board. He also created the Appalachian Student Ambassadors program, and the Robinettes have since established the Fred T. and Priscilla S. Robinette Scholarship for Appalachian State University Student Ambassadors. Prissy is a member of the university’s Black and Gold Society and a former member of the App State Parents Association Board of Directors.

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Supporting future generations of Mountaineers
Supporting future generations of Mountaineers

Since 2014, App State’s endowment has doubled under the leadership of Chancellor Sheri Everts and now stands at nearly $140 million, as of June 2021. These critical funds allow the university to provide generationally equitable benefits for future Mountaineers who seek an App State education, and help the university continue to fulfill its mission of increasing access to education for the citizens of North Carolina.

Learn more
Give to Appalachian State University
Give to Appalachian State University

No matter the size, every gift makes a difference

Each year, App State addresses critical needs across the university. These needs are as diverse as providing scholarships so that students can attend App State, to making sure our faculty and classrooms are empowered to graduate 21st-century professionals. Every gift to the university has the power to ensure the App State Experience for our students and make a difference.

Give now
Love you to Boone and back
Love you to Boone and back

The App State Alumni Association recently collected more than 500 stories of Mountaineers who found love through their connection to the university.

Learn more

About University Advancement

Appalachian State University’s Division of University Advancement supports and encourages the university’s mission by engaging alumni, friends and the greater community. University Advancement staff help connect these constituents with Appalachian through one-on-one contact and special programming, thereby securing the resources necessary to create the best possible learning environment for Appalachian students and to positively impact the community, region and state. The division incorporates the offices of Alumni Affairs, Development and the Appalachian State University Foundation Inc. Learn more at http://give.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

“Education changes lives, and these families exemplify that. The significance of their generosity cannot be overstated. Decade after decade, they have given generously of their time, advocacy and financial resources to help ensure a bright future for our students, university and community.”

App State Chancellor Sheri Everts

“I have gotten way more from Appalachian than I’ve ever given.”

A.C. Larrimore ’54 ’77

Supporting future generations of Mountaineers
Supporting future generations of Mountaineers

Since 2014, App State’s endowment has doubled under the leadership of Chancellor Sheri Everts and now stands at nearly $140 million, as of June 2021. These critical funds allow the university to provide generationally equitable benefits for future Mountaineers who seek an App State education, and help the university continue to fulfill its mission of increasing access to education for the citizens of North Carolina.

Learn more
Give to Appalachian State University
Give to Appalachian State University

No matter the size, every gift makes a difference

Each year, App State addresses critical needs across the university. These needs are as diverse as providing scholarships so that students can attend App State, to making sure our faculty and classrooms are empowered to graduate 21st-century professionals. Every gift to the university has the power to ensure the App State Experience for our students and make a difference.

Give now
Love you to Boone and back
Love you to Boone and back

The App State Alumni Association recently collected more than 500 stories of Mountaineers who found love through their connection to the university.

Learn more

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Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian State University Podcasts
  • Stories and press releases published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found in University Communications Records at the Special Collections Research Center.
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian

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Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian State University Podcasts
  • Stories and press releases published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found in University Communications Records at the Special Collections Research Center.
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian
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