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Joseph "Joe" R. Gorman and wife Sharon of Greensboro, Ga., have established a scholarship at Catawba College and students from Georgia will be given preference for it.
Joe stated, "Sharon and I love Catawba College because it played such a pivotal role in our lives. Catawba is where we met and fell in love. I met Sharon at the freshman orientation dance on her first night at Catawba. Rick Toms, a fellow football teammate and great friend, and I decided to check out the girls at the freshman orientation dance. I immediately spotted Sharon and told Rick that I had found the girl I wanted to marry and one year later we were married."
Sharon explained, "We loved the Catawba College experience with the beautiful campus, the great education and the wonderful people. We look for reasons to go back to campus because of the great memories and to continue to stay in touch with the Catawba community."
Joe added, "Recently, Johnny '77 and Nancy (Cheeks) '76 Wagoner moved to our community at Lake Oconee. Johnny and Nancy both were classmates and Johnny was also a teammate of mine on the football team. We have had a great time reminiscing, laughing and sharing stories. Catawba friends are the best."
Joe earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from the college in 1974 where he was a student athlete. He played football for four years, was a member of the track team for three, and was active in the Student Government Association serving as the treasurer his senior year, the Accounting Club and selected to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. A CPA, he earned his MBA from Georgia College and State University, and is also a graduate of the Executive Education Program at the University of Virginia's Darden School.
In 2008, Joe retired as president and chief executive officer after serving almost 30 years in various capacities of increasing responsibility with SP Newsprint Company of Atlanta, one of the largest producers of newsprint in North America. Since his retirement, he has dedicated himself to serving as chairman of the board of the St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospitalin Greensboro, Ga. That hospital had a groundbreaking for a new $40 million facility in August 2012 and is expected to be completed in spring 2014.
After Sharon completed her freshman year at Catawba, she completed her education at Georgia College and State University earning a Bachelor of Science degree and then a Masters of Education degree. Sharon taught fourth graders for 10 years where she was honored by her school by being selected "Teacher of the Year." When she left teaching, she was elected to the Board of Education where she served for seven years.
Joe serves on the Catawba College Board of Visitors. He and his wife, the former Sharon Cochran '77, met while both were students at Catawba and have given back in support of their alma mater through the years, targeting the Catawba Fund and the Shuford Stadium project. Joe was honored with Catawba's Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005.
The Gormans are members of the Catholic Church in Greensboro, Ga., and are parents of three adult children, Bill, Russell and Julie.
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