;
View Photo Gallery » |
Distinguished Alumnus Awards
Catawba College Alumni Grady Shoe '49 of Mooresville and Larry Cloninger '74 of Salisbury will be recognized as recipients of Distinguished Alumnus Awards. These awards are made annually at homecoming by the College Alumnus Association to individuals who have served their community, distinguished themselves in their profession, and served the College community.
Shoe and Cloninger will be honored at noon Saturday, Nov. 4 during a barbecue luncheon slated in the Goodman Gymnasium of the Abernethy Physical Education Center.
Grady Shoe '49
Shoe, who enjoyed a long career in the automotive industry, recently stepped down as owner and operator of several Ford dealerships, including Mooresville Ford. Active in the Mooresville community, he served as the first chairman of Mooresville's ABC Store Board and for 30 years, from 1969 to 1999, he served as an elected commissioner for the Town of Mooresville. He is credited with being one of Mooresville's community leaders who successfully lobbied for business diversification during a time when textile industries in the Piedmont area were going out of business.
In 2004, Shoe was the recipient of the State of North Carolina's highest civilian honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. His other honors include Jaycees Boss of the Year, Kiwanian of the Year, Mooresville Outstanding Citizenship award, the Ford Motor Company's President' Award, and the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award, which Shoe was the only N.C. automotive dealer to receive. He serves on the board of directors for BB&T in Mooresville and is a member of the Carolinas Transportation Compact. He has served as past chair of the Lowrance Hospital and taught Sunday school at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Mooresville for more than 30 years.
Shoe has long supported the College's annual fund, various capital campaigns, the Shuford Stadium campaign and more. Recently, he made a $100,000 gift to Catawba to establish an endowed scholarship and to endow the institution's annual Orientation Program for new students.
Married to wife Frances, they are parents of four adult children.
Larry Cloninger '74
A native of Gaston County, Cloninger is president of Cloninger Ford-Toyota of Salisbury and serves on the Catawba College Board of Trustees. He has co-chaired the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce's capital campaign and is supportive of many community organizations including the Boy Scouts, the Salisbury-Rowan Symphony, Waterworks Visual Art Gallery, Salisbury Academy and the Cannon School of Salisbury.
He and wife Susan recently established the Cloninger First Family Scholarship fund at Catawba. The couple also made a substantial gift to furnish and maintain the College's guest house which was the 2004 Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Guild's Designer House. That house, which the Cloningers' gift helped furnish and maintain, is now named the Cloninger Guest House in their honor.
The Cloningers are parents of two children.
A Dedication to Dr. Frank "Dutch" Meyer
The Auxiliary Gymnasium of the Abernethy Physical Education Center will be dedicated to Dr. Frank "Dutch" Meyer during a 10:30 a.m. ceremony Saturday, Nov. 4 at that location.
Meyer, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska, his master's degree from the University of Colorado, and his doctorate from the University of West Virginia. He joined Catawba College in 1969 as a professor in the Physical Education Department. A member of that academic department until 2005, he served as its chair from 1969 until 1990. He initiated the institution's Athletic Training Program.
He served as Catawba's wrestling coach from 1970 through 1983, and led his team to 13 winning seasons. In 1983, he was tapped as the NAIA's Wrestling Coach of the Year for District 26, and served as the area representative for wrestling in NAIA Area VII between 1971 and 1974.
His honors and recognitions are numerous. He received the Herne Swink Award as Catawba's outstanding classroom teacher in 1982, the Phi Epsilon Award for campus leadership and outstanding character in 1988. In 1997, he was inducted into Catawba's Sports Hall of Fame. He was recognized by the N.C. Athletic Association as the recipient of its Distinguished Service Award.
Active in the community, he started the cardiac rehabilitation program with Rowan Regional Hospital using Catawba College's facilities.
He and wife Maggie, whom he married in 1955, are longtime members of John Calvin Presbyterian Church and parents of three children.
Recognition of Catawba's NFL Alumni
Catawba College Alumni who played in a regular season game of the National Football League will be recognized at 12:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 during a barbecue luncheon scheduled in the Goodman Gymnasium.
These alumni include Bucky "The Claw" Pope '64, Ed Koontz '68, Drew Buie '69, Ike Hill ‘70, and David Taylor '73.
Pope of Washington Crossing, Pa., played for both the Los Angeles Rams and the Green Bay Packers. Koontz of Pensacola, Fla., played for the Boston Patriots. Buie of Winston-Salem played for both the Oakland Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals. Hill of Oak Park, Ill., played for the Buffalo Bills, the Chicago Bears, and the Miami Dolphins. David Taylor of South Pasadena, Fla., played for the Baltimore Colts.
Past Whitener Medal Recipients to Be Honored
One hundred and eleven past Whitener Medal Recipients will be honored at a recognition ceremony slated at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3 in the Omwake Dearborn Chapel on campus.
These former recipients represent the man and the woman in each graduating class who combine in themselves, in the highest degree, the qualities of character, leadership and scholarship. The Whitener Medals are given in memory of the late Dr. Edgar Whitener of High Point who served as president of the Catawba College Board of Trustees from 1925-1944.
Activities for Everyone
Those attending Catawba College's Homecoming are sure to find something to interest them.
An Alumni Golf Tournament is slated for 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3 at McCanless Golf Club. An Alumni Lacrosse Game begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 at Frock Fields on campus. Catawba goes head to head against Presbyterian College beginning at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Shuford Stadium. Between 5 and 5:45 p.m. Saturday, a blue and white men's basketball game is slated in the Goodman Gymnasium.
A band, food and activities for the kids are part of the All Alumni Block Party scheduled Saturday between 5 and 8 p.m. at the Frock Fields complex.
For more details, contact the Catawba College Alumni Office at (704) 637-4394.
;
