Catawba College Alumnus Kevin Carlton '85 and wife Wendy of Salisbury have established a scholarship fund at the College in honor of Kevin's parents, Dr. C. Robert and Elizabeth Carlton, both of whom are retired Catawba faculty members. The scholarship will be awarded to students who demonstrate financial need and are pursuing education majors in the fields of mathematics, computer science or music.
"We thank Kevin and Wendy for choosing to establish a scholarship as a way to honor Bob and Libby Carlton for all they both have meant to the life of Catawba," said Catawba Senior Vice President Tom Childress. "Not only will it benefit future generations of deserving students, but it is a very tangible way to memorialize his parents and their respective roles at the institution."
Dr. Robert Carlton joined the faculty of Catawba College in 1981 as chairman of the mathematics department and professor of mathematics. He came to Catawba from Georgetown College, Georgetown, Ky., where he served in a similar capacity. A graduate of Georgetown College, Dr. Carlton received his master's degree from Northwestern University and his doctorate from George Peabody College, now part of Vanderbilt University.
Elizabeth "Libby" Carlton joined the faculty of Catawba College in 1983 as assistant professor of music. In that capacity, she not only taught music classes to undergraduates, but also founded and developed the College's Community Music Program. She earned two undergraduate degrees from Georgetown College and also a master's degree from that institution. A certified Orff teacher and a nationally recognized clinician, she is also the author of many articles and the co-author of nine books concerning the role of music and movement in elementary education. She has served as music consultant for High/Scope Educational Research Foundation and is a consulting editor for the Children's Music Series, Lifeway Church Music Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. For over 22 years, she has served as organist at First Baptist Church, Salisbury.
"My parents spent a good deal of their professional lives at Catawba College," explained Kevin Carlton. "A scholarship fund established in their honor is one way to assure that they will be long remembered at the institution."
Kevin is employed as a systems manager with Wachovia Corporation in Charlotte. He also spends time as a general contractor building custom homes, operating a property management company and working within his church organizing various sports leagues. His wife, Wendy, is employed with the Rowan-Salisbury School System as a teacher assistant and with Century 21 as a broker/realtor. The couple has three sons, Wesley, Bradley and Hunter.
Endowed scholarships at Catawba College are established with gifts of $10,000 or more.
