Former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot and his wife Judy have pledged $1 million to UNC Chapel Hill's School of Government to honor of his friend and former law partner, Bob Bradshaw Jr.The university announced the gift this afternoon. It's the largest gift ever to the School of Government.
"Judy and Richard Vinroot have shown extraordinary generosity and thoughtfulness in creating this new professorship and fellowship," Mike Smith, the school's dean said in a statement.
Bradshaw, now retired, was a GOP leader in Mecklenburg County who went on to become chairman of the state party. Vinroot, one of his proteges, served two terms as mayor and ran for governor.
Of the money, $666,000 will be matched by a state fund to create the $1 million Robert W. Bradshaw Jr. Distinguished Professorship. Another $334,000 will establish the Robert W. Bradshaw Jr. Public Administration Fellowship.
"Bob Bradshaw spent many years encouraging good people to enter public service, and then mentoring them once they did so," Vinroot said in a statement. "Wonderful examples of this are former Gov. Jim Martin and 9th District Congressman Alex McMillan, both of whom are among Bob's protégés.
"I'm most grateful for what Bob did for me personally, but more so for what he's done for everyone in North Carolina throughout his professional life. Accordingly, Judy and I can think of no better way to honor Bob than at the School of Government, where public service is the essence of their mission."
25 comments:
Very surprising that with all of the big names that have come through UNC that Vinroot's gift would be the largest. I would have thought Jordan would have given a larger gift than that.
Curious that Vinroot gave this gift to UNC Chapel Hill and not UNC Charlotte.
Why would he (being an alum of UNC)ever think of giving to a commuter college?
Even more curious is the lack of editing in the headline, unless "it is largest" was the intended statement.
UNC Charlotte does not have a School of Government. The School of Government at Chapel Hill continues to educate the public servants of NC's local governments. A great gift indeed.
Right, because John Edwards is a class act from North Carolina. Is he still employed by that flaming left university?
So another lawyer (bloodsucker) tries to make amends with his conscience through a donation. Gotta love those old school UNC-CH money grubbers.
the only commuter college I know is CPCC.
Dick is a top notch kid of guy. Honest, caring, loves his family, and is true to his wife. It's no wonder the Republican party has treated him like crap all these years. He's nowheres near sleazy enough for that crowd.
Very Generous...thanks from all the Tar Heel fans!!!
Richard had a choice of this scholarship or paying Sean May's food bill.
1:12PM - - - it said the largest ever to the School of Government, not to UNC.
Hmm, well he is an alum there so I understand. It's just annoying to see money being sent to Chapel Hill when it already gets such a great portion of state allocation of education funds.
I would like to see things like this in Charlotte, but all in good time. Charlotte is a very new school and is growing rapidly. Whoever said that Charlotte is a commuter school is a complete fool. On campus living is increasing, the school is about to pass Chapel Hill in attendance (becoming 3rd largest in the state), and was recently ranked in the top 10 list of up and coming universities by US News and World Report. Go Niners!
I'll beat it. Ask them chumps if they want it by cash or check.
>Even more curious is the lack of editing in the headline, unless "it is largest" was the intended statement.
The headline is correct. As the possessive form, "its" is the proper spelling. Where did YOU go to school...UNC?
Kick Vinroot out of Charlotte if he chooses to support an out of town school.
Wow, someone makes a charitable contribution and then comes under fire. Nice...do some of you people lurk here just to stir up trouble?
The man attended school there, is it so hard to understand why he chose UNC?
Nice tribute to Bob Bradshaw as well..
"Nice...do some of you people lurk here just to stir up trouble?"
The answer to that would be a resounding YES. There are those on this site who would rather sit on their duffs and belittle those who would choose to serve the public than get off their ass and do something to better this community.
That's chump change compared to Duke University. UNC-CH. Still a second tier citizen.
Hub - It's late on a Friday, but I think the Observer has proven my point with its decision to retitle the headline.
Have a nice weekend.
Spoke
People- UNC Chapel Hill is just another college. Only people living in NC give UNC Chapel more credit then they deserve. Go to the West Coast and see how much attention UNC Chapel gets.
4:23:
I lived in California, both San Francisco and Los Angeles, for 12 years. Carolina gets plenty of positive attention in California. There are over 3000 Carolina alums in the Bay Area alone. Carolina has had more Rhodes scholars than any other public university except UC Berkeley. Along with Berkeley, Carolina is consistently ranked in the top 5 public research universities by USNWR.
You strike me as a resentful sort of individual whose basic lack of knowledge is glaringly obvious. I suspect you didn't graduate from any college, let alone a good one.
Thanks to Richard Vinroot for his generous gift to our alma mater.
Congrats to Mr Vinroot on his gift to the UNC system. Clearly the observer is not so stupid to refer to UNC CH as UNC?...Right?
A very fine gift and tribute to a first class gentleman.Well done Richard and Judy!
from a grateful Life Member #2358!
J. Edward Crutchfield , Jr
Thank you, Richard and Judy, you and your family have given so much of yourselves over the decades to civility in local and state government. UNC-Chapel Hill will use your gift most wisely. Sarah and David Williams, Elon, NC
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