University of North Carolina Athletics
Professorship In Durham's Name To Honor Voice Of The Tar Heels
April 27, 2005 | General
April 27, 2005
By CHRISTINA REXRODE
UNC Arts and Sciences Foundation
CHAPEL HILL - When Carolina fans take a breather from celebrating their National Championship in men's basketball, they can honor the man who has brought them play-by-play announcements on the Tar Heels since 1971.
An anonymous fan's lead gift of $100,000 has challenged friends and admirers of the Voice of the Tar Heels to establish a Woody Durham Distinguished Professorship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The professorship will help the College of Arts and Sciences recruit, retain and support outstanding faculty in the communication studies department. Supporters hope to raise a total of at least $500,000 and qualify for state matching funds from the North Carolina Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund.
A lifelong North Carolinian and one of the most recognizable Tar Heels ever, Durham just completed his 35th season as radio announcer for Carolina football and men's basketball. In May, he will be inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Durham graduated from Carolina in 1963 with a degree in radio, television and motion pictures (RTVMP).
"I am deeply grateful that so many friends and Carolina fans have chosen to honor me in this way," Durham said. "My professors in RTVMP -- the forerunner of communication studies -- were certainly instrumental to my education as well as to my career."
Funding for faculty is a top priority for the college, where all Carolina students begin their studies and 72 percent of undergraduates receive their degrees. Communication studies, the college's third largest department, has more than 800 undergraduate majors.
"This professorship is a wonderful and exciting addition to our department," said Dr. Bill Balthrop, department chair. "Woody Durham has been the Voice of the Tar Heels for so many years, and has brought such pleasure to students, faculty, alumni and friends of the university. We are delighted to be able to honor him in this way. Equally important, this will be an enormous help as we work to hire and keep the best possible faculty at Carolina."
Gifts for the professorship count toward the university's Carolina First campaign goal of $1.8 billion. Carolina First is a comprehensive, multi-year private fund-raising effort to support Carolina's vision of becoming the nation's leading public university.
For more information about the Woody Durham Professorship, go to www.woodydurhamprof.unc.edu.
