Distinguished Alumna and Alumnus Award
About the award
When presented: Annually on University Day (October 12)
How many: Traditionally, a maximum of five awards was authorized by the enabling faculty legislation.
Process: Award recipients are nominated by the Honorary Degrees and Special Awards Committee, recommended by the Faculty Council and approved by the Board of Trustees.
The awards committee welcomes detailed letters of nomination highlighting a candidate’s accomplishments and requests the inclusion of a CV or similar document be included with the nomination. It is important to the committee to have a broad and diverse pool of extraordinary candidates, including individuals from underrepresented groups, from which to make its selections.
Establishing document: Distinguished Alumna/Alumnus Award Regulation. This award is also governed by the Trustees’ Regulation on Honorary Degrees.
Criteria: Nominee has made an outstanding contribution to humanity in any walk of life.
Eligibility: Nominees must be alumni of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This is defined as including all persons who were registered for at least one full academic year as a student in residence in any college or school of the University. In general, anyone listed in the General Alumni Association’s Alumni Directory is eligible except members of the University faculty, staff and administration. They become eligible two years after separation from the University. Awards are not conferred in absentia or posthumously.
Submit a nomination
Please note that nominations remain active for three years. If you have nominated anyone within the previous two years, renomination is not required; however, additional or updated materials may be submitted.
Please visit the “Submit Nominations” page at the left for instructions on how to submit your nomination. The nomination period for 2025 Distinguished Alumna and Alumnus Awards closed on October 29, 2024.
Past recipients, 1971-present
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Brian Golson (B.A. 1992) Sharon Lawrence (B.A. 1983) Sallie Shuping-Russell (B.A. 1977) Gary White (M.S. 1994) |
| 2023 | James W. Clark., Jr. (B.A. 1965) Thomas F. Darden (B.A. 1976, M.R.P. 1992) Amy L. Greeson (B.S.Pharm. 1990) Jennifer Han (B.A. 2002) Adolph L. Reed, Jr. (B.A. 1971) |
| 2022 | Nicole K. Bates (M.P.H. 2000, Dr.P.H. 2008) Jerry Blackwell (B.A. 1984, J.D. 1987) F. DuBois Bowman (Ph.D. 2000) Karen L. Parker (A.B. 1965) Charles H. Robbins (B.S. 1987) |
| 2021 | Michele G. Buck (M.B.A. 1987) Vincent L. Carter (B.A. 1999) Estelle Louise Fletcher (B.A. 1957) Rodney E. Hood (B.A. 1989) Eugene Y. Lao (B.A. 1991) Norman E. Sharpless (B.S. 1988, M.D. 1993) John D. Swofford (B.A. 1971) Julian D. Wiles Jr (M.F.A. 1976) |
| 2020 | Anu Anand (B.A. 1995) Francis Collins (M.D. 1977) Mary K. Estes (Ph.D. 1972) Daniel Patterson (M.A. 1955, Ph.D. 1959) Joel R. "Peter" Skillern (M.C.R.P. 1991) Marla Smith-Nilson (M.S. 1994) |
| 2019 | James E. Delany (B.A. 1970, J.D. 1973) Nikole S. Hannah-Jones (M.A. 2003) Jill C. McCorkle (B.A. 1980) Robert D. Newman (Ph.D. 1983) |
| 2018 | Donald A. Baer (B.A. 1976) Robert L. Bryant (Ph.D. 1979) Vaughn D. Bryson (B.S. 1960) Peter Blair Henry (B.A. 1991) Tift Merritt (2000) |
| 2017 | Amy Lansky (M.P.H. 1991, Ph.D. 1996) Berrien Moore III (B.S. 1963) Judith Phillips Stanton (Ph.D. 1978) Richard Y. Stevens (B.A. 1970, J.D. 1974, M.P.A. 1978) Mike Wiley (M.F.A. 2004) |
| 2016 | Karen Bruton (B.A. 1971) Florence Fearrington (B.A. 1958) Rosalind Fuse-Hall (B.S. 1980) Sanford "Sandy" Shugart (B.S. 1978, M.A.T. 1983, Ph.D. 1990) Paula Brown Stafford (B.S. 1986, M.P.H. 1992) |
| 2015 | Jacqueline Charles (B.A. 1994) Mona Carol Frederick (B.A. 1976) Betty Debnam Hunt (B.A. 1952) Sarah Elizabeth Parker (B.A, 1964, J.D. 1969) |
| 2014 | Patricia Dallas Horoho (B.S. 1982) James B. Hunt, Jr. (J.D. 1964, LL.D. 1978) Andrew “Sandy” McNally IV (B.A. 1963) James R. Patton, Jr. (B.A., 1948) Wade Marvin Smith (B.A., 1960; J.D. 1963) |
| 2013 | Stuart Bondurant (B.S. 1950; M.D. 1953) William Ewart Easterling, III (B.A. 1976; M.A. 1980; Ph.D. 1984) Karol Virginia Mason (B.A. 1979; J.D. 1982) Todd Lincoln Miller (B.A. 1978; M.R.P. 1980) Gary Wilton Parr (B.S.B.A 1979) |
| 2012 | Gregory Stanley Allgood (B.S. 1981; M.S.P.H. 1983) Mary Marshall Clark (B.A. 1975) Deborah Parham Hopson (M.S.P.H. 1979; Ph.D. 1990) Jonathan T. Reckford (B.S. 1984) |
| 2011 | Alan Bergman (B.A. 1948) Frederick Otto Mueller (A.B. Educ., 1961; M. Educ., 1964; Ph.D., 1970) Linda Ellen Oxendine (A.B. 1967) Thomas Hart Sayre (A.B. 1973) Denise Jean Jamieson (M.P.H. 1991) |
| 2010 | James Larry Jameson III (B.S. 1976, M.D. 1981, Ph.D. 1981) Harry Louis Jones Sr. (A.B. 1972, M.P.A. 1980) Harry Corpening Martin (A.B. 1942) Alane Salierno Mason (A.B. 1986) Charles Milton Shaffer Jr. (A.B. 1964, J.D. 1967) |
| 2009 | Janie McLawhorn Fouke (M.S. 1980, Ph.D. 1982) Santiago Gangotena (Ph.D. 1977) Mariel Margaret (Mia) Hamm (A.B. 1994) Walter Edward Hussman Jr. (A.B. Jour. 1968) William Frederick Little (M.A. 1952; Ph.D. 1954) |
| 2008 | William Joseph Bynum, Jr. (A.B., 1982) Leah McCall Devlin (B.S., 1976; D.D.S., 1979; M.P.H., 1984) Molly Wilmer Barker (A.B., 1982; M.S.W., 1989) Walter Lowry Caudill (B.S. Chem. 1979) Debra Wehrle Stewart (Ph.D., 1975) |
| 2007 | Clyde Ritchie Bell (A.B., 1943; M.A., 1949) Donald Benjamin Cameron (A.B., 1975) Alan Stewart Murray (A.B., 1977) Anne Ponder (A.B. Educ. 1971; M.A., 1973; Ph.D., 1979) Charles Thomas Scott (Class of 1970) |
| 2006 | Valerie Alayne Batts and Angela Rebecca Bryant (joint award) William Burwell Harrison, Jr. Weiming Lu Charles Barnet Nemeroff George Edwin Stuart III |
| 2005 | Ana Lucia Almeida Gazzola Thomas Forrest Kelly James Arthur Merchant Roy Hampton Park, Jr. |
| 2004 | Elson Sylvester Floyd Charles Melvin Hudson, Jr. William Carter Jenkins John Frederick Shultz Marilyn Frances Schau |
| 2003 | Mary Sue Wilson Coleman Katherine Ann High Shirley Friedlander Weiss |
| 2002 | Philip Leroy Clay Benjamin Franklin Long IV |
| 2001 | James Alan Duke Hugh Leon McColl, Jr. Anthony Eden Rand P. Kay Wagoner |
| 2000 | Russell Banks Nancy Stookesberry Cole Walter Estes Dellinger III Patricia Stanford Love Willis Padgett Whichard |
| 1999 | Jerry Dean Campbell Joel Lawrence Fleishman Howard Nathaniel Lee Margaret Elizabeth Senter Edward Harris Wagner |
| 1998 | George Alexander Heard Bertha Merrill Holt William Harris Hooks Banks Dayton Kerr John Lassiter Sanders Bailey Daniel Webb |
| 1997 | William Clyde Friday Mary Elizabeth Junck Hugh MacRae Morton William Stevens Powell George Cashel Stoney |
| 1996 | Carol Ann Kemp Aschenbrener Herman Blumenthal William Alexander Darity Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti John Paul Nickell |
| 1995 | Harlan Edward Boyles Dorothy Sattes Ridings Roberts Edgar Timberlake |
| 1994 | Ida Howell Friday Martha Nell Hardy Arthur Stanley Link Mary Pope Osborne Melvin Luther Watt |
| 1993 | Mary Elizabeth Burkett Mary Lindsay Elmendorf William Happer Joseph Quincy Mitchell James Dickson Phillips Jr. James Worrell Pruett Terry Sanford Louis Cornelius Stephens Jr. |
| 1992 | Marie Watters Colton James G. Exum Jr. Frank Russell Reynolds Eugene Leslie Roberts Jr. Donald Keith Sultan |
| 1991 | Beatrice Cummings Mayer Gaillard Fitzsimons Ravanel II Kenneth C. Royall Jr. Vermont Royster |
| 1990 | Stephen C. Cowper Charles Luke Powell Eleanor Bernert Sheldon |
| 1989 | Franklin Taylor Branch Anne Coffin Hanson Alexander Julian II Warren Winkelstein Jr. Jonathan Yardley |
| 1988 | Edward G. Bilpuch Gail Godwin Richard Knight Jr. Thomas W. Lambeth Roger Mudd |
| 1987 | Eli N. Evans O. B. Hardison Jr. George M. Harper Judith A. Hines Roy Parker Jr. |
| 1986 | Henry Ell Frye Jeffrey Kenneth MacNelly John A. Montgomery Rolfe Neill Banks C. Talley Jr. |
| 1985 | Jane Triplett Carswell Richard Hampton Jenrette Bryce Jordan Lindsay C. Warren Jr. |
| 1984 | John Marsden Ehle Jr. Kathrine Robinson Everett Sarah Taylor Morrow James Wesley Silver |
| 1983 | Julius LeVonne Chambers Herman Howe Fussler Jane Smith Patterson William Edgar Thornton |
| 1982 | Kay Knight Clarke George Grizzard Mary Elizabeth Mebane David Stick |
| 1981 | Richard Adler Charles Knox Massey Adeline Denham McCall Henry William Scott Jr. Colin Stokes |
| 1980 | Paul Alexander Johnson Julia Cherry Spruill Guy Owen C. Vann Woodward Edwin M. Yoder Jr |
| 1979 | Victor Silas Bryant Jacob Berke Freedland May Belle Penn Jones Frank Hawkins Kenan Joseph M. (Spike) Saunders |
| 1978 | William McWhorter Cochrane Andrew Samuel (Andy) Griffith Eugene Pleasants Odum Howard Thomas Odum David Coston Sabiston Jr. |
| 1977 | Nathaniel Perkinson Hayes Phillip Hettleman Susie Marshall Sharp William Davis Snider Shepperd Strudwick |
| 1976 | William Haywood Bobbitt Clement Eaton Walter Gordy Louis Harris Charles Raper Jonas |
| 1975 | Shelby Dade Foote Gordon Gray Frank Borden Hanes Guion Griffis Johnson Guy Benton Johnson |
| 1974 | Archibald Kimbrough Davis Holt McPherson Thomas B. Stroup Katharine Way Tom Wicker |
| 1973 | Page Ackerman Samuel J. Ervin, Jr. Paul Green James Kerne (Kay) Kyser Hugh Thomas Swedenberg, Jr. |
| 1972 | William T. Couch Emmanuel J. Evans Charles B. Kuralt James C. Wallace Capus M. Waynick |
| 1971 | Luther H. Hodges Robert Mayer Lumiansky Grover E. Murray Frances Grey Patton Oliver L. Sause |
