Distinguished Service Award
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Sen. Robert B. Morgan '47
Senator Robert Morgan’s service is immense at East Carolina. He was president of the Alumni Association, the first president of the Society of Buccaneers (precursor to the Pirate Club), and served on the University's Board of Trustees from 1958-1973, of which he was chair from 1964-1973. Along with Dr. Leo W. Jenkins, Sen. Morgan received the University’s first honorary doctoral degree in 1983, was named an Outstanding Alumnus by the Alumni Association in 1955 and 1965, and received the University's prestigious Jarvis Medal in 2004.
He and wife Katie ’46, ’54 are life members of the Alumni Association, members of the Chancellor’s Society, the Old Austin Society, and the ECTC Club. Always a vocal advocate for East Carolina, Sen. Morgan was influential in the fight for the institution to receive university status. Along with Dr. Jenkins, Sen. Morgan also worked tirelessly for the creation of the Brody School of Medicine and the College of Nursing.
Sen. Morgan’s political life began in law school when he was encouraged by hometown Democratic Party leaders to run for Clerk of Court in Harnett County, a race he won. This led to terms in the North Carolina State Senate from 1955-1969, including president pro tempore in 1965. Sen. Morgan then served North Carolina as attorney general from 1969-1974, followed by six years in the U.S. Senate from 1975-1981. He was also director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation from 1985 to 1991.
Although retired, Sen. Morgan is a trial lawyer and remains active with his law firm. He is a military veteran, having served in the U.S. Navy, Navy Reserves, and Air Force Reserves. He was active duty during the Korean Conflict and retired from the military at the rank of lieutenant colonel.
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William K. "Kel" Normann '85
Service to East Carolina defines Kel Normann. As a member of the ECU Foundation Board of Directors, Normann serves as chair of the Investment Committee for the Foundation and University Endowment portfolios. He is also a member of the College of Business Advisory Council. Normann and his wife Parker support the University through generous gifts, funding the W. Kel Normann Business Scholarship, an annual scholarship that recognizes a full-time undergraduate business student who has demonstrated both outstanding academic achievement as well as financial need, and were among the first to support the East Carolina Scholars Program and Access Scholarship Program with annual gifts.
Normann is a member of the Order of the Cupola, the Chancellor’s Society, the Old Austin Society, and the Leo W. Jenkins Society. He is a life member of the Alumni Association and longtime supporter of the Pirate Club. Normann has also contributed to ECU’s College of Nursing, the College of Human Ecology, the Division of Student Life, and the ECU Foundation. In 2008, Normann was recognized by the ECU Foundation with an Advancement Award for his extraordinary contributions to the University.
His daughter Jordan is a current ECU student in the College of Human Ecology.
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Honorary Alumni Award
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Beatrice "Bea" A. Chauncey
A beloved East Carolina School of Music professor, Bea Chauncey has been an active member of the Pirate Nation for more than sixty years. Her career began at East Carolina Teachers College in 1949 as a flute instructor. During her decades of teaching dedication and mentoring students, Chauncey served on the Faculty Senate, on numerous School of Music committees, and was faculty representative to the Friends of the School of Music Board. She also taught sailing at East Carolina.
Chauncey has received awards for outstanding participation in professional organizations such as the North Carolina Music Educators Association, the honorary education society Kappa Delta Pi, and honorary music organizations Pi Kappa Lambda and Sigma Alpha Iota.
After retirement in 1990, Chauncey helped establish and run the ECU Retired Faculty Association. She served as president for multiple terms and was a catalyst in getting other University retirees involved with the group. Chauncey is still active with this group.
Chauncey gives generously to East Carolina, having established the Beatrice A. Chauncey Endowed Music Scholars Program, the largest comprehensive endowment ever given by a faculty member of the University. She also contributes to an annual ECU music scholarship and two fellowships given through the Retired Faculty Association. Chauncey is a member of the Order of the Cupola, the Leo W. Jenkins Society, and the Chancellor’s Society.
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V. Parker Overton
A Greenville, North Carolina businessman, Parker Overton is a strong advocate of the community and East Carolina University. Best known as founder and former CEO of Overton’s Boating Accessories & Watersports Store, the “World’s Largest Watersports Dealer,” Overton remains active as a business developer.
Since 2007, Overton has served on the University’s Department of Chemistry’s Advisory Board. In this role, he suggests strategies to allow the department to find the best course of action through recent difficult economic and budgeting situations. Overton’s efforts, along with those of Metrics, Inc. founder and CEO Phil Hodges ’79, ’84, secured almost $100,000 in funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation for new instrumentation to equip the Department of Chemistry undergraduate teaching laboratories.
In addition to advancing the Department of Chemistry, Overton has supported numerous University scholarships, is a member of the Order of the Cupola and Pirate Club, and was influential in helping East Carolina secure funding for the new School of Dental Medicine. Overton received a Department of Chemistry Honorary Alumni Award in fall 2010.
Overton’s volunteer service extends beyond ECU. He is a member of the Pitt County Memorial Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees, chairman of the Pitt County Memorial Hospital Finance Committee, and serves on the Investment Committee for the Randall Terry Foundation at N.C. State University. Overton is a founding member of Select Bank and Trust Company, where he serves as chairman of the Board, and is former president of the N.C. State Veterinary Foundation. In 2010, N.C. State awarded Overton with an honorary degree.
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Outstanding Alumni Award
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Ralph A. Finch Jr. '67
A business leader, Ralph A. Finch Jr. has kept East Carolina close to his heart. A member of the first graduating class after East Carolina College received university status, Finch is an influential mentor and philanthropist, always willing to serve his alma mater. As president of Virginia Land Company, Finch has been successful in developing retail sites in Virginia and North Carolina for Ashley Furniture Stores, Family Dollar Stores, and Tractor Supply Company, among others. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Finch also spent time in his career as a real estate agent, focusing on second home and vacation properties. He developed corporate sites for Heilig-Meyers Furniture and Family Dollar Stores across the United States.
Finch may be best known in the Pirate Nation as author of the University’s first mascot book The Adventure of Pee Dee the Pirate, with all proceeds given back to ECU as scholarships. Prior to the book’s launch, Finch gave ECU marketing students real-world experience through research, planning, and idea sharing for the book’s marketing plan. Finch stays involved with the College of Business as a visiting lecturer, student mentor, and supports College of Business Etiquette Dinners. Finch is a member of the Chancellor’s Society, the Old Austin Society, the Alumni Association, and Pirate Club.
In Midlothian, Virginia, Finch is still actively working and serves as a deacon at Bon Air Baptist Church. He loves spending time with his grandchildren and restoring his 1930 Model A Ford.
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Marsha Moore Lewis '76, '85
A lifelong teacher, Marsha Moore Lewis is dedicated to the education of today’s youth through encouragement, nurturing, and personal growth. Lewis is a beloved 2nd grade teacher at Kenansville Elementary School in Kenansville, North Carolina, where her “Reading Maniacs” days are a favorite among students, fellow teachers, and parents. Students learn to enjoy the adventure of reading by sharing story time with family members, local politicians, retired community members, sports figures, and even favorite stuffed animals. Lewis has given a number of professional presentations to various academic boards and councils, including the International Leadership Conference and the Southeastern Regional Reading Conference.
Since 1988, Lewis has held a number of leadership roles. Most notably, she is a member of the International Reading Association Board of Directors, where she serves as an ambassador and has traveled to Japan, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Australia, and across the United States. She is legislative chair of the North Carolina Reading Association, member of the North Carolina Literacy Advisory Board, and member of the Sampson County History Museum Board. Lewis also served the North Carolina Social Studies Commission, served with fellow literacy specialists to give suggestions to Congress and the president on developing literacy ideas for potential policy changes, was a member of the State Department’s K-2 Literacy Assessment Revision Review Team, and was state coordinator of the North Carolina Reading Association.
Lewis has been honored as Business and Professional Women’s Career Woman of the Year for North Carolina, Career Woman of the Year for Duplin/Wayne Counties Business and Professional Women, twice selected as Kenansville Elementary Teacher of the Year, and was nominated for the National Teachers Hall of Fame.
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Emilie Tilley '60
Emilie Tilley is a widely recognized pioneer among women in educational administration. Her career started in elementary education, but soon took her into high school health and physical education. Tilley is an award-winning coach for field hockey, track and field, and gymnastics, and was the first female coach to serve on the Virginia High School League Executive Committee. After many years in the classroom and earning a master’s degree in education from the University of Virginia, Tilley became one of the first female administrators in the Virginia Beach School System. In 1985, she was appointed the second female principal in the school system’s history. Upon her retirement, Tilley was assistant superintendent for the Virginia Beach School System.
Tilley has been recognized for her arduous work and dedication in helping girls and women gain equity in high school sports in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She was honored with a VHSL Regional Award of Merit and the Claudia Lane Dodson Equity Award, and is a member of the VHSL Hall of Fame. In 1972, she was the first female Coach of the Year named by the Virginia Beach Sports Club and in 1987 named the first female Sportsman of the Year by the same organization.
At East Carolina, Tilley is a member of “100 Incredible Women,” a College of Health and Human Performance Centennial Leader, and member of HHP’s Dean’s Advancement Council. She is a member of the Chancellor’s Society, the Old Austin Society, and the Alumni Association. Tilley annually funds three scholarships in the College of Health and Human Performance and often speaks to classes about the significance of the profession, the importance of being a role model, and why giving back to ECU is important.
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Steven H. Wright '78
An executive partner at Holland & Knight, an international law firm, Steven H. Wright oversees management of the firm’s Boston, Massachusetts, office—a 120-lawyer firm. In his practice, he serves as lead counsel and strategic advisor for several Fortune 500 companies, where he represents senior, in-house counsel and corporate executives in complex commercial, corporate, intellectual property, litigation, and regulatory matters. He also chairs the Boston office’s New England Executive Steering Committee and Compensation Committee. He is a member of Holland & Knight’s Directors Committee. Wright served the mayor of New York City as deputy counsel, where he resolved legal and policy issues for the mayor and his Executive Cabinet, and was general counsel to New York City’s Public Advocate. Wright’s court admissions include the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the U.S. District Court for New Jersey, and the Court of Appeals of New York State.
Wright is a director for the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and serves as co-chair of its Commerce Transportation Committee. He is a member of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association and the Corporate Law Forum, and member of the Commercial Litigation Section of the National Bar Association. He is a former trustee and executive board member of the Boston Bar Foundation and past president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association. He is currently a director for the Savings Bank Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts and a member of it’s Executive and Investment Committees.
At East Carolina, Wright is co-chair of the University’s National Leadership Advisory Council, chairman of the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center Advisory Council, and a former member of the Board of Visitors. He is also a member of the Chancellor’s Society. Wright is the son of Ledonia Wright, who was an associate professor of community health at East Carolina and a public health professional, and for whom the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center was named.
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