The Greensboro Chapter of the North Carolina Central University Alumni Association, Inc. (formerly known as the North
Carolina College at Durham Alumni Association) was Chartered April 24, 1967. The Chapter began with twenty members.
Alumnus Hubert Robinson was elected the first President. Although, little information was chronicled, this summary shares
the dedication and commitment to serve by our membership. As we celebrate 40 continuous years of service, there have
been twelve elected presidents, each with supporting officers of Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Robert Chiles,
the eleventh president, holds the longest tenure in this position – ten years. Garlinda Fields and Margaret Artis, currently
Secretary and Treasurer respectively, have served for twelve consecutive years. Continuity of service, creativity,
competitive spirit and love for NCCU has been the motivating factors for the Greensboro Chapter emerging as one of the
leading chapters in the National Alumni Association. The zenith of the Chapter’s growth was (75) seventy-five in 1997.
As we honor our chartering members, it is also fitting that we pay homage to the twelve presidents and accompanying officers
listed below that have served with distinction for four decades.
_______________Twelve Past and Present Chapter Presidents__________
Hubert Robinson * Lamont Upperman Malcolm Haith
Phillip Cole Donald Murphy Betty Burnette *
Nathaniel Hall Mildred Powell Robert Chiles
Ivory Brandon Percel Brown Ainsley Owens**
___ ____________________________________________________
Deceased* Current President **
_______________________2007 – 2009 OFFICERS___________________
Ainsley Owens, President John Barbee, Vice President
Garlinda Fields, Secretary Margaret Artis, Treasurer
In the earlier years, Chapter meetings were held in homes, churches and business establishments. For the past ten years, our meetings have been held at the Vance H. Chavis Library on the Second Thursday of each month at 7 P.M. Our mode of communication has kept pace with time, going from written notices, to phone trees, to e-mails and a Web site. Our goals have consistently mirrored those of The National Association:
1) Increasing Alumni Membership,
2) Assisting Recruitment of Students,
3) Community Outreach, and
4) Scholarship Fundraising.
Chapter members have exhibited their leadership on various National Committees of the Association, such as establishing the “ Life Membership Program” and working on the “ALUMNI HOUSE COMMITTEE” in making it a reality. From a Regional prospective, Greensboro set the pace for revitalizing Region III with creating “ the Host Chapter, the Distinguished Golden Eagle Extraordinaire, and the Wings of Soaring Eagles Awards.” These regional awards were developed to increase attendance at annual conferences together with creating a fun competitive rivalry among chapters. This camaraderie has had a spill over affect throughout the National Association.
The Greensboro Chapter and individual members have been the recipients of numerous awards in the past twelve years. Some prestigious recognitions include: National Alumnus of the Year, National Chapter of the Year, Chancellor’s Merit Award, (6) Second Runner Up placements in the Mr./Ms. Alumni Awards, with the crowning of Mr. Alumni Award in 2005. On the Regional Level, Greensboro has been recognized for (8) Hosts Awards, (6) Chapter of the Year Awards and (4) Alumnus of the Year Awards. One of the Chapter’s most memorable occasions was to fund the complete furnishing of the Alumni House Board Room. The Chapter was recognized by the National Association with naming the room, “THE GREENSBORO BOARD ROOM”.
Today, 40 years later, the Officers and members of the Greensboro Chapter thank the Charter Members for their foresight and we pledge, as we stand on your shoulders, to soar to greater heights, sharing the theme of the 2007 Regional Conference, “NCCU CHANGING THE WORLD – ONE STUDENT AT A TIME”.
