NCSU Libraries Focus Online

Volume 25 number 2 - Winter 2005

Development Updates

By Jim Mulvey, Library Development

Greenlaws Establish Incubator

Ralph and Alice Greenlaw lost their beloved son, David Henry Greenlaw, in 1965. Following his death, many of David's and his family's friends and colleagues made contributions to the NCSU Libraries in his name. At the time, these contributions were used to purchase items for the collection. Thirty-eight years after David's passing, the Greenlaws have found another way to preserve their son's memory through an NCSU Libraries Incubator Endowment account. A bookplate incorporating David's photo is being designed, and materials purchased with income from the David H. Greenlaw Endowment will be marked with the bookplate. The Greenlaws designated that income from the incubator will support the Libraries' history collections in all formats, with a preference for European history.

David Greenlaw passed away at the age of twenty while a student at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, where he was studying physics. He suffered from a form of cancer that, although treatable today, was not curable in 1965. The Greenlaws remember David's interest in drama and theater, both on the technical and acting sides. Shortly before he died, he was involved with the one hundredth anniversary celebration of the Gettysburg Address, at which he helped with lighting arrangements for various events.

Ralph and Alice Greenlaw, both eighty-seven years old, now live in a retirement community in Raleigh. They moved to Raleigh in 1963 when Ralph Greenlaw accepted a position in the Department of History at North Carolina State University. Greenlaw retired in 1983 and is a professor emeritus of history. He specialized in French history, particularly the French Revolution. Today, he stays active by keeping up with his golf game, playing every week. The Greenlaws have a daughter and three grandchildren who reside on Long Island in New York.

An Incubator Endowment, which is a named, permanent account that supports the Libraries' collections, may be established with a minimum gift of $1,000. An incubator becomes a full library endowment when its principal reaches $15,000.

The NCSU Libraries is privileged to have a part in honoring the memory of David H. Greenlaw. For additional information about this or any other library endowments, please call Jim Mulvey at (919) 515-3339 or send an electronic-mail message to Jim Mulvey

Chilton Endowment Created

Just weeks before Professor Scott Chilton passed away unexpectedly last summer, he completed plans to create an endowment supporting the collections of the NCSU Libraries. The Scott and Mary-Dell Chilton Library Endowment will provide support of the NCSU Libraries' collections in all subjects and formats, a fitting testament to Chilton's dedication to scholarship.

William Scott Chilton, a professor in the Department of Botany at NC State, died suddenly in August while hiking on Mount Adams in Washington state. His and his wife's deep affection for the NCSU Libraries led them to become lifetime members of the Friends of the Library. Scott Chilton, who relished learning in a variety of fields, could be found most days among the bookstacks and computers of the D. H. Hill Library.

In addition to his philanthropic support of the Libraries, Chilton also created an endowment in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to support undergraduate research activities and personally supported numerous students both financially and academically during his twenty-one years at NC State. He was well known on campus for having developed and taught an extremely popular undergraduate course on medicinal plants, attracting students from various majors. Vice Provost and Director of Libraries Susan K. Nutter said of Chilton, "I will miss him and his daily presence at the Libraries. His contributions to the field of botany, the North Carolina State University community, and our University Library Committee are immeasurable. I've always been deeply moved and impressed by his dedication to the undergraduate community of this campus. The investments of time and financial support that he has made to these students will insure that Dr. Scott Chilton's legacy will not end."

Memorial contributions may be made to the Scott and Mary-Dell Chilton Library Endowment and sent to the Friends of the Library, Campus Box 7111, Raleigh, N.C. 27695. For information on this or other library endowments, please contact Jim Mulvey at (919) 515-3339 or send an e-mail to Jim Mulvey.