N.C. State Professor Shares Good Fortune with
UNC Asheville Students

Dr. Don Locke

What started with game show good luck is now a regular commitment to students' futures at UNC Asheville. Don Locke, who is director of the Asheville Graduate Center at UNCA, was a big winner on TV's Wheel of Fortune in 1999. He and his wife, Marjorie, decided to share their luck by setting up a scholarship for track athletes. This December, the Lockes decided to establish a second scholarship. This one is for students pursuing a career in education and whose presence at UNCA will enhance campus diversity in some manner, whether it's through their race, geographic origin, age, or special abilities.

"Marjorie and I are strong believers in education, we are strong believers in what UNCA is doing, and we are strong believers that we should give back. We believe we ought to share what we have in the name of the values we hold," he said.

Locke is a well-known figure in the Asheville area and nationally in counseling. In addition to directing the Asheville Graduate Center, he is also director of N.C. State's doctoral program in Adult and Community College Education. He is the author or co-author of more than 60 publications, with a focus on multicultural issues. His book, "Increasing Multicultural Understanding," was a Sage Publications best seller. Locke is a member of the Mission Hospitals Ethics Panel, the boards of Asheville-Buncombe United Way, the North Carolina United Way, the Health Adventure and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Marjorie, who is retired, serves on the board of the YWCA of Asheville and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

When Locke talks about his career, he immediately gives credit to many who have helped him on his way. "I often tell people that I stand on the shoulders of a lot of folks who were available and supportive of my education. It's time to let someone else benefit from the kind of support both Marjorie and I had," Locke had.

The Lockes are among many families who have established scholarships through the UNC Asheville Foundation. This past year, the university awarded some $1.7 million to UNCA students. But with rising college costs, a trend which will affect UNC Asheville as certainly as any other college or university, the university has made a commitment to redouble its efforts to further the amounts and types of aid available, said UNCA Chancellor Jim Mullen.

"We're so grateful to Marjorie and Don for this very thoughtful action and what this makes possible," said Chancellor Mullen. "Through their generosity, they are helping present and future generations of talented students benefit fully from enrolling in this university. Access to higher education has been a revered concept in North Carolina for over 200 years. No state has a more distinguished history in public support of higher education than North Carolina, and we are beneficiaries of that legacy."

Media Contacts:

• Merianne Epstein, UNCA Public Information director, 828/251-6676 (office), 828/257-5501 (pager)
• Dr. Don Locke, 828/645-3778 (home), 828/251-6822 (office)