Asheville Native, Community Leader J. Ray Elingburg Gives Financial Boost to UNC Asheville's Kimmel Arena

Forty years ago when J. Ray Elingburg and four other student leaders presented a petition to the North Carolina legislature calling for Asheville-Biltmore College to become a four-year institution, he could hardly imagine the changes that were in store for the school. As the institution matured from a junior college to a four-year public liberal arts college, Ray matured from class president to respected community leader.

Last week Elingburg continued his lifelong support of the University by pledging a major gift to assist with the construction of UNC Asheville’s Kimmel Arena.

“Ray is one of our very best Bulldogs,” said UNC Asheville Chancellor Anne Ponder. “This is a superlative gift. I am so pleased that Ray has put his generosity and credibility behind his alma mater.”

Elingburg’s ties to the University run deep. As a student, he played on the men’s basketball team, served briefly as JV basketball coach, junior class president, and business manager for the student newspaper. Asheville-Biltmore College became a four-year institution in 1963; Elingburg was a member of the first senior class to graduate in 1966.

There are family ties to the University as well. Elingburg paved the way for brothers Earl and Carroll and sister Sheila to attend UNC Asheville. He met his wife Dolly at the University, and their daughter Julie graduated from UNC Asheville in 1989. His father-in-law, Col. Robert Straine worked at the University for 10 years as maintenance supervisor.

One of the campus projects that has most recently captured Elingburg’s attention is the Kimmel Arena, a multipurpose convocation center which will be used as a venue for the University’s intercollegiate basketball and volleyball teams, convocation ceremonies, and student health and recreational programs. The arena is a component of UNC Asheville’s North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness, the academic center for the University’s new Health and Wellness Promotion major. Elingburg’s generous gift boosts UNC Asheville’s effort to raise $5-$7 million in private support to build the Kimmel Arena. It is the second major gift in support of the project, which will be constructed without state funds.

Elingburg beams when he talks about his days at the school, all his family connections and the changes he’s seen at UNC Asheville. “I am proud of this institution and am confident it will continue to rise in national and perhaps international acclaim,” he said. “For years I’ve heard of people bleeding Carolina blue; well, I’ve always bled Bulldog blue!”

Media Contacts:

• Alex Comfort, UNC Asheville Associate Vice Chancellor for Development, 828/251-6807
• Jill Yarnall, UNC Asheville Public Information Assistant Director, 828/251-6526