By Steve Gilliam , University Relations
Hugh M. Morton and Carol Jenkins Mattocks will receive UNCG ’s top awards for service on Thursday, April 27.
Morton will receive the Charles Duncan McIver Award and Mattocks will receive the Adelaide F. Holderness / H. Michael Weaver Award. The awards will be presented at 6 p.m. in the Elliott University Center Auditorium. The presentations will be followed by a reception in honor of the university’s support groups – the Founders, McIver, Chancellor’s and Associates societies – to be held in Cone Ballroom. The awards are authorized for presentation by UNCG’s Board of Trustees.
“This year’s recipients have helped change the state of North Carolina for the better and they have been inspirations to all who know them and have worked with them,” said UNCG Chancellor Patricia A. Sullivan. “The McIver Award and the Holderness/Weaver Award are the highest honors presented by the university, and this year we celebrate the accomplishments of two outstanding leaders.”
Mattocks, who lives in New Bern, is known statewide for her work with children and families. She is a passionate advocate for finding solutions to problems that may lead young people to delinquency and unhealthy lifestyles. In the early 1980s, she started the guardian ad litem program in Pamlico, Craven, Pitt and Carteret counties. For 12 years, she was administrator of the program, which has since split into two regional programs. In addition to her guardian ad litem work, Mattocks has served on numerous committees and boards that have had an impact on the health and well-being of children. Included among them are the Juvenile Justice Planning Committee of the Governor’s Crime Commission and the Craven County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council. She is a 1962 graduate of Woman’s College (now UNCG).
Morton, who lives in Linville, is an ambassador for North Carolina who is recognized both for his photography and his work as a conservationist and preservationist. Morton was a driving force behind bringing the battleship U.S.S. North Carolina to Wilmington and restoring it for public exhibition. He also chaired the committee to save the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. He is the owner and developer of Grandfather Mountain, an attraction that draws about 250,000 visitors a year. He received a North Carolina Award for Public Service in 1983, an Outstanding Conservationist Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1997, and the 1997 North Carolinian of the Year Award from the N.C. Press Association. In 2003, UNC Press published his photography collection, “Hugh Morton’s North Carolina,” which spans 50 years of state history.
The McIver Medal recognizes individuals who have rendered distinguished public service to the state or nation. The bronze medal bears the likeness of Charles Duncan McIver, the founding president of the institution that is now UNCG. Only one medal can be awarded in any year.
The Holderness/Weaver Award, a crystal bowl, recognizes North Carolinians who have rendered distinguished public service to the community or state. It was named in honor of Adelaide F. Holderness and H. Michael Weaver, both of Greensboro, who have been longtime supporters of UNCG.
