Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Stephen Ward: Ike Belk has been an active supporter of the development at UNC Charlotte. His impact
is seen in academics, athletics, and through his many gifts of public art across campus.
It's through his generosity that UNC Charlotte has been able to flourish and grow into the
University that it is today. Ike Belk: My mother was a school teacher
and I reckon I spent my whole life working for the education not only in this state but
in the southeast and it's an honor to be a small part in the education system.
Judy Rose: Most people when they hear Ike Belk's name, they think of the statues that
are on campus and primarily the athletic statues. Phil Dubois: And Ike has had a personal dedication
to public art, not just at UNC Charlotte, but really throughout North Carolina and throughout
the country and when he does public art, he does big public art and so you see that here
at the stadium with those two magnificent football statues at either end and you see it in the
athletic department across the front of the Irwin Belk Track and Field Facility with sculptures
reminding us of all of the sports that we have at UNC Charlotte. That's all been made
possible by Ike. Judy Rose: The role that Ike has played not
only for the athletic statues but many of the other statues on this campus, that beauty
is attributed to him and his love for bringing art into a campus and making it look much
more beautiful than a normal campus would. Ike and Carol have become very good friends
and often times when you're cultivating university friends, they become personal friends and
that is certainly what has happened over the years and I value the friendship of both Ike
and Carol tremendously. Not for what they've done for the university but what they stand
for and when he contacted me to tell me that he wanted to donate the two football statues,
let me say this I first approached him about would he donate them, he didn't hesitate and
then later he contacted folks on campus and said I want to name them in honor of Judy
and I have to tell you, it really did emotionally get to me because our friendship has developed
as a result of what started out as a professional development and just the fact that he thinks
enough of me and of our program to do that was very heartwarming so I thank he and Carol
tremendously from the bottom of my heart for that recognition.
Ike Belk: This University is great not only in football but seventeen sporting events.
And
they are going to be great in football.