PEMBROKE — Mac Campbell Jr. was honored Friday night at UNC Pembroke during the university’s 51st annual Alumni Awards and Hall of Fame ceremony.
The Distinguished Service Award was earned by Campbell in recognition of “exceptional dedication to the university and whose contributions embody the university’s values and mission.”
Campbell’s distinguished career since earning a business degree in 1968 includes working with his father, Mac Sr., at Campbell Oil Co. He continued running the business after his father died until retiring in 2011. His involvement in community activities is lengthy and includes being a part of several initiatives from the start-up, many of which remain ongoing today.
The N.C. 87 bypass of Elizabethtown was recently named in his honor, a gesture of thanks for the work he did on the board of the N.C. Department of Transportation. For UNCP, he’s been on boards to include the university trustees, the educational foundation and the football advisory board. In and around Elizabethtown he’s been on boards for Bladen We Care, the airport and the Bladen County Committee of 100.
The evening’s other honorees included Barry Burch Jr., Young Alumnus of the Year; James Ayars, Outstanding Alumnus Award; and Hall of Fame inductees Iris Bethea (basketball), Roger Carr (basketball), Richard Thompson (baseball), Ray Nixon (baseball) and volleyball and tennis coach Tommy Thompson.