FEATURES

UNC DONORS: William Douglas and Luann Parmelee
Lyman Malcom, Lyman Malcom, Francis "Frank" A., Ashley, Asaph, Jeremiah, Lemuel, Nathaniel, Nathaniel, John, John

Carolina Connections, Fall 2011

GREAT TEACHING INSPIRES GIFT
Couple to Donate to University of North Carolina via bequests in wills

By Claire Cusick

Bill and Luann Parmelee had very different majors while undergraduate students at the University of North Carolina, but they had one thing in common: excellent instructors, great professors, knowledgeable mentors. The Parmelees, who recently moved from Charlotte, N.C., to Palm Beach, Fla., have consistently given back to UNC over many years. They just made another big move by creating two funds for faculty excellence at UNC, via bequests in their wills.

Luann, who graduated in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, grew up in Wake Forest, N.C. She knew she wanted to come to UNC because she had heard it offered a great education. "I was able to attend college with the help of grant money, a scholarship and work-study, so I appreciated how hard it was to get a good education, and I was happy that we had a really good public university in my home state," she said. "I felt privileged to get a degree from Carolina."

Luann, a painter for 30 years now, still credits the fine arts faculty members who taught her and mentored her, notably Dennis Zaborowski, who has taught at UNC since 1968. "I think that that’s why I wanted to support faculty in the fine arts. To have someone who was so well respected in the art community was wonderful. He really took time with me. It was so important to have that kind of help."

Luann said she wanted to create a fund to support professors because good professors changed her life: "It’s hard for art students, because art isn’t a typical profession track. When I graduated, it was hard for me at first, projecting income without affecting artistic endeavor. It’s been hard to figure out over the years. So it was important to have as many good mentors in place, in as many areas. People to say, 'This is how you succeed in business as an artist.'

"We’ve been fortunate enough that my husband’s income is enough to support both of us, but it hasn’t always been that way. As a young married couple, just starting out, I worked a full-time job too, while keeping up with my painting."

Bill knew even during high school in Rhode Island that he wanted to study accounting, and his guidance counselor said that UNC should be one of his top college choices. "I was leaning toward UNC anyway, and in my junior year, my father was transferred from Rhode Island to Raleigh," he said. "That made it easy."

Bill did study accounting, earning his degree in 1979. He credits the UNC program for attracting top industry recruiters to campus, and for an education that allowed him to begin his professional life well prepared. He appreciates the professors who taught him and took extra time with him, in particular, Ike Reynolds and Harold Langenderfer. "I had Professor Langenderfer for three different accounting courses. The last class I took with him was designed to prepare students for the CPA exam, and he took extra time to help me. I took the exam just a week after finishing the class, and passed all four parts, which is unusual for the first try."

Bill’s reasons for supporting faculty match Luann’s: "I want to make sure that professors have that support. Since I left, competition for top-flight accounting professors has become severe. I want to make sure that Kenan-Flagler can continue to attract and retain top-quality professors."

The Parmelees have given back for many years, to several areas at Carolina. Bill began his giving by joining with friends in 1985 to start a scholarship in memory of classmate Robin Bradford Reynolds, who died in a car accident. They both also enjoy the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Just recently they decided to create bequests. "We don’t have children," Bill said. "So, in planning our estate, we wanted to make sure there were particular family members taken care of. But beyond that, the rest of our estate, thinking about the things that are most important to us, Carolina is definitely on the list."