SunTrust Foundation grants Durham Tech $100,000 to honor legacy of Phail Wynn
SunTrust Foundation has granted $100,000 to the Durham Tech Foundation to establish the Phail Wynn SunTrust Foundation Scholarship.
Dr. Phail Wynn, Jr. served as president of Durham Tech for 27 years, making him the first African-American community college president in North Carolina. He was also a remarkable leader and mentor who was passionate about community. Wynn died of natural causes in July.
Upon his retirement from Durham Tech in 2007, Wynn, along with fellow colleagues and community members, established a scholarship at Durham Tech for public high school graduates or high school equivalency completers from Durham and Orange counties, with a preference toward minority male students.
The SunTrust Foundation’s gift is awarded as a challenge match to incentivize an additional $100,000 in scholarship support from the community. Additional support will help expand the renamed scholarship to benefit two recipients annually. Each recipient will have tuition, fees, books, and supplemental educational experiences, such as study abroad and service learning, covered for up to three years. Previously, the scholarship awarded partial funding to one student per year.
In honor of Wynn’s military service, the expanded scholarship will allow military veterans to apply for consideration. Wynn served in the U.S. Army with the 82nd Airborne Division and the former John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center, both based out of Fort Bragg. He also served a one-year combat tour in Vietnam.
“The expansion of this scholarship will enable us to build upon Dr. Wynn's legacy, honoring both his commitment to education and to the local community,” said Melissa Chappell, executive director for the Durham Tech Foundation. “Due to the SunTrust Foundation’s generosity, more students will be afforded an education and, in turn, be equipped with the skills and credentials needed to pursue gainful employment.”
After leaving Durham Tech in 2007, Wynn was hired as the first vice president for Durham and Regional Affairs at Duke University in 2008 and was given the title of president emeritus by the Durham Tech Board of Trustees. He retired from Duke in June.
Wynn also served on the Corporate Board of Directors of SunTrust Banks, Inc.
“The SunTrust Foundation is committed to academic achievement,” said Stan Little, SunTrust Foundation president. “Access to higher education is critical to ensuring the advancement of financial confidence among our youth, and this scholarship program allows us to honor Dr. Wynn’s legacy of education.”
Wynn came to Durham Tech in 1977 when the college was known as Durham Technical Institute. In addition to serving as the college’s president, Wynn also held the titles of assistant to the president and vice president of support services. He acted as interim president from May 1980 until his official instatement as president that November.
Building 10 on the Durham Tech Main Campus bears his name as the Phail Wynn, Jr. Student Services Center.
“Dr. Wynn saw the potential inside every person who desired something more, and he knew how a college education could improve that person’s life and career path,” said Dr. Bill Ingram, president of Durham Tech.
“The Phail Wynn SunTrust Foundation Scholarship encompasses Dr. Wynn’s desire to serve those in need and his belief that a student’s background and circumstance shouldn’t block that student from achieving his full potential. We are thankful to SunTrust Foundation for their generous investment in honor of a tremendous individual.”
The Durham Tech Foundation is a charitable organization that promotes the current and long-term success of Durham Tech by inspiring charitable investment in its students, faculty, and staff.
For more information about Durham Tech, visit durhamtech.edu. To make a gift to the Phail Wynn SunTrust Foundation Scholarship, visit durhamtech.edu/give.
In the News:
- "Community College Daily:" Featured on Dec. 17