Iris McEwen McCrary Coupland was honored Oct. 13th at a dinner at Maynard House for her service as an Elon trustee and her commitment to the university. Details...
President Leo M. Lambert paid tribute to Coupland, recalling the strong ties she and her family have had with Elon over more than 50 years. Here is the text of Dr. Lambert’s tribute:
This evening we are gathered to honor Elon’s good friend, Iris McEwen McCrary Coupland, upon her election as a trustee emeritus of the University. A member of the Elon Board for 15 years, Iris is part of a family that has guided and shaped Elon for more than 50 years. Four members of her family—her father, James McEwen, Sr.; her mother, Iris Holt McEwen; her brother, James McEwen, Jr.; and Iris herself—have successively served Elon as trustees. The McCrarys, the third generation of the family — Iris’s sons John A. McCrary III and James McEwen McCrary and her daughter Katherine McCrary Johnson — are, thanks to their mother’s example and urging, also involved with Elon. Former Secretary of State Dean Acheson titled his memoir Present at the Creation. The title would be apt for Iris and her family, as well. Perhaps no other family has had as profound an impact upon Elon as has the McEwen-McCrary family. They have been present at the creation of Elon as a modern institution of higher education.
Iris grew up in Burlington and attended local schools with trustees emeritus Royall Spence and Roger Gant, and the latter’s wife Rose Anne, all of whom remember her as a childhood playmate. Iris received her high school diploma from St. Mary’s School and went on to graduate from Finch College and UNC-Chapel Hill, where she met her first husband, John A. McCrary, Jr. Together they reared Alex, Mac, and Kate. Iris has been a member of the Burlington Service League, the Citizens Advisory Board of the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the regional board of Caring House and served on the boards of Elon Homes for Children and the St. Mary’s College Alumni Association. A lifelong member of the United Church of Christ, Iris’s association with Elon dates to her early years when her father, an educator and successful businessman, served on the College’s Board of Trustees. Ten years ago Iris wed J. Randolph Coupland III who shares her interest in Elon.
President Emeritus Fred Young calls Iris and her family “totally generous,” always ready to do their part for an Elon cause. He observed that Iris was always one of the first trustees to step up and support an Elon fund-raising campaign. She took seriously her role as a leader and always considered how she could best assist any initiative. Former Board chair Royall Spence observed, “The McEwen family has been very supportive of Elon and Iris has been a major part of that support.” Another former Board chair, Wallace Chandler, reflecting on Iris’s role as a trustee, said, “The progress and future of Elon was always uppermost in Iris’s mind.”
The unparalleled generosity of the McEwen-McCrary family reflects their diverse interests. The McEwen and McCrary names are found across the Elon campus and are associated with facilities, programs, and scholarships and awards. Elon students benefit daily from the philanthropy of this extraordinary family. McEwen Dining Hall, named for Iris’s father, was built in 1956 and renovated in 1995. With its cutting-edge “marché” design, McEwen Dining Hall is one of the most popular dining facilities on campus. The Iris Holt McEwen building, named for Iris’s mother, was completed in 1968 to house Elon’s library collection. In 2000 the building was extensively renovated and now provides a striking and state-of-the-art home for the Elon School of Communications. The James H. McEwen Jr. Visual Arts Series, named for Iris’s brother, a lifelong supporter of the arts, sponsors a number of visual arts exhibits on campus each year, including fiber art, photography, sculpture, watercolors, oil paintings and multimedia abstract compositions.
Named for Iris and her late husband is the 600-seat John A. and Iris McEwen McCrary Theatre in Elon’s fine arts building. The largest theatre on campus, its completion in 1987 transformed the Elon arts and cultural calendar, enriching both the campus and the community. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Peking Acrobats, New Vic Theatre of London, American Repertory Ballet Company, and many other national and international performers have graced the McCrary stage, as well as noted speakers such as Reynolds Price, David Gergen, and Doris Kearns Goodwin. The McCrary Theatre has also supported the development of Elon’s own outstanding student theatre and music programs.
The John A. and Iris McEwen McCrary Scholarship was endowed by Iris and her first husband to provide assistance to students with solid academic records and financial need. This scholarship has been awarded to 18 different Elon students since it was established in 1979.
Continuing their family commitment to Elon, Iris’s children established the Iris Holt McEwen Community Service Award in 1985 in memory of their grandmother to recognize volunteerism and public spirit.
Iris McEwen Coupland is one of Elon’s most loyal donors and has been an important part of the thrust and progress of the institution. There can be no doubt that Iris loves Elon. We are grateful for her dedication and generosity, and thank her this evening for all that she had done to help Elon become the fine institution it is today.