Trustee Emeritus Royall Spence, Jr. ’42, a generous supporter of Elon and a beloved member of the Board of Trustees for more than two decades, died December 22.
Spence served the university in various capacities since graduating from Elon. He provided 22 years of leadership as a member of Elon’s board of trustees, including tenure as vice chair from 1974 to 1989, and as board chair from 1989 to 1991. He and his wife, the late Luvene Holmes Spence ‘43, donated more than 47,000 volumes to the former McEwen Library in honor of his father, Royall Spence, Sr.
Spence also created a substantial endowment for the library and made a naming gift for Colclough residence hall in honor of his mentor and friend, George Colclough. He also made a naming gift for the Luvene Holmes and Royall H. Spence, Jr. Pavilion, which houses the philosophy and religious studies departments in the Academic Village.
Spence was named Alumnus of the Year in 1977, received an honorary doctorate in commercial science in 1982 and was elected trustee emeritus in 1991. He was also a successful business executive, serving for many years as president of Canada Dry Bottling in Greensboro, N.C.
In 2002, Elon President Leo M. Lambert awarded Spence the Elon Medallion, the university’s highest honor, for his decades of outstanding service to his alma mater.
In addition to his late wife, Spence’s family includes his daughter and son-in-law, Susan Robinson and John Robinson; son Royall III and his wife, Louise; and son and daughter-in-law Hardy and Carolyn Spence. He is survived by six grandchildren: Hardy and Connaree Spence, R.H. Spence IV and Angela Spence Roberson, and Alexa and Hannah Robinson.
Spence’s funeral service was held on Monday, Dec. 27, at Grace United Methodist Church on West Friendly Avenue in Greensboro, N.C.