Elon University conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters on longtime supporter and trustee Allen E. Gant Jr. during Fall Convocation on Oct. 12, 2010, in recognition of his commitment to innovation, education, global citizenship and service to the university and to Alamance County.
Gant, the chief executive officer of Burlington, N.C.-based Glen Raven, Inc., a global provider of innovative fabric-based solutions, has served on the Elon University Board of Trustees for 13 years, including three years as board chair, and was instrumental in the launch of the $100 million Ever Elon Campaign, of which he is a co-chair.
“You all are much too kind and way too generous,” Gant told the auditorium after his degree was conferred by Elon University President Leo M. Lambert. “In fact, I should be giving you an applause for all that each and every one of you do to make this a great university. As this world proceeds to unshackle brains, hearts and souls, that process will be improved by having Elon graduates have a bigger part of it.”
After attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gant joined the family business founded by his grandfather, John Q. Gant. He served the company in numerous capacities before being named CEO and president in 1999. Under Gant’s leadership, Glen Raven has expanded worldwide, selling its products in more than 125 nations.
His reputation as a leader in the global textile industry earned him a post in the Bush administration’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. He also served as chair of the National Council of Textile Organizations and the Institute of Textile Technology, and he sat on the board of directors for the North Carolina Textile Foundation, Inc.
Gant’s leadership extends beyond the textile industry to local community and charitable organizations. In 2007, he founded the New Leaf Society, an organization that seeks to make the Alamance County community an attractive place to live, work and invest through landscaping. He has served on boards of advisors for the Alamance County United Way, Alamance Regional Medical Center, the Educational Foundation of UNC-Chapel Hill and the Duke Heart Center, as well as the board of visitors for the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at UNC.
In 1997, Gant joined the board of trustees of Elon University and in 2007 was elected chair. His visionary leadership has been instrumental in the development of the most recent strategic plan for the university, The Elon Commitment. Gant lives in Burlington with his wife, Denise, and the couple has two children, Grayson and Allen III.