Trustee Bill Inman and Pat Inman were awarded the Elon Medallion, the university's highest honor, at Fall Convocation Friday, Sept. 27.
Trustee Bill Inman and Pat Inman were awarded the university’s highest honor, the Elon Medallion, on Friday, Sept. 27, for their generosity and unwavering devotion to Elon University.
President Connie Ledoux Book read a citation and President Emeritus Leo M. Lambert presented the Inmans with medallions in front of thousands of members of the Elon community during Fall Convocation at Schar Center.
“It is my distinct pleasure this afternoon to award the Elon Medallion to two of the university’s most dedicated leaders,” Book said during Friday’s ceremony.
The Elon Medallion is the most prestigious service award given by the university and is awarded, at the discretion of the president, to members of the Elon community who have rendered loyal and meritorious service to the university at the highest levels.
Bill and Pat, whose daughter Jackie is a member of the Class of 2000, received the honor for demonstrating the power of philanthropy to transform lives and propel Elon to new levels of national prominence, helping to shape the university’s iconic learning environment and solidify Elon’s national leadership in engaged learning.
The Inmans have greatly enhanced the Elon campus visit experience, donating a lead gift to name the Inman Admissions Welcome Center, which offers thousands of prospective students and their families a welcoming environment each year to begin their journey at Elon.
The Inmans’ passion for Elon also includes increasing access to the university through scholarships. The couple established 10 endowed scholarships in the Odyssey Program in 2017, helping to make an Elon education possible for promising students with significant financial need, including first-generation college students.
The Inman Reading Room, voted the most popular space on campus for students to study, was also named in honor of the Inmans and their support of Lindner Hall, home of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences.
The Inmans’ impact can also be seen across campus, thanks to their generous gifts to support Rhodes Stadium, Alumni Field House, the Ernest A. Koury Sr. Business Center and the Numen Lumen Pavilion, the university’s multifaith center, which inspires students to practice their faiths and to learn about religious traditions other than their own.
Bill Inman was elected to the Elon Board of Trustees in 2005 and has brought his business acumen, high standards and thoughtful leadership to board deliberations, helping the university move forward during a time of significant growth and change.
On Friday Bill and Pat Inman each received a bronze medallion to be worn at formal university occasions along with a framed citation to honor and celebrate them for their contributions to Elon University.