From left, VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams, Board of Trustees chair Deborah Brown, Stan Fox, Union Bank president/CEO Thomas Combs and VGCC Endowment Fund board vice-chairman Robert Hubbard. (VGCC photo)
Oxford-based Union Bank has established a new scholarship at Vance-Granville Community College in honor of a longtime community leader who has been instrumental in the success of both the bank and the college.
Stanley H. “Stan” Fox of Oxford, a former state legislator, director emeritus on the bank’s board and current vice-chair of the VGCC Board of Trustees, will be recognized through the endowed scholarship, known as the “Union Bank/Stanley H. Fox Presidential Merit Award.”
A retired businessman, Fox is a graduate of Oxford High School and UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former president of the Granville County Chamber of Commerce, the Oxford Jaycees and the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association. Fox served in the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing constituents in Granville, Vance and Warren counties, from 1995 through 2004. During his time in the legislature, he also served on the Southern Regional Education Board by appointment of Gov. Hunt. Earlier, Fox was a member of the Oxford City Council.
Fox was appointed to the VGCC Board of Trustees by Gov. Easley in 2007 and reappointed in 2011 by Gov. Perdue. He was elected vice-chair of the board in 2011 and continues to serve in that capacity. Fox has also supported students by playing in a number of VGCC Endowment Fund golf tournaments and by endowing the Stanley H. Fox Academic Achievement Scholarship.
“The cornerstone principle of our bank is making ourselves better, every single day, and we are also committed to making our communities better,” said Thomas M. Combs, President and CEO of Union Bank. “As a community bank, we take the word ‘community’ seriously. That’s why we are excited to support Vance-Granville students while also celebrating Stan Fox’s service and leadership.” Combs described Fox as one of the handful of people who were driving forces behind the creation of the bank. Fox served as chairman of Union Bank’s board for five years. In addition to the boards of VGCC and Union Bank, Fox currently serves on the Kerr-Tar Regional Economic Development Corporation board.
“This scholarship is a fitting tribute to Stan Fox’s dedication to his community and to the people of North Carolina,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC. “We are grateful to Union Bank for partnering with us and investing in both our students’ success and our region’s economic prosperity.”
Union Bank & Trust Company was founded in Oxford in 2006 and now has locations throughout the region. This marks the first college scholarship established by Union Bank, which has also been a sponsor for several VGCC golf tournaments.
The new scholarship will be awarded each year in perpetuity to a VGCC student who meets certain academic requirements. Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 7,000 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education. For more information, call (252) 738-3409.