BUIES CREEK — The Campbell University Alumni Association honored three outstanding graduates on Friday, Oct. 17, during the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner, held in the Oscar N. Harris Student Union Ballroom.
Luther “Lew” D. Starling Jr. (’87), Tim Stevens (MBA ’87) and Cordell Wise (’70) were each recognized for their remarkable professional achievements and commitment to their communities.
A lifelong public servant and attorney, Starling has dedicated his career to his hometown of Clinton, North Carolina. After earning his business degree from Campbell and his law degree from Wake Forest University, Starling became managing partner at Daughtry, Woodard, Lawrence & Starling, with offices in Clinton and Smithfield. He has served as mayor of Clinton since 2001, leading the city to recognition as an All-American City and earning the N.C. Bar Association’s Citizen Lawyer Award.
“What a great place the Lord has put here for a specific person, for a purpose,” Starling said upon receiving his Distinguished Alumni award. “The discipline you learn here prepares you for the challenges of life. I am satisfied that the Lord put me here, and I truly love Campbell.”
For nearly five decades, Tim Stevens has been one of North Carolina’s most respected journalists and storytellers. A longtime reporter for The Raleigh Times and The News & Observer, Stevens wrote more than 12,000 stories and became a leading voice in high school athletics. His work earned induction into the National High School Athletics, N.C. Sports and N.C. High School Athletic Association halls of fame, as well as receiving the Order of the Longleaf Pine, an honorary award presented by the Governor of North Carolina.
“What I learned from Campbell is that it’s going to demand your best, but at the same time, it’s going to help bring out the best in you,” Stevens said. He dedicated the honor to those who supported him along the way, especially his wife, whom he called the “real MBA” in their family. “This recognition has little to do with me,” he said. “It’s about everyone who’s ever helped me: my family, professors, coworkers and this remarkable university that believes in people like me.”
Cordell Wise made history as Campbell’s first African American student and its first NAIA men’s basketball All-American. Between 1967 and 1970, he scored 1,584 points and led the Camels to a 60–27 overall record. Wise went on to teach and coach for a decade in New Jersey before launching a long career in teaching and coaching.
“When I got to Campbell, I met people who accepted me,” Wise said. “At that time, this was a school in the middle of a challenging place and it could have been dangerous, but it wasn’t. Campbell was a beacon of light shining through the cracks, and it continues to be that light today.”
Wise ended his speech by asking the room to stand and clap once in honor of former Campbell head coach, Fred McCall. “We have much to celebrate,” he said. “We are all part of the same family, the Campbell family.”
Following the award ceremony, Student Government Association President Cutler Bryant spoke on behalf of the student body, thanking the recipients for their example and emphasizing how alumni leadership continues to inspire current students.
“Our university’s future is built on the strength of its alumni,” Bryant said. “Your leadership and service continue to shape the Campbell experience for generations to come.”
President Dr. William M. Downs closed the program by congratulating the honorees and reaffirming the university’s mission to cultivate leaders of purpose and service.
“You are joining a list of individuals whose names are etched indelibly on 138 years of Campbell’s story,” Downs said. “Campbell will always be a place where greatness is complemented by humility, where leaders have servants’ hearts and where young people from all backgrounds can grow, thrive and live out lives of purpose.”
The ceremony concluded with a prayer and blessing for the Campbell community.
Nominations for Distinguished Alumni are held in early spring and candidates are vetted by the Alumni Board of Directors Scholarship & Awards Committee each summer.