BUIES CREEK – Longtime Campbell University supporters Bob and Patricia Barker received honorary degrees at the University’s Spring Commencement ceremony, held Saturday at the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center.
The Barkers were the recipients of a Doctor of Humane Letters degree for their dedication to Campbell University since Bob Barker’s graduation in 1965. Today, Bob Barker Hall and Barker-Lane Stadium stand as testimonies of their generosity.
“Bob and Pat Barker have been instrumental in the transformation of the Campbell University campus,” said Campbell President Dr. Jerry Wallace. “Their commitment and generosity to Campbell will leave a lasting impression on the lives of our students, faculty and staff.”
Bob Barker is chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the Bob Barker Company, the industry’s largest supplier of institutional products and supplies to correctional facilities worldwide, as well as to rehabilitation facilities, homeless shelters and schools throughout the United States. In addition to his business interests, the former mayor of Apex is an active civic and community leader who has served in the North Carolina State Senate and as mayor of the town of Fuquay-Varina. He is actively involved in Woodhaven Baptist Church in Apex.
He is a former chairman of the Campbell University Board of Trustees, and he currently serves as a member of the University Foundation Board of Directors.
Pat Barker is a former executive vice president of the Bob Barker Company. Her reasoning, analytical and business skills have been invaluable to the company and were forged through undergraduate studies at the University of South Carolina and through graduate studies in both organic chemistry and business administration at Duke University.
Also an active member of Woodhaven Baptist, Pat Barker has served in leadership roles in the Apex Jaycettes and the Apex Woman’s Club and as a member of the Wake County Commission on Women.
At Campbell, Pat Barker has served on the University’s Presidential Board of Advisors and on the Advisory Board for the College of Arts & Sciences.
Photo by Bennett Scarborough