Buies Creek, N.C.— Campbell University held its winter commencement exercise on Saturday, Dec. 18 in the new John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center. A total of 470 graduates were recognized – 154 graduated in August and 316 in December. 272 graduates participated in Saturday’s ceremony.
Dr. Andrew Wakefield, dean of the Campbell Divinity School, delivered the commencement address. Building upon a “graduated measure” analogy, he encouraged graduates to measure themselves by a higher standard for future success.
“Measure yourselves carefully and honestly to see how far you’ve come and just how far you have to go,” said Wakefield. “This milestone of graduation is not your final measurement in your life. It is only one stage.”
As part of Saturday’s ceremony, Campbell alumnus and Buies Creek native Bernard Franklin McLeod, Jr. was also honored with the James Archibald Campbell Award for meritorious service.
McLeod, whose family home was located where the John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center stands now, began first grade at Buies Creek School. He went on to earn an Associate of Art degree from Campbell in 1945. In 1949, he graduated from Wake Forest College with a bachelor’s degree in business and since that time has enjoyed many successful careers—biology teacher and coach, automobile dealer, insurance agent, tobacco purchaser and real estate developer. Throughout the years, McLeod has also given back to Campbell University, establishing the Bernard F. McLeod, Sr. and Lacy Ann Yearly McLeod endowed scholarship, participating in capital campaigns and other avenues of service.
This is the third winter graduation exercise held in Campbell’s Convocation Center. The candidates for undergraduate degrees included 47 Associate of Arts, 43 Bachelor of Applied Science, 1 Bachelor of Health Science, 106 Bachelor of Business Administration, 141 Bachelor of Science and 41 Bachelor of Arts. Of the graduate and professional candidates, there were 23 Master of Business Administration, 14 Master of Trust and Wealth Management, 19 Master of Education, 4 Master of School Administration, 4 Master of Arts, 17 Master of Science, 9 Doctor of Pharmacy and 1 Juris Doctor.