Una Holder O’Quinn ’69 with grandson Jackson Wicker ’12JD.
RALEIGH — Classroom 413 at Campbell Law School will forever be known as the Una Holder O’ Quinn Classroom. The classroom was dedicated in her honor during a formal ceremony on Friday, Jan. 9 at the law school. Campbell Law Dean J. Rich Leonard and Campbell University Vice President for Institutional Advancement & Assistant to the President Dr. Britt J. Davis presided over the ceremony.
“We are honored to dedicate this classroom to someone who embodies everything that Campbell University is about,” said Leonard. “Una Holder O’Quinn is a living testament to hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and service. Her story is a powerful one from which our law school students can learn from and strive to duplicate.”
The room was named in honor of Holder O’Quinn, a 1969 Campbell College graduate, following a financial contribution from her daughter, Alisa, and son-in-law, former North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Dennis Wicker, in her honor. She learned of her family’s stewardship this past Christmas morning.
“The Holder O’Quinn and Wicker families wave the Campbell flag proudly,” said Davis. “They are tremendous stewards of our university, and I am fortunate to have become dear friends with them through our time together. It is my honor to be a part of this special occasion.”
Holder O’Quinn grew up in Mamers, North Carolina, a rural community in western Harnett County. No one in her family had ever attended college, but through the encouragement of community leaders and support of her loved ones, she enrolled at Campbell College in 1965 to become a teacher.
Her decision to enroll at Campbell was met with many obstacles. At the age of 27, she was the mother of two young children, Eddie and Alisa. Her husband, Pat, was a tobacco farmer and relied on her to help operate the farm. Most difficult of all was that she did not possess a driver’s license and Campbell College was more than 15 miles away from the farm.
Through her determination to succeed at Campbell, Holder O’Quinn overcame those obstacles. After four years of hard work and perseverance, she earned a degree in education. She then taught at Boone Trail Elementary School until her retirement.
Holder O’Quinn’s hard work and example inspired others in her family to attend college, including her two children and her grandchildren. One of her grandsons, Jackson D. Wicker, graduated from Campbell Law in 2012, the first class of law school students to attend all three years at the Raleigh campus.