The Legacy of Pepper Dowd: 50 Years of Philanthropy
April 10, 2025
As an inaugural member of the Arts and Sciences Foundation, Pepper Dowd promoted private giving during her tenure and beyond.
“I found Pepper Dowd extremely dedicated to Carolina,” wrote then-Chancellor Paul Hardin after a 1988 visit with Elizabeth “Pepper” Dowd ’53.
Dowd, now 93, played a pivotal role in creating the Arts and Sciences Foundation, which raises private support to enrich educational experiences in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Foundation has grown to manage nearly $500 million in endowed funds and millions more annually in expendable funds.
In 2025, the Arts and Sciences Foundation is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To Dowd, the anniversary marks a legacy of generosity and enhanced opportunities in the College.
Dowd transferred to Carolina from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia. She graduated in 1953 with a degree in sociology.
Her decision to stay connected with Carolina after graduation was an easy one.
“People loved Carolina so much that when you asked them to do anything, everybody was always willing to help,” Dowd said. She was no exception. Dowd was a class representative and president of Carolina Alumni. Nelson Ferebee Taylor, chancellor from 1972-80, recruited her to join a group of faculty and alumni tasked with distributing excess funds to schools and units across campus. Dowd recalled that the group “spread a little bit of money a long way.”
The College, despite being called “the heart and soul of the University,” lacked an organization to develop private support for its critical scholarship, research and fellowship needs. Dowd recognized that the College needed to expand beyond state appropriations to thrive.
Dowd met with Samuel R. Williamson Jr. and Frank B. Hanes Sr. to discuss the concept of a foundation to raise funds for the arts and sciences. They formed a board in fall 1975, seeking fellow supporters of the College to put their philanthropic plans into action. In a letter commemorating the Foundation’s 25th anniversary in 2000, Dowd recalled, “I remember sitting in a small conference room in South Building, with the radiator heat stifling me, listening to Sam Williamson and Frank Hanes talk about their dreams. The three of us batted around ideas, and as we did, enthusiasm soared!”
Their dreams became reality in December 1975, when the Arts and Sciences Foundation’s Articles of Incorporation were signed. Board member Margaret Harper became the first donor to the Foundation with a gift of $1,000.
As an inaugural member of the Arts and Sciences Foundation Board of Directors, Dowd promoted private giving during her tenure and beyond. In 1985, she, Hanes and Williamson called on the Dowd Foundation Board to encourage them to fund the Dowd Professorship in the Study of Peace and War. James “Jim” Leutze was the first faculty member to be appointed to the Dowd Professorship. Dowd and the Dowd Foundation Board were eager to introduce students and faculty to U.S. current events. As an extension of the Dowd Foundation’s generosity, the Elizabeth “Pepper” Dowd Carolina Scholars Fund was established in the College of Arts and Sciences in 2002.
For her outstanding devotion to Carolina, Dowd was awarded Carolina Alumni’s Distinguished Service Medal in 1990 and the Board of Trustees’ William Richardson Davie Award in 1993.
The Arts and Sciences Foundation remains close to Dowd’s heart. She said that it is a reward to see how the Foundation has flourished. Her vision created a strong tradition of philanthropy with 13,000 alumni and friends, on average, giving back to the College annually.
As the Arts and Sciences Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary and looks to the future, Dowd hopes the next generation will pick up the torch and give to the arts and sciences at Carolina.
“The board has grown, and it’s been a joy to see how many people have served. As we embark into 2025, let us spread our wings and soar into the future.”
By Riley Wojcik ’24
To make a gift in honor of the Foundation’s 50th anniversary, visit go.unc.edu/fifty.
