UNCW alumni honor Dobo brothers, Diab for many contributions
2/10/2005 11:37:15 AM
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Feb. 9, 2005
Wilmington, N.C. – Bill Dobo ’51, Bob Dobo ’50 and George Diab were the honorees at the UNCW Alumni Association’s 2005 awards dinner Feb. 4.
The Dobo brothers were jointly recipients of the Alumnus of the Year Award which is open to all men and women who attended and/or graduated from Wilmington College or UNCW. Diab was named Distinguished Citizen of the Year, open to anyone for notable service to the university and the community.
The Dobo brothers are charter members of the Wilmington College Alumni Chapter and remain very active.
“Both of these gentlemen have kept Wilmington College alive through the years by their contributions of time, talent and charitable funds,” according to a nomination letter submitted to the alumni association.
Their support has taken many forms.
They contributed funds to erect an historical marker at the corner of 13th and Market streets, the former site of Isaac Bear Building where Wilmington College held its first classes in 1947. They established the J. Marshall Crews Endowed Scholarship for Science to honor their friend and mentor who was one of the original faculty members of Wilmington College. A Wilmington College reunion was held at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher thanks to their generosity.
The brothers also established a charitable trust which, upon their deaths, will provide for a gift of approximately $5 million to the university. The UNCW science building – Dobo Hall – was named in their honor.
A letter nominating Diab for Citizen of the Year described him as having “unwavering support for UNCW, the athletics department and the Seahawk Student Aid Association.”
Diab “has been a Seahawk fan for many years – long before the team began winning conference championships or having NCAA tournament appearances. His contributions of his time, talents and treasury over the years have helped UNCW reach a national position that UNCW holds today from local and conference prominence to national prominence,” a nomination letter read.
Diab was honored previously with induction into the UNCW Athletic Hall of Fame and the naming of the university’s sports medicine center. He was also recognized by the UNCW Board of Trustees for his many contributions to the university including the development of the first coach’s television show, “UNCW Basketball with Mel Gibson” and the first broadcasting student internships at WWAY TV-3.
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