During the Board of Trustees luncheon on April 5, 2018, President M. Christopher White presented W. Frank Rose, Jr., Board of Trustees Chair, the Spirit of Chowan Award.

“I want to honor a trustee whose service has been and continues to be extraordinary,” stated Dr. White. He described Rose as a churchman, businessman, leader, and philanthropist who is considerate, supportive, inclusive, and unflappably composed. Rose is active in his church as a deacon and Sunday school teacher. He is a successful businessman and a leader in his field. He is also a strong proponent of community service and a generous supporter of numerous philanthropies. Dr. White concluded, saying to Rose, “I hope you feel good about who you are and what you’ve done for this school because together we achieved heights we could not have alone.”

As the thunderous applause subsided Rose responded, "This is for the whole board, for all the trustees. This is for all of us."

A longtime supporter of Chowan University, Rose of Ahoskie, NC, has served previous terms on both the Board of Trustees and the Board of Visitors, serving as chair for 8 years. The Rose Family has been extremely generous to Chowan through the establishment of endowed scholarships and many other contributions to the University. Rose is Vice President of Rose Brothers Paving Company, Inc. and is a member of First Baptist Church in Ahoskie.

The occasion marked Dr. White's final board meeting as president. He said, “I wanted to do something while I could still do it. One of the really neat things we do here at Chowan started before I came. It was conceived of and funded by Jewell Faye Glover, one of the great ladies of this school and, in my opinion, of all time.”

Glover set up the Spirit of Chowan Award, which has been given to people of meritorious service beyond the call of duty now a total of 13 times. The award has been presented to alumni, faculty, staff, a first lady, and the University president, however, this is the first time in the history of the school a trustee has been recognized.

The Spirit of Chowan Award is intended to honor extraordinary individuals who so embody the heart and soul of the University that they warrant recognition by the University community. The recipient may be someone who has overcome significant adversity, who has displayed the characteristics of a servant in the model of Christ, who has remained committed to the mission of the University and his or her personal relationship with God, or who has embodied the spirit of the history, mission and perseverance of the University.