Boone, N.C., April 31, 2007
- In a beautiful ceremony that took place on the university's campus on
Thursday, April 26, Appalachian State University Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock
dedicated Katherine Harper Hall before a gathering of ASU and Harper friends.
The building is named for Katherine Harper of Charlotte, co-founder of Harper
Corporation of America and longtime champion of flexography education. In her
honor, Mrs. Harper's husband, Ron, made a generous gift to the university
through the Appalachian State University Foundation. For nearly two decades,
both Ron and Katherine Harper have involved themselves deeply in the education
and training of future flexographers at the high school and college levels
through the Foundation of FTA and the Phoenix Challenge Foundation.
"For 55 years, Katherine has been my wife, my best friend and my business
partner," said Mr. Harper. "I can think of no better way to honor her than to
name this building for her. This is truly one of our dreams come true; to feel
such an integral part of this wonderful university. We have certainly made some
lifetime friends here at Appalachian during the past 15 years."
In addition to the Harpers and Chancellor Peacock, other officials spoke at the
celebration, including Dr. J. Mark Estepp, dean of the College of Fine and
Applied Arts; Mark Cisternino, president of the Flexographic Technical
Association and the Flexographic Technical Association Foundation; and Bettylyn
Krafft, chairperson for the Phoenix Challenge Foundation.
Katherine Harper Hall, located at 397 Rivers Street, houses the majority of the
Department of Technology's academic programs and administrative offices. The
gift supports the university's flexography education program, the Katherine
Harper Scholarship Endowment for scholarships for Harper Corporation employees
and their children, as well as others needing financial assistance. The gift
also supports other needs of the Department of Technology.
The Harpers are the founders of global anilox supplier Harper Corporation of
America. Harper Corporation has manufacturing facilities in Charlotte, N.C. and
Green Bay, Wisc., as well as licensee operations in Bangkok, Thailand, and
Herford, Germany.
Appalachian's flexography program, part of the Thomas W. Reese Graphic Arts and
Imaging Technology program, is housed in the Department of Technology, which is
part of the College of Fine and Applied Arts. The university also is home to
the Harper Flexographic Museum, which highlights a chronological history of
this unique printing process.
For more information, visit www.tec.appstate.edu
or contact Jodi (Wright) Hartley, communication director for the College of
Fine and Applied Arts, at (828) 262-7249 or wrightjl@appstate.edu.
