SALISBURY — Joseph “Joe” R. Gorman and wife Sharon of Greensboro, Ga., have established a scholarship at Catawba College. Students from Georgia will be given preference.
Joe said, “Sharon and I love Catawba College because it played such a pivotal role in our lives. Catawba is where we met and fell in love. I met Sharon at the freshman orientation dance on her first night at Catawba. Rick Toms, a fellow football teammate and great friend, and I decided to check out the girls at the freshman orientation dance. I immediately spotted Sharon and told Rick that I had found the girl I wanted to marry and one year later we were married.”
Sharon said, “We loved the Catawba College experience with the beautiful campus, the great education and the wonderful people. We look for reasons to go back to campus because of the great memories and to continue to stay in touch with the Catawba community.”
Joe added, “Recently, Johnny ’77 and Nancy (Cheeks) ’76 Wagoner moved to our community at Lake Oconee. Johnny and Nancy both were classmates and Johnny was also a teammate of mine on the football team. We have had a great time reminiscing, laughing and sharing stories. Catawba friends are the best.”
Joe earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from the college in 1974. He played football for four years, was a member of the track team for three, and was active in the student government association, serving as the treasurer his senior year. He was in the Accounting Club and selected to Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. A CPA, he earned his MBA from Georgia College and State University, and is a graduate of the executive education program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School.
In 2008, Joe retired as president and chief executive officer after serving almost 30 years in various capacities with SP Newsprint Co. of Atlanta, one of the largest producers of newsprint in North America. Since his retirement, he has been chairman of the board of St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro, Ga. The hospital is building a new $40 million facility expected to be completed in spring 2014.
After Sharon finished her freshman year at Catawba, she completed her education at Georgia College and State University, earning a bachelor of science degree and then a master’s of education degree. Sharon taught fourth graders for 10 years, and was honored by her school as “Teacher of the Year.” When she left teaching, she was elected to the Board of Education, serving for seven years.
Joe is on the Catawba College Board of Visitors. He and his wife have given support to their alma mater through the years, targeting the Catawba Fund and the Shuford Stadium project. Joe was honored with Catawba’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005.
The Gormans are members of a Catholic Church in Greensboro, Ga., and are parents of three adult children, Bill, Russell and Julie.