Honoring Carl Witt through a planned gift

Carl Witt (’68) earned a teaching degree from Campbell with a concentration in social studies. He subsequently taught at Lasker Academy in Lasker, NC for 41 years, were also he supervised production of the school’s yearbook and directed the high school choir. During his long career as a professional educator, Carl always emphasized the value of learning and civic pride. When he passed in August 2020, Northampton County lost one its most knowledgeable educators and historians.

He made a particular impact on one of his students, Frank Womble. Although Frank and his wife, Gloria did not attend Campbell, they thought so much of Carl’s teaching ability they wanted to honor their friendship with him and the significant impact his teaching made on countless students. Through a generous planned gift, the Wombles established the Ernest Carl Witt Endowed Education Scholarship to support future educators and inspire Campbell students to become professional social studies educators.

“I want to thank the Womble Family for their scholarship in honor of Mr. Carl Witt. Mr. Witt was a well-loved Campbell School of Education alumnus who made a huge impact over his 41 years of teaching. This scholarship will significantly support the next generation of teachers.”

– School of Education and Human Sciences Dean, Dr. Alfred Bryant

Frank Womble’s memories

I met Carl Witt in August 1969 when I was a high school freshman. I took three classes under him: Civics, U.S. History and World History. He was one of those rare teachers who was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subject matter, and had the ability to make it consistently interesting.

Carl and I were friends for over 50 years; he was my oldest and closest friend. My wife Gloria knew him for 30 years. We spent countless hours together and had many shared interests. Carl had an in-depth knowledge of local history, architecture and genealogy. He was deeply concerned about preserving and passing on the importance of Northampton County’s history and culture. He was instrumental in efforts to preserve the historic 1858 Northampton County Courthouse, the finest example of the Greek Revival temple form in North Carolina and one of the finest in the American South. He served as chairman of the county bicentennial committee and edited the county’s history, Footprints in Northampton, published in 1976. He inspired me to learn more about our local history and architecture. We collaborated on a self-published book, Historic Architecture of Northampton County, North Carolina, based on the state’s 2010 historic architectural survey of the county. It is currently the only book available on that subject.

Carl’s interests and knowledge were broad. It was not unusual to visit a historic site in North Carolina or Virginia with him and discover that he knew more about the place than the site’s interpreter.

Carl was intellectually curious about the history, culture, art and architecture of other cultures as well, all of which he found fascinating. He visited me while I was stationed in Hawaii with the Army, and we explored that state’s history and culture together. He visited Gloria and me in Rhine Valley area of Germany, where we toured numerous historic sites and explored the Roman Empire’s influence there. He also toured parts of Russia with an old friend from Campbell University.

Carl was a warm, kind, gracious person who loved his family, his friends, his church and his community. He was a superb teacher who was genuinely concerned about his students and their futures. Over his 41-year teaching career, he taught hundreds of students spanning two generations. We intend that endowing a scholarship in his name will help prepare future Campbell University students to teach and inspire the next generation of students.

To support the the Ernest Carl Witt Endowed Education Scholarship, visit campaign.campbell.edu/give.