In 2008, Western Carolina University and the BB&T Foundation formed an agreement to establish the BB&T capitalism programs for the study of leadership, ethics, and capitalism. The $1 million gift was matched with $0.5 million of state funds under North Carolina’s Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund. The purpose was to establish three ongoing academic programs within the College of Business, one to fund student grants, a second to fund faculty grants, and a third to fund a distinguished professorship in capitalism to impact the curriculum. I was appointed as the BB&T professor starting with the Fall 2012 semester. Each year, I teach Econ 344 Ethics of Capitalism to between 32 to 48 students, host a distinguished guest speaker to campus, and direct programs for students and faculty. By keeping these programs current, the BB&T endowment continues to support today’s ongoing educational and research needs at WCU.
