UNC announced Monday that it would be receiving a $10 million commitment from the John William Pope Foundation.
The donation will be split between the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Philosophy, Politics and Economics program, the track and field program and the UNC Horizons program, which provides an outreach service to the state to treat pregnant and parenting women with substance-use disorders.
Chancellor Carol Folt thanked the Pope family, not only for this gift but for a long history of donations to the university.
“This gift embraces, in every way we can imagine, UNC’s commitment to our multi-pronged mission, from teaching and education, from high-impact life-saving research, to deep, public service,” said Folt.
The Pope family’s ties to UNC date back to the 1940s when John Pope attended the university.
Conservative philanthropist and president of the John William Pope Foundation Art Pope credited the university at Monday’s press conference announcing the gift for fueling his family’s success.
“The University of North Carolina has benefited the entire state for centuries in its education and teaching, its research and public service,” said Pope. “And our family has been fortunate enough to benefit from that education as graduates from the University of North Carolina.”
The largest portion of the donation will establish the John William Pope “Tomorrow’s Best Hope” Endowed Fellowship Fund, which will generate nearly $250,000 in scholarships each year for the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Dean of the School of Medicine Dr. William Roper called the commitment “incredible.”
“This will allow us to be fully competitive with the other leading institutions in the country that do training for careers in cancer research and cancer treatment,” said Roper. “It’s a truly visionary, transformative gift.”
The commitment supports UNC’s For All Kind fundraising campaign, which has a goal of $4.25 billion raised by December 31, 2022. The campaign is the largest in state history for a public university.
Related Stories
‹
UNC Studying Link Between Obesity and CancerResearchers at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center are looking into the links between obesity and cancer. While it is common knowledge that things like smoking and exposure to sun can put you at risk for cancer, Professor in the Department of Nutrition at UNC Dr. Stephen Hursting says obesity is a lesser known risk […]
![]()
Pope Foundation Gives $1.3 Million To UNC Lineberger Cancer CenterThe John William Pope Foundation has made a $1.3 million gift to UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
![]()
Art Pope Slams UNC System's Budget 'Needs' For 2014-15The push and pull of budget negotiations between Raleigh and Chapel Hill has begun again as 2014-15 budget talks have begun, and the state’s budget director, Art Pope, says the UNC system is asking for too much.
UNC Women's Basketball Ranked No. 12 in 2026-27 AP Preseason PollHead coach Courtney Banghart and UNC checked in at No. 12 in the AP Preseason Top 25 poll, which was released Tuesday. It’s the third consecutive year and fourth overall in Banghart’s tenure that the Tar Heels have been ranked inside the top 15 in the preseason poll. Comin' in at No. 𝟭𝟮 in the […]
UNC Reaches Deal with Trump Administration's Justice Department to End Civil Rights InvestigationsUNC agreed to terms outlined by both departments to curb race-based considerations in admissions practices and strengthen policies responding to antisemitism.
![]()
Tell Me Something: How to Classify a Tomato, with UNC's Melanie FeinbergIs a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? According to UNC's Melanie Feinberg, the technically correct answer is: both.
100 Years of Kenan Stadium: Rick Steinbacher Invades SpainRick Steinbacher, UNC's senior associate athletic director for facilities, has a lot on his plate when the Tar Heels play at Kenan Stadium.
2026 UNC Football Opponent Preview: SyracuseUNC will return home to host Syracuse at Kenan Stadium Saturday night. The Orange enter 2-4 overall and 0-4 in ACC play. Syracuse’s only FBS win this season was an overtime victory at UConn earlier in October. The Orange have lost to Cal, Pitt, Virginia and Louisville in the ACC. Fran Brown is in his […]
UNC's Peyton Seelmann Named ACC Linebacker of the WeekUNC’s Peyton Seelmann was named the ACC’s Linebacker of the Week Monday in recognition of his performance in the Tar Heels’ 24-20 win at Duke. Peyton Seelmann is your ACC Linebacker of the week! pic.twitter.com/ddQ4wQ3Jkk — Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) October 19, 2026 Seelmann was all over the field Saturday in Durham, leading all players with […]
UNC Men's Basketball Unranked in 2026-27 Preseason AP PollMichael Malone’s Tar Heels will not be ranked at the outset of the 2026-27 season. The AP Top 25 preseason poll was published Monday morning, and UNC was not included. Florida reigns supreme at No. 1 in the poll, followed by No. 2 Duke, No. 3 Illinois, No. 4 UConn and No. 5 Arizona. Elsewhere […]
›
