McGee family establishes endowment to support Early Childhood Education

HAMLET — The Richmond Community College Foundation held a special ceremony on Wednesday to celebrate the life of Hannah McGee, whose family established an endowment fund in her memory.

The Hannah Covington McGee Distinguished Professor of Early Childhood Education Endowment will support the faculty of the Early Childhood program at RichmondCC. Hannah was a distinguished classroom teacher specializing in kindergarten through third grade. She received special recognition in each school system in which she worked.

Dr. Jerry McGee, her husband, and their two sons, Ryan and Sam, felt this endowment at RichmondCC would be a befitting way to honor her memory in her hometown of Richmond County.

“When we decided to do some things to remember our dear Hannah, we thought of this place first,” McGee said. “Back when I was in my 20s and trying to figure out life, President Joe Nanney and J.C. Lamm took a chance on me and believed in me when very few people did.”

McGee started his career in education at RichmondCC when it was established as Richmond Technical Institute. He was employed in the Student Development Division, but he wore many hats including recruiter, admissions, counselor, teacher and coach.

McGee later served as vice president of three universities in the Carolinas, while Hannah was a dearly loved and universally respected elementary school teacher. The McGees completed their careers as president and first lady of Wingate University.

“Everywhere we went, people were never disappointed when I left,” McGee said wryly. “They were disappointed when Hannah left because she taught their children, and she was a great teacher.”

The daughter of Jack and Lib Covington, Hannah graduated from Rockingham High School as a class scholar and a cheerleader. She then graduated from the University of North Carolina-Pembroke with academic honors. She and McGee met in high school, but they did not marry until some years later in 1965.

Son Sam, of Charlotte, is a graduate of Wake Forest and Yale Law School. He is an attorney, published author and is legal counsel for the American Trial Lawyers Association.

Son Ryan, also of Charlotte, is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and is a senior writer for ESPN. He cohosts Marty and McGee on the SEC network. He has won five Emmys and published five books.

Ryan was not able to attend the ceremony on Wednesday due to a last-minute work assignment with ESPN, but Sam read from an email that Ryan had composed while on his trip.

“My mother loved being an educator. She was always drawn to those in whom she saw potential, even perhaps in whom others did not,” Ryan wrote. “My mother also loved this school, the place that changed the destiny of our family and over the years has brought us so many great memories.”

Sam also read from a book he had written about his mother in 2005, several years after her death. He wrote it so his daughter, Hannah, named in his mother’s honor, would know some things about the grandmother she had never met.

“When you asked her for advice, she actually gave it. She knew when to talk. She knew when to be quiet. She never once led me astray. She would have been an unbelievable grandmother,” Sam said.

Dr. Dale McInnis thanked the McGee family for entrusting the College with this opportunity and supporting the Early Childhood Education program.

“This program is about two things: It’s about making sure children are ready to go to school and have a great experience, and it’s about building the next generation of teachers,” McInnis said. “That’s what you believe in, that’s what Hannah believed in and that’s what we believe in.”