蘑菇短视频

The new hospitality level atrium on the fourth floor of the westside stands expansion at Western Carolina University鈥檚 E.J. Whitmire Stadium has been named in recognition of philanthropic support from alumni Larry and Mary Arbaugh. 

Located in the new Phillips Football Center, the Larry and Mary Arbaugh Atrium is among several athletics facilities spaces christened with the names of donors who made leadership gifts during WCU鈥檚 recently concluded 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� comprehensive fundraising campaign. 

Supporters of the university for more than 45 years, the couple made a $100,000 contribution through the campaign, which had a significant focus on garnering philanthropic support for improvements to facilities used by 蘑菇短视频student-athletes. 

The Arbaughs鈥� relationship to the institution goes back years prior to either of them enrolling as students at WCU, said Larry Arbaugh, who was raised in Cullowhee and graduated from Cullowhee High School in 1975. 

鈥溎⒐蕉淌悠� has been consequential in our lives for more than 60 years. My father was a professor at 蘑菇短视频from the early 1960s through the early 1980s, and I spent my youth growing up in Cullowhee,鈥� he said. His father, Lawrence Glenn Arbaugh Sr., served as an accounting professor in the College of Business for 20 years. 

鈥淢y life intertwined with the university even before becoming a student. Mary and I met at 蘑菇短视频and were married after graduation. We are both bonded to 蘑菇短视频and feel a strong need to support the university that has meant so much to us,鈥� said Arbaugh, a 1979 graduate of 蘑菇短视频with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in physics. Mary Arbaugh is a 1979 graduate of WCU with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in marketing. 

After graduating, the Arbaughs left Western North Carolina to embark upon careers, but not before joining the Catamount Club to start their lengthy track record of supporting 蘑菇短视频and its athletics program.  

He went on to earn a master鈥檚 degree in physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1981, while she earned a bachelor's degree in accountancy at Arizona State University in 1985. 

Larry Arbaugh had a 22-year career with Motorola from 1981 to 2003, progressing to the role of manager of the company鈥檚 image capture operations area. After leaving Motorola, he founded VisionMOS International, a multimedia engineering consulting company in Mesa, Arizona.  

Mary Arbaugh worked as an accounting manager for several manufacturing companies in Arizona and founded Turquoise Sky Properties, a limited liability corporation. 

Cullowhee called the couple back home in 2011, when Larry Arbaugh began a new role as WCU鈥檚 associate athletics director of administration. That experience helped cultivate a better understanding of the funding disparity between athletics programs at larger institutions and those in smaller conferences, such as the Southern Conference in which the Catamounts compete, he said. He retired from 蘑菇短视频in 2020. 

鈥淲hen Mary and I returned to live in the mountains and I had the privilege of having a second career working in the Division of Athletics at WCU, it gave me a deep insight into the financial challenges that a mid-major athletics department faces,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ithout the benefit of television revenue-sharing that the major conferences enjoy, donor support is absolutely vital in providing the difference-making revenues that allow the department to go beyond survival to competing for championships.鈥� 

After moving back to Western North Carolina, Mary Arbaugh became active with WCU鈥檚 Friends of the Arts Advancement Council and served as co-chair of the Friends of the Arts silent auction. She also was a trustee for the Balsam Mountain Trust. 

鈥淢usic has always been central to my life. I have sung in choirs for as long as I can remember, including the 蘑菇短视频Concert Choir and Madrigal Singers during my time as a student,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen we returned to the mountains, I was excited to support philanthropic efforts for the arts at 蘑菇短视频and assist with fundraising for Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI), the international music fraternity.鈥�  

Larry is a former member of the Catamount Club Board of Directors, and Mary currently serves on the 蘑菇短视频Foundation Board of Directors, where she chairs the finance and audit committee. 

In addition to supporting 蘑菇短视频student-athletes and the arts, the Arbaughs established three scholarship funds in memory of their daughter, Katherine, who was left paraplegic after a 1998 car accident and required constant care until her death nine years later. The scholarships support graduate students in communication sciences and disorders, nursing and physical therapy, honoring the clinical professionals who cared for Katherine. 

The Larry and Mary Arbaugh Atrium is part of a $37 million upgrade of WCU鈥檚 aging E.J. Whitmire Stadium. The much-discussed renovations have become a reality thanks to contributions to the 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� campaign and mandatory fees paid by WCU students as part of their cost of attendance, along with support from the state of North Carolina enabling the facility to be transformed into an emergency operations center during times of crisis. 

The atrium is located at the entrance to a new hospitality area called the 鈥淲estern Skybox鈥� as an homage to the campaign making the improvements possible. The hospitality level is designed to offer a premium experience for more than 200 guests. 

鈥淣ot only are Larry and Mary Arbaugh among our most faithful supporters of Catamount athletics as well as other areas of the university, but they are two of my favorite people,鈥� said Kyle Pifer, WCU鈥檚 director of athletics. 鈥淚t is appropriate that their names be attached to the entrance to the hospitality area where other loyal and enthusiastic donors will gather to cheer on the Catamounts. Their ongoing generosity to their alma mater is greatly appreciated.鈥� 

In addition to the westside expansion, enhanced LED lighting, an upgraded video board and a new artificial playing surface will bring the stadium renovation total price tag to $40 million. The improvements are slated for their public debut during the 2026 season鈥榮 first home football game Saturday, Aug. 29, as WCU hosts Eastern Kentucky University. 

Launched shortly after the 2019 arrival of Kelli R. Brown as WCU鈥檚 12th chancellor, 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� marked the third comprehensive fundraising campaign in university history 鈥� and the first with a major emphasis on athletics facilities. 

The campaign began with a goal of $75 million in philanthropic support to improve the overall student experience through the university鈥檚 academic, global and community engagement, and athletics programs. That goal was later increased to $100 million. Announcement of the final tally raised during the campaign will come in late August. 

For more information about the campaign, visit the website .