Media Contact: Maddy Elledge
(706) 379-5319, [email protected]
Former President of the Carolina Panthers Dr. Danny Morrison to Deliver Young Harris College Commencement Address
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – Former president of the Carolina Panthers Dr. Danny Morrison will deliver the address for Young Harris College’s 2018 Commencement ceremony to be held on Saturday, May 5, at 10:30 a.m. in the Recreation and Fitness Center on the YHC campus.
“I am thrilled to welcome Danny to Young Harris as our Commencement speaker,” said YHC President Dr. Drew Van Horn. “Danny is a personal friend and was a coach of mine during my time as a student-athlete at Elon College. His passion for innovation and success is evident through his numerous accolades, and I’m confident his words will inspire our graduates on this special day.”
Dr. Morrison served as president of the Carolina Panthers for eight years, leading the organization to unparalleled heights of innovation. Through his commitment to customer service and providing the highest quality fan experience, Dr. Morrison coordinated a three-year $112.5 million renovation plan for Bank of America Stadium that included stadium upgrades, installation of a state-of-the-art distributed antenna system for cellular service, suite updates and training camp facility upgrades. At the league level, he served as chair of the NFL subcommittee on college relations and on working groups for fan experience and coaches’ benefits.
Prior to joining the Panthers, Dr. Morrison served for five seasons as director of athletics at Texas Christian University (TCU) where he directed the development of the athletics program into one of the most successful in the nation. His career in higher education began at Elon College in 1980 where he served as assistant athletics director, assistant basketball coach, head tennis coach and mathematics instructor.
He then became the director of athletics at Wofford College and later went on to become senior vice president of the College. It was at Wofford that his association with Carolina Panthers first began by coordinating a fundraising effort to refurbish its facilities in order to host an NFL training camp. Carolina has now conducted training camp at Wofford for 21 consecutive years, and is regarded as the most fan-friendly camp in the NFL.
From 2001-2005, Dr. Morrison was commissioner of the Southern Conference where he established numerous progressive initiatives, fostered corporate partnerships and expanded the conference’s television schedule through various networks.
Dr. Morrison has served on the board of directors for the Charlotte Sports Foundation, Charlotte Regional Partnership, Charlotte Center City Partners, and Project Life as well as on the board of ambassadors for Levine Children’s Hospital. In 2002, he was inducted into Wofford College’s Athletics Hall of Fame and currently serves on the institution’s Board of Trustees.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Wofford College. Dr. Morrison went on to earn a master’s of education in administration and supervision from the University of North Carolina and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of South Carolina.
Dr. Morrison is currently the professor of practice at the University of South Carolina in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. Together, he and his wife Peggy have two children, Trey and Meg.
Approximately 258 students, the College’s largest graduating baccalaureate class to date, are scheduled to participate in the graduation ceremony, receiving bachelor’s degrees in art, biology, business and public policy, chemistry, communication studies, creative writing, education, English, history, mathematics, music, music education, musical theatre, outdoor leadership, psychology, religious studies, Spanish and theatre.
About Young Harris College
Young Harris College is a private, baccalaureate degree-granting college located in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. Founded in 1886 and historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Young Harris College educates, inspires and empowers students through the highest quality liberal arts education. The College currently has more than 1,100 students across five divisions—Education, Fine Arts, Humanities, Mathematics and Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The historic campus in Young Harris, Ga., has completed major campus improvements to accommodate the College’s growth. Recent LEED-certified campus improvements include the 121,000-square-foot Rollins Campus Center, new residence facilities, and a 57,000-square-foot recreation and fitness center. The College is an active member of NCAA Division II and remains a fierce competitor in the prestigious Peach Belt Conference. YHC is among fewer than 300 colleges and universities nationwide named to the 2017-2018 list of Colleges of Distinction and is listed as a “Best National Liberal Arts College” by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit yhc.edu.
###