From Power Five to SoCon, English professor鈥檚 affinity for athletics leads to providing financial support
By Bill Studenc
With fond memories of attending intercollegiate sporting events during her undergraduate and graduate years at what are now considered 鈥淧ower Five鈥� athletics conferences, 甜瓜视频app professor of English Mae Miller Claxton has become a long-time supporter of the athletics program at the institution where she works.
Claxton, now in her 27th year as a faculty member at WCU, has been donating consistently to the Catamount Club since she first landed in Cullowhee after earning her bachelor鈥檚 and doctoral degrees at the University of Georgia and her master鈥檚 degree at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
鈥淲hile at these institutions, I enjoyed participating in athletic events with my friends. It truly was a key part of my student experience, one I wouldn鈥檛 trade,鈥� Claxton said. 鈥淗ere at WCU, I enjoy the community experience of sitting with friends and colleagues in the stands, watching the band, meeting alumni and seeing students outside of the classroom.鈥�
She began her career at WCU in 1996 as a visiting instructor, but her affinity for the university goes back longer than that. 鈥淚 learned about WCU during my time as a graduate student at UGA from two proud WCU alumni,鈥� she said.
She and husband David, retired head of the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at WCU, are regular faces in the crowd at Catamount athletics events.
鈥淟ast year, we really enjoyed the successful men鈥檚 basketball season and almost always go to the Southern Conference basketball tournament,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd we attend a lot of other sporting events, too鈥攖rack and field, baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball.鈥�
Mae Claxton
For the Claxtons, supporting WCU athletics has become somewhat of a family affair. 鈥淲e first brought our son, Brannan, to games when he was an infant, so it was always something fun we enjoyed doing as a family,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e live 10 minutes from campus, so our entertainment has always centered around campus activities.鈥�
Although not an alumna of WCU, Claxton is a faithful member of the Catamount Club, and she said it is important for faculty and staff at WCU to support the institution in ways beyond their work in the classrooms and day-to-day responsibilities.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about community and about supporting our students鈥攚hether it鈥檚 a play, a concert or a game. And it鈥檚 just something fun to do with friends and colleagues,鈥� she said. 鈥淐ollege should be about so much more than the classroom, and we have the benefit of being part of a small, close-knit community here in Cullowhee and Jackson County.鈥�
In addition to supporting Catamount athletics, Claxton and her husband also have established the Claxton Family Endowed Scholarship to provide financial assistance to students majoring in health and physical education.
鈥淥ur parents supported our higher education goals, and we wanted to honor them,鈥� she said. 鈥淪pecifically, David鈥檚 parents never had the opportunity to go to college, and yet all of their children have graduate degrees. My dad was in student affairs as the dean of men of a junior college. I grew up around a college campus.鈥�
Claxton is a member of the steering committee for the comprehensive 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $75 million in philanthropic support for the university鈥檚 academic, student engagement and athletics programs.
She also is among the more than 350 faculty and staff who go beyond their job duties by making financial contributions to WCU and who are recognized as members of the Shetland Society.
One of four giving societies established by the Division of Advancement in 2020 to celebrate the impact of philanthropy, the Shetland Society is named for the Shetland ponies that then-Chancellor A.C. Reynolds purchased in 1912 to haul supplies by cart back and forth from Sylva to campus.
A campaign to increase faculty and staff membership in the Shetland Society is underway through Friday, Oct. 20. For more information, contact Rebekah Cheney, director of annual giving, at 828-227-2868 or via email at rcheney@wcu.edu.
