Howard University to Receive $1 Million Scholarship Endowment Following Policy Changes at UNCW

A longtime donor family at the University of North Carolina Wilmington is moving a $1 million scholarship endowment to Howard University rather than alter language designed to support African American students, according to a report by Rachel Keith of WHQR Public Media in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Linda Upperman Smith, whose family established the scholarship in honor of her late father, Dr. Leroy Upperman, said the family decided to transfer the endowment following notification that the scholarship language conflicted with the UNC System’s updated Equality Within the University of North Carolina policy.

According to WHQR’s reporting, university officials informed the family that the scholarship language would need to be revised to comply with the UNC System’s updated diversity policies. Rather than modify the scholarship’s original intent, the Upperman Smith family chose to relocate the entire endowment to Howard University.

“My father wanted to leave something that would reflect the Upperman name as well as do something to give back to the community that had supported him over the years,” Upperman Smith told WHQR.

Honoring a Legacy of Service

The scholarship was originally created to honor Dr. Leroy Upperman, who became one of the first Black physicians to practice in Wilmington after earning his medical degree from Howard University.

Upperman Smith said transferring the scholarship allows her family to preserve the vision her father had when it was first established. Rather than revise the scholarship’s intent, the family elected to move the endowment to an institution where Dr. Upperman’s original purpose could be honored.

Howard University Gains Historic Endowment

If completed, the transfer would direct future scholarship funds to Howard University students instead of those attending UNCW. Howard has long been one of the nation’s premier HBCU institutions and has educated generations of Black physicians, attorneys, educators and public servants. The university also played a pivotal role in Dr. Upperman’s education before he returned to Wilmington to serve his community.

The proposed transfer comes as universities across the country continue adjusting scholarship language and institutional policies following legal and political changes affecting diversity initiatives. The UNC System adopted its Equality Within the University of North Carolina policy in 2024, replacing previous diversity, equity and inclusion guidelines. Since then, campuses have reviewed scholarships, hiring practices and other programs to ensure compliance with the new policy.

According to Rachel Keith’s reporting for WHQR Public Media, the Upperman family viewed moving the scholarship as the best way to preserve the donor’s original intent while continuing to support Black student achievement. If finalized, Howard University would become the new home of the scholarship, ensuring Dr. Leroy Upperman’s legacy continues through future generations of students.

Originally reported by HBCU Gameday.