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Ingram, 84, geology professor

Roy Lee Ingram, a retired professor of geology, died Oct. 3 at the age of 84.

Ingram, who served as a UNC professor for more than four decades, showed a consistent dedication to teaching, loved ones said.

"He loved Carolina first," said his wife Jacqueline Ingram.

During his 44-year career at the University, Roy Ingram served two terms as chairman of the geology department.

"He was very careful and organized, which made him an excellent administrator," said John Dennison, a former colleague of Roy Ingram's in the geology department.

Roy Ingram was born March 12, 1921 in Mamers. After graduating as the valedictorian from Selma High School, he attended the University from 1937 to 1941.

He graduated from UNC with a degree in geology and then earned a master's degree in geology from the University of Oklahoma.

Roy Ingram then served as a captain in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

When he returned to the U.S., he earned a doctorate in geology from the University of Wisconsin and began his career as a professor of geology at UNC in 1947.

Roy Ingram's 44-year career is one of the longest in University history.

During his many years at the University, Roy Ingram left a legacy of strong theses, colleagues said.

"One of his papers is the most widely used in the entire department," Dennison said.

"I carried it around years before I met him. He was a man of very few words, but when he used them, they were short, precise and careful."

Roy Ingram also had input in the redesigning of Mitchell Hall, the geology building.

"He had a sense of what should be there and to plan for the future," Dennison said.

Roy Ingram's family members said he was committed to learning.

Jacqueline and his son Keith Ingram, also geologists, said he rarely took his work home with him, except one research project involving mud samples.

"He brought in mud samples in ice cream cartons," Jacqueline Ingram laughed.

"Have you ever smelled drying mud?" Keith Ingram asked with a smile.

Roy Ingram, an avid Carolina basketball fan, played an important role in basketball players' educations, Dennison said.

"Michael went to summer school for geology and Roy Ingram was his professor. He gave Michael Jordan his grade in geology."

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Friends and family emphasize the contributions Roy Ingram made to the University through his love for teaching.

Family members ask that all donations be sent to the "Roy L. Ingram Research and Teaching Award," UNC department of geological sciences, 107 Mitchell Hall, CB #3315, Chapel Hill, NC 27599.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.

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