DR. JAMES R. LANIER – As an alumnus of North Carolina A&T State University (class of 1969), Dr. James Lanier, affectionately known as Jim, exemplified a level of commitment to the University that serves as a model for others. Jim personified all that is right about staying intentionally connected to the University that helped to shape his life’s path. He clearly recognized the impact that the University had on his personal and professional life and he was lovingly aggressive in “giving back.”

As former President of the DC Aggie Club, now the Aggie Athletic Foundation, his influential leadership helped advance the mission and priorities of this organization. His commitment to excellence and his dedication were the blueprint for the Aggie Athletic Foundation to achieve great heights.

Jim loved being an Aggie and one of his most memorable events occurred in 2000 when he served as Honorary Coach at an A&T football game. On Aggie Club sponsored road trips, Jim would often front the travel expense as the “Trail Boss.” Jim’s labor of love for the athletics organization, and our alma mater, is an eternal ideal that each Aggie should aspire to have. He displayed the true meaning of “Aggie Pride.”