From left to right are Mark Hale, attorney, Dr. Rusty Hunt, LCC President, Bill Pittman, the Lamm’s nephew, and Jeanne Kennedy, LCC Foundation Executive Director.

The estate of William S. “Bill” and Melda B. Lamm has left more than $1 million to the Lenoir Community College Foundation, one of the largest gifts in LCC’s history.

The Lamms’ nephew Don Pittman and attorney Mark Hale presented LCC President Dr. Rusty Hunt and LCC Foundation Executive Director Jeanne Kennedy with the funds recently at the College. 

Hale, the attorney for the Lamm estate, says the couple left equal funds for five charities:

• Lenoir Community College Foundation

• Foundation of Wayne Community College

• Madison Avenue Baptist Church in Goldsboro

• First Baptist Church of Kinston

• Salvation Army

The total gift from the Lamm estate to the Foundation comes to $1,059,177.70.

Bill Lamm served as a member of the LCC Golf Tournament Committee in the mid-2000s and he and his wife, Melda, were sponsors of the tournament that raised funds for the College scholarship program. An avid golfer, Bill regularly played in the tournament.

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Lamm family,” LCC President Dr. Rusty Hunt said. “This gift will make the difference in the lives of our students.”

LCC Foundation Executive Director Jeanne Kennedy agreed. “We are thankful for this generous gift and the Lamms’ connection to the College.”

About the Lamms
The Lamms were Wilson County natives. Bill died in 2020 and was followed this year by Melda.  Both were 91 at the time of their passing. They were married for almost 70 years.
Melda graduated from the Carolina General School of Nursing in Wilson as a registered nurse and worked at Cherry Hospital for 31 years. Both Melda and Bill were active members of First Baptist Church in Kinston where they served on several committees.  They were also members of Madison Avenue Baptist Church in Goldsboro, both serving on committees. Melda was the nursery director for many years and Bill was a deacon.

Bill served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II and was stationed in Japan.
He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agromony from the College of Agriculture and Life Science (CALS) at North Carolina State University in 1953 and was awarded a Master’s Degree in Adult Education from NCSU in 1964. He was an avid Wolfpack fan and a lifelong member of the Wolfpack Club. He served as a board member and president of the NCSU Alumni Association and a member of the NCSU Chancellor’s Circle. The couple were supporters of the JC Raulston Arboretum at the university. He served on the NCSU CALS Alumni and Friends Society board. Bill and Melda established an endowment awarding scholarships to CALS students in agronomy and traditional agriculture programs.

Bill started his career in Wayne County in 1953 with the Agriculture Extension Service for North Carolina State University, working as a 4-H agent. From 1954 through 1973 he served as the Wayne County Agriculture Extension Tobacco Agent. He worked as the Lenoir County Extension Director from 1973 until 1984, when he retired with 31 years of service to the agency.
His work in agriculture continued with stints as an agronomist with the North Carolina
Department of Agriculture, an agricultural consultant and sales representative for several companies, and a member of the Advisory Board for the Lenoir County Agriculture Extension Service Advisory Board. Bill organized the Wayne County Young Farmers Organization and was instrumental in the organization of the North Carolina Tobacco Growers Association and the Annual North Carolina Young Farmers Forum. He was a member of the board of directors for the Tobacco Farm Life Museum in Kenly. In 2008, Bill was honored for his outstanding contributions to agriculture with the Excellence in Agriculture Award from the Tobacco Farm Life Museum and induction into the Wayne County Agricultural Hall of Fame