John Forlines Jr., left, and N. Allison Haltom receive the University Medal Thursday. With them is Professor Craufurd Goodwin, who delivered the ceremony's address. Photo credit: Megan Morr

Durham, NC - The following citations were read by President Richard H. Brodhead in presenting the University Medal for Distinguished Meritorious Service, one of Duke's highest honors, to John A. Forlines Jr. and N. Allison Haltom.

John A. Forlines Jr.

 Born in Graham, North Carolina, John A. Forlines Jr. grew up in Durham and graduated from Duke in 1939. He entered the U.S. Army in 1940; during World War II, he served overseas with the finance department of the Army. By 1954, he was back in Durham running the family hardware and appliance business when a new group of owners asked him to move to Granite Falls a hamlet in the furniture country of western North Carolina to reinvigorate the ailing Bank of Granite.

He agreed to become the bank's head, and in the intervening years, this self-described hard-working country boy became, in the view of many, the country's best-known community banker even as his bank became an emblem of sound stewardship. During his fifty-two years of leadership, he helped turn one of the state's smallest banks into the best known and most profitable community banks in the nation. Bank Director Magazine called it "a paragon of profitability." The magazine noted that famed investor Warren Buffett, during Berkshire Hathaway Corporation's annual meeting in 1996, extolled Mr. Forlines' bank for its efficiency and wondered aloud why big banks couldn't do as well. In order to meet the intense demand for information from investors following the Buffett comments, the bank had to reprint copies of its annual report.

"I am often asked how the Bank of Granite does so well compared with our peers and the industry generally," Mr. Forlines, a former president of the North Carolina Bankers Association, said some years ago at a professional meeting. "There is no magic formula. We think we have the best people, and we believe they work harder and with more dedication than our competition." He added that "we watch expenses like a hawk" and "try not to waste money," with the result that "our efficiency ratio is about twice as good as the average bank."

A recipient of the alumni association's Distinguished Alumni Award, Mr. Forlines served as president of the Duke Alumni Association in 1970-71 and as a Duke trustee from 1974 until 1990. He has also been on the board of DUMAC, which manages the university's endowment fund. He has also served as board chair of the North Carolina Community College Board and Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. A community leader, he headed the campaign to build the civic center in Caldwell County and has been active in promoting the Caldwell County Hospice.

Mr. Forlines has been inducted into the North Carolina Banking Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame, and has received one of the state's highest honors, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

N. Allison Haltom

Allison Haltom came to Duke as a student from Denton, North Carolina, and, until her retirement last December, never left. She has served for thirty-six years under four presidents in roles of increasing responsibility at Duke. Immediately after graduating from the former Woman's College of Duke in 1972, she joined the staff of the undergraduate admissions office. Four years later, she was named assistant director of annual giving; she was promoted to director of the Duke Annual Fund, the first woman to hold that position, in 1976.

Ms. Haltom became University Secretary in 1986 and was named vice president in 2001. In that role, she served as the primary liaison with the board of trustees; oversaw university ceremonies such as commencement, Founders' Day, and presidential inaugurations; and managed the hiring and review processes for senior university officials.

As a Duke volunteer, Ms. Haltom has served on the Duke Alumni Association's board of directors and has contributed to discussion of women's issues as a member of the Council on Women's Studies, the Steering Committee on the Status of Women, and the Committee on Child and Family Issues, which she chaired from 1993 to 1995.

Ms. Haltom's key roles have extended far beyond Duke. Recognized as a national leader in the field of board professionals, she was a founding member of the Association of Board Secretaries and was instrumental in the development of programs for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. She has also served on the board of the University of North Carolina at Asheville and currently serves on the boards of the North Carolina School of the Arts and the Hill Center of Durham, which honored her in 2006 with its Star Volunteer Leadership Award for outstanding service. The Durham Child Care Services Association also recognized Ms. Haltom's distinguished service as a member of its board with the Dorothy B. Graham Child Care Leadership Award in 2005.

President Richard H. Brodhead has praised Ms. Haltom for her "intelligence, warmth, savvy, and commitment." His predecessor, Nannerl O. Keohane, observed:
"As university secretary, she kept us focused on preparing for board meetings, provided accurate and elegant records of trustee activities, and regularly reminded us to keep trustees in the loop on crucial issues. In supporting the work of the university marshal she used her loyalty as an alumna, her strong sense of style, and her love of Duke ceremony to very good effect."