In 2003, Monty and Nancy White established the White Seed Grant Fund to provide seed grant support for UNC Lineberger faculty research. The couple agrees it is one of the smartest investments they’ve ever made, and they envision a day when the seed grant funding will spark a discovery that leads to a cure.
Monty and Nancy White met as undergraduates at UNC-Chapel Hill, and like most Tar Heels, the couple’s devotion to the place we call “Blue Heaven” has become stronger through the years. “Even after we graduated from Carolina in 1970, we found ourselves coming back time and time again, attending sporting events and enjoying the company of good friends,” says Nancy. “We have roots here. It’s always been our home-away-from-home.”
Monty grew up in Raleigh, working in his grandfather’s automotive parts business during summer vacations and in the years following his graduation from UNC. The family eventually sold the automotive parts business to CARQUEST, and then in 1987, he and his brother Bill, also a UNC alum, began a real estate company called White Oak Commercial. “That’s when Nancy and I began investing more of our time, energy and resources into the academic and research needs of the university.”
For years, Nancy has been active on various UNC boards, including The Institute for the Environment and the College of Arts and Sciences. In 1998, Monty and Nancy were asked to join the UNC Lineberger Board of Visitors, and they happily accepted the invitation. “Cancer has directly affected our lives in very personal ways,” says Nancy. “Monty’s father died of lung cancer when he was 71, and I lost my mother to the same disease when she was just 69. My father passed away from melanoma at age 93. As you can imagine, UNC Lineberger’s cancer research is a cause near and dear to our hearts.”
In 2003, Monty and Nancy established the White Seed Grant Fund, which was designed to provide seed grant support for UNC Lineberger faculty research. The couple agrees it is one of the smartest investments they’ve ever made.
“When Nancy and I attend Lineberger board meetings, we get excited hearing about cutting edge technology, new clinical trials and lives being saved,” says Monty. “We realize there is hope. Researchers and physicians are making progress in fighting this horrible disease, and scientific breakthroughs are happening right here in Chapel Hill. We want to be a part of that success. One day our seed grant fund could help spark a discovery that leads to a cure. That is money well-spent.”