11:55 am Robert ‘Rab’ and Nita Summers receive TBR Chancellor’s Award
JOHNSON CITY — Robert T. “Rab” and Nita Wilkes Summers were presented the Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy on Feb. 17 by Regent Paul Montgomery during the East Tennessee State University Distinguished President’s Trust Dinner.
Photo Contributed - Rab and Nita Summers
They were nominated for this award by ETSU.
“Your steadfast, generous stewardship and leadership for the university certainly have enabled the university to provide critically needed resources for the students of our region and academic and athletic programs as well,” ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland wrote in a congratulatory letter.
In presenting the award, Montgomery noted that Rab Summers is a native of East Tennessee and the third-generation owner of Summers-Taylor Inc., a leading highway construction firm in the region. Nita, a native of South Carolina, was educated in speech therapy. They have two children — Grant, who graduated from Duke University, and Lena, a graduate of ETSU, who played soccer and ran track at the university.
The letter of nomination to the TBR noted Mr. and Mrs. Summers “provided … leadership and support to develop what we believe is the finest intercollegiate soccer stadium in the Atlantic Sun Conference.”
Summers-Taylor Stadium, named in their honor, provides game and practice facilities for the Buccaneer men’s and women’s soccer teams. The facility was built through the Reaching Higher campaign and fulfills a major component of the university’s master plan.
Rab and Nita Summers’ support of ETSU athletics also includes membership in the Buccaneer Athletics Scholarship Association and the Hoops Club, as well as giving to the men’s and women’s golf teams. Summers-Taylor was a key philanthropic partner in the development of the Warren-Greene Golf Center at ETSU.
In addition to their support of intercollegiate athletics, Mr. and Mrs. Summers have made significant gifts to the prestigious Roan Scholars Leadership Program at ETSU, including the funding of annual scholarships that provide full tuition, room and board, and books for worthy student leaders. They have also supported the Division of Theatre and Dance, the Rondal Cole Research Laboratory, the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, nursing scholarships, and more.
Rab and Nita Summers have been recognized by the university as President’s Trust Gold Society members for their lifetime giving, and they were also named Honorary Alumni by the ETSU Alumni Association in 2006.
Both the TBR Chancellor’s Award and the Regents’ Award recognize people and organizations that have clearly demonstrated generosity of time and resources to TBR institutions, encouraged others, promoted higher education and provided examples of ethical leadership, civic responsibility and integrity.
Chancellor’s Awards are presented at select occasions hosted by the nominating entity. Previous ETSU award recipients include Rolland and Sharon Boles (2011), James Martin and the late Mary B. Martin (2010), Janette “Janey” Campbell Diehl (2008), Dr. May Louise Votaw and the late Dr. Charles L. Votaw (2007), Dr. Guy B. Wilson Jr. (2006), Louis H. Gump (2005), the late Stuart E. Wood Jr. (2004) and Eastman Chemical Co. (2003).
The TBR is the nation’s sixth largest higher education system, governing 45 post-secondary educational institutions. The TBR system includes six universities, 13 two-year colleges and 26 technology centers, providing programs to over 180,000 students in 90 of Tennessee’s 95 counties.
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