“Real dear to me,” is the way Gary Ingram describes how he feels about Ferrum College. Ingram graduated with an associate degree in Chemistry from Ferrum College in 1977 when it was still a junior college. A Franklin County and a Ferrum community native, Ingram says that the College was a big influence in his life before he ever became a student.

Growing up, he spent many hours on the Ferrum campus with friends whose parents worked at the College and has fond memories of playing basketball in the gym with those friends. The Ferrum College influence extended even to his extracurricular activities as his Boy Scout leader was a math and physics professor at the College.

After becoming a student at Ferrum, Ingram says that he enjoyed his math classes and even received a mathematics award during his time at the College. He also played tennis under legendary tennis coach Bud Skeens.

“Ferrum College is helpful,” Ingram says, “Like a family.” He refers to the College’s motto of “Not Self, But Others” stating that, “If you get that one principle, you will go far in life.” Ingram continues to give back to the College and urges other alumni to do the same: “Ferrum College is so important to the community. It offers students a diverse range of academics and gives so many students the opportunity to attend college that might not be able to attend otherwise.” One other attraction, he adds, is that most of the professors live and serve in the communities around Ferrum College.

Since graduating, Ingram has enjoyed a successful career in the glass and mirror industry. He has been part-owner in Finch Industries for 20 years. The company is a leading supplier in North America of decorative glass and mirror products that are used in the furniture, medicine cabinet, manufactured housing, RV, and decorative wall industries. He also helped build the Rocky Mount Bowling Center located about 12 miles north of the Ferrum College campus. He sold the business to its current owners after running it for a few years. Ingram currently lives in North Carolina near the Greensboro area with his wife of 33 years, Georgeanne. He’s also the proud dad of daughters Laura, Meg and Marci, and granddaughters Emma, Natalie, and Abigail.

Although a lot has changed since his days running around campus as a kid, he still finds time to visit. His last time on campus? The Folklife Festival in 2019. With each visit, Ingram reflects on how much Ferrum has meant to him and how much he owes to his hometown college.

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