It all started with a football game.
In 1949, the Tar Heels were scheduled to play Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium. After setting his mind on attending the game, A.E. Finley quickly discovered that tickets could not be found. Determined to attend the game, Mr. Finley reached out to the University of North Carolina’s golf coach, Chuck Erickson. The coach happened to have a number of tickets reserved for donors of UNC Athletics. Even though Mr. Finley was one of the most generous philanthropists in the area, he had not yet contributed to the University of North Carolina. The timing was perfect for Chuck Erickson to share more about the University’s need to renovate it’s 9-hole golf course. Mr. Finley committed to help and was able to attend the game. Shortly after his return, the heavy equipment to rebuild the golf course arrived at UNC, which was completed in 1950 and renamed as the UNC Finley Golf Course.
After completing the first major renovation of the course, Mr. Finley’s philanthropic involvement continued by funding the second nine holes at UNC Finley Golf Course. And the dollars never stopped there, as Mr. Finley contributed funding to major structures and maintenance at the course, trophies for tournaments and more.
Mr. Finley passed away in 1989, but his philanthropic contributions to the UNC Finley Golf Course have continued through the A.E. Finley Foundation. The Foundation provided the lead gifts for the course’s redesign in 1999 and the clubhouse addition in 2012, as well as ongoing funds for annual operating needs.
