Alumna Joan Danieley '82 makes generous estate gift to endow professorship
The Joan Danieley Distinguished Professorship will support a faculty scholar in any field of study whose teaching and research explore family histories and how individuals and societies navigate issues of reconciliation.
The fields of study may include, but are not limited to, history, psychology, sociology, human service studies, English and communications. Topics of reconciliation may include the legacy of slavery, the aftermath of Nazi Germany, displacement of Native Americans, internment of Japanese Americans and the contemporary political divide.
Danieley, who is the niece of the late Elon President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley '46 , is passionate about the lessons society and individuals can learn from exploring issues of identity, ancestry and cultural heritage.
Danieley was deeply moved after watching the PBS documentary series, "Finding Your Roots," hosted by renowned Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The series explores the ancestry of celebrities and other well-known individuals from diverse backgrounds, some of whom have discovered family connections to slavery and the Holocaust. By taking viewers deep into the past, Gates seeks to demonstrate our common humanity.
"As I watched 'Finding Your Roots,' I was stunned by how family history and reconciling our pasts impacts us today," Danieley said. "All these years later, the impact is palpable and the reconciliation continues."
Danieley recalled learning about her own family history after reading the book, "Shuttle & Plow: A History of Alamance County, North Carolina," written by Elon Professor Emerita Carole W. Troxler and William Vincent. Danieley said the book "completely changed my life."
"In that book, they wrote about slavery and that my great-great-grandfather, Henry Hubbard Danieley, was rabidly anti-slavery," she said. "But my great-grandmother's family owned lots of slaves. We are all a mixture of contradictions upon which we layer the values we choose as our personal values."
Elon's values inspired Danieley to make her estate gift to establish the professorship, which she hopes will encourage meaningful discussions among students and faculty.
"Elon's commitment to diversity, integrity, collaboration and respect for differences aligned with my values," she said. "Putting Elon in my will acknowledges Elon's effect on who I became and who I strive to be."
The Danieley family's roots run deep at Elon. Earl Danieley was one of North Carolina's strongest advocates for higher education. Beloved by generations of students and alumni who knew him as "Dr. D," Earl Danieley grew up on a farm in Alamance County, North Carolina, not far from the Elon campus. He earned his degree in chemistry in 1946 and later that year joined the Elon faculty to teach chemistry, beginning a remarkable career that spanned 70 years. In 1957, at age 32, Danieley was named the sixth president of then-Elon College and guided the college to a new level of quality during his 16-year term, making improvements in academic standards and faculty credentials. He retired from the presidency in 1973 and returned to the classroom to teach, later serving in a variety of administrative positions. He passed away in 2016 at age 92.
"My ancestors agreed on their love for Elon University and its influence on its students and community," Joan Danieley said. "It was there that I began to get clarity on my values and the willingness to discuss these complex issues. I hope my donation will further this conversation and ultimately improve the reconciliation among diverse communities with differing histories, social norms and how we came into being."
Provost Rebecca Kohn thanked Danieley for investing in faculty scholars and student learning.
"The entire Elon community is indebted to Joan Danieley for recognizing the importance of investing in life-changing teacher-scholar-mentors who play an essential role in preparing students for success on campus and beyond," Kohn said.
"This gift is a powerful example of how philanthropy can advance rigorous scholarship, while also creating space for courageous, necessary conversations," said Leanna Giles '02, associate director of planned giving.
Danieley, a retired health care executive, earned her Elon degree in physical education and health from the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education in 1982 and earned master's and law degrees from Tulane University.
"Leaving a legacy of love and reconciliation is how I want to be remembered," she said. "It's as simple as that."