The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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6 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ WOLFPACK CLUB NEWS For more information, contact our offices at 919-865-1500 CLUBS THE WITHIN THE WOLFPACK CLUB WOLFPACK CLUB Student WPC Benefits: membership T-shirt, online access to The Wolfpacker, premium student seating for football and basketball games, meetings with coaches and student-athletes, membership decal Junior WPC Benefits: membership T-shirt, membership card, membership decal, official Junior Wolfpack Club gift WOLFPACK CLUB Varsity Club Benefits: exclusive access to Varsity Club room before basketball games, reduced-price season tickets for football and men's basketball, free reserved parking with season tickets, invitation to sports reunion(s) Matt Black's family bleeds Wolfpack red. The first time his grandfather donned a football uniform, Rob- ert Emerson Black was lining up for NC State. The 1922 grad even once made the student newspa- per The Technician, which noted he had broken his collarbone. Matt still has that clipping. Robert Emerson Black Jr., fol- lowed in his father's footsteps, living at NC State's Tucker Hall when the well-known on-cam- pus dorm first opened and gradu- ating in 1952. Matt had a brother gradu- ate from NC State in 1984. He himself became a proud alum in 1991. For good measure, his wife, Pattie, is a 1988 grad, and their son Bobby kept the family tra- dition and finished his studies two years ago. Unsurprisingly, Matt Black has a life- time of memories surrounding Wolf- pack athletics. He was in Albuquerque, N.M., staying at the team hotel in 1983 when the Cardiac Pack won its famous national title. He can still recall former NC State running back Ted Brown driving from his home in Minnesota while playing for the NFL's Vikings to be there for that basketball title game in Albuquerque. "I can remember Ted walking to the lobby of the hotel with a big boom box on his shoulder, a great, big State cow- boy hat on and a trail of people follow- ing him," Black said. Black still has his notepad that all five starters from the 1983 men's basketball team signed. Almost as memorable to him is after completing his last exam his freshman year, he hopped into his packed car to head home, only to see a pedestrian flagging him down. "It's Coach [ Jim] Valvano," Black noted. "I rolled down my window, and he said, 'Can you give me a ride to my office? I'm late for a meeting.'" Black was almost destined to be an active member of the Wolfpack Club. His father sat on the board of direc- tors and was also a past president of the Alumni Association. "NC State University and NC State athletics have always been a huge part of my life," Black noted. "The Wolfpack Club is a way to give back to the NC State community. It helps the students. "I just think athletics are so far reach- ing from a community standpoint and stand out from a relationship stand- point. I think it's a good place to invest in young people." Through that belief, the Black family has made major contributions to en- dow scholarships in several nonrevenue sports. Black's tennis background has him invested in that sport. After college, Black worked his way up the management chain of ECMD, Inc., a millwork company in North Wil- kesboro, N.C., retiring as vice presi- dent. After taking some time for him- self, Black started Charles Grey, Inc., in Winston-Salem, N.C. The work in the week leads into the fun of the Saturdays in the fall, when Black and his family combine their 10 parking spots into a large tailgate at Carter-Finley Stadium. Otherwise, you are likely to catch Black on the golf course with his son or taking a fam- ily trip to the New River in Alleghany County. WPC DONOR SPOTLIGHT Matt Black Matt Black with his wife, Pattie, standing in front of the plaque honoring his father Robert E. Black Jr. at Carter-Finley Stadium. PHOTO COURTESY MATT BLACK