Gaston’s Fourth President: Joseph Mills
When Joseph Mills became Gaston College’s fourth president in July 1975, he was promoted from his position as vice president. A University of Kentucky graduate, Mills became an educator after working for four radio stations and two television stations. Also a writer for the U.K. college newspaper, Mills taught high school English while earning his…
Gaston’s Third President: Woodrow Sugg
Gaston College’s third president was a familiar local name with loads of experience as an educator. Woodrow B. “Woody” Sugg was an Eastern N.C. native with deep roots in the county who was also directly involved in the opening of Gaston College. A 1935 graduate of old South Edgecombe High School in Pinetops, Sugg graduated…
Gaston’s Second President: William Cottingham
When Gaston College lost its first president in February 1967, it needed an interim president while the school’s Board of Trustees pursued a permanent replacement. Dr. William T. Cottingham, who had been Gaston College’s dean of instruction when Dr. Bob Benson resigned, was appointed as the school’s interim president. Cottingham remained dean of instruction while…
Gaston’s First President: Robert Benson
When Gaston College began in 1964, it wanted a dynamic president to raise the school’s profile and build a foundation for the future. The school found its man in Crayton Robert “Bob” Benson, Jr. Not only was Benson a former college football star, he was also a part of the U.S. Military’s D-Day invasion during…