“On occasion, Appalachian State University honors individuals who have made significant contributions to our university by conferring upon them honorary degrees. Today is such an occasion for recognizing the achievements of a remarkable individual, Barbara Freiman.”
Barbara’s contributions to Appalachian State University are exemplary. Since her very first gift in 1989, she has supported the university with annual gifts each year for 29 consecutive years.
Together, she, her late husband, Larry and their family supported the University Libraries, An Appalachian Summer Festival and the Hayes school of music, including establishing 3 endowments for student scholarships and guest artist residencies.
In every sense, Barbara Freiman embodies the spirit of service, generosity and excellence that Appalachian State seeks to honor. Her vision has enriched our campus in a multitude of ways and her impact will be felt for generations. She represents the very best of what we hope to inspire in our students and Alumni, a life lived in thoughtful service to others, driven by conviction and compassion.”
Musical Tribute and Reception
In addition, a musical tribute reception honoring Dr. Freiman was held on Sunday, December 7, in the Broyhill Music Center sponsored by the Hayes School of Music, the University Libraries and An Appalachian Summer Festival.
The program featured a musical selection, “Trio for Piano, Violin and Horn, Op. 40” by Johannes Brahms. The piece featured Dr. James Douthit on piano, Dr. Pedro Maia on violin and Dr. Dakota Corbliss on horn.
Sue Polanka, Dean of Libraries, shared a poem commissioned for the occasion by Library Professor Allan Scherlen entitled “Legacy in the Library”. In addition, Dean Polanka presented Barbara Freiman with a cord given to Library graduates as they receive degrees.
Amauris Pena, tenor (Class of ‘28) from the studio of Dr. Joseph Amaya was accompanied by Dr. James Douthit. Pena sang a selection from Vainment, ma bien-aimee from Le Roi D’ys (The King of Y’s) by Edouard Lalo.
Barbara Frieman shared personal remarks, and the event concluded with a selection by Dr. Joby Bell on the pipe organ entitled Toccatta by John Weaver.
Dean Sue Polanka said, “I cannot think of another individual as well deserving of this award than Barbara Freiman. She is a wonderful, active supporter of the University Libraries. We appreciate her!”
Legacy in the Library
Poem commissioned in honor of Barbara Foard Freiman, on the occasion of her receiving an honorary degree from Appalachian State University.
December, 2025
Passing by the library’s makerspace
she hears the hum of creation,
students coaxing masks from molten plastic,
bones from filaments,
costumes stitched with quiet resolve.
In comers, circuits spark to life,
soldered with care,
ideas leaping from mind to hand,
each invention a whisper
of what might come next.
Some gifts are not loud–
they arrive as open doors,
as scholarships for students,
as rooms where silence
becomes sanctuary.
In the Freiman Family Study Room,
its hush is a kind welcome.
Here, solitude is not loneliness,
but a place to begin again,
to imagine, to write, to rest.
It takes her belief in futures unseen,
in the slow bloom of learning,
to build such spaces–
to leave behind
a legacy that nurtures.
-Allan Scherlen
Professor Allan Scherlen is an accomplished poet and social science librarian at Appalachian State University Libraries. The mountains and the music of the region have inspired his poetry. They appear in many journals including the Appalachian Journal, As the Crow Flies, Progenitor, Vermilion of the Catholic University of America, The Hong Kong Review, and Galway Review in Ireland.
Dr. Jobe Bell and Barbara Freiman enter Fall 2025 Commencement – Photograph by University Communications
Dr. James Douthit, Dean Sue Polanka, Barbara Freiman
Library Staff: Dean Sue Polanka, Greta Browning, Mark Coltrain, Allan Scherlen, Lynn Patterson