Poised, graceful, and eloquent, Nanci Tolbert Nance accepted her award as the University Libraries 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award on July 12 at the 2025 Awards Gala.
The gala was held at the Grandview Ballroom of the North End Zone Facility. Each year, the Appalachian State Alumni Association acknowledges individuals whose exceptional professional, philanthropic, or volunteer achievements have impacted society and Appalachian State University.
Nanci Tolbert Nance has served as a member of the App State Library Advisory Board for eight years, and has been a longtime supporter of many initiatives at the university, including the Library Student Employee Scholarship.
We are thrilled and delighted for Nanci Tolbert Nance! Please find her bio below and click this link to the article in the Appalachian Today.
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Nanci Tolbert Nance attended Appalachian State Teachers College from 1960 to 1963 and graduated from Appalachian State University in 1973 with a master’s degree in English/secondary education. After more than 30 years of teaching, she retired as chair of the English department at Watauga High School in 1996.
Nance has served Southern Wayne High School, Appalachian State University and Watauga High School, volunteered at institutions, including Valle Crucis School and Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, and been active in the North Carolina English Teachers Association and National Council of Teachers of English.
Nance met her husband, Larry, when they were students at Appalachian State Teachers College, and their son, Geoffrey, was born in Watauga County Hospital, now known as Watson-Brumit Hall.
Nance continues to be an engaged member of the university community. She is a member of the University Libraries Council, supports the Library Student Employee Scholarship Fund and serves as volunteer librarian and Community Council member for the university’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies. Nance and her husband also support the Yosef Club and An Appalachian Summer, and are members of An Appalachian Summer’s Founders Society.
