Burke County educator Maxine Cooper McCall wins App State alumni honor

Longtime Burke County educator, theater leader, historian, and philanthropist Maxine Cooper McCall received Appalachian State University’s 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award on July 11.

Maxine Cooper McCall, a 1960 and 1965 graduate of Appalachian State, received the university’s major alumni award from its College of Arts and Sciences on July 11 at ASU’s 2026 Alumni Awards Gala in the Grandview Ballroom of the North End Zone Facility.

“This year, the College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to recognize Maxine Cooper McCall ’60, ’65 (for her) lifelong commitment to education, theater, and community service exemplifies the spirit of the award,” the University said during recognition.

McCall graduated from what was then Appalachian State Teacher’s College in 1960 with a bachelor’s degree in English and library science. She returned for a master’s degree in English in 1965.

Her career has included work as a teacher, ordained minister, administrator, author, historian, consultant, and philanthropist. Across that work, Appalachian State said, theatre has remained a defining thread.

McCall’s interest in theater began at Appalachian, where it was then housed within the Department of English. She later used theatre not only as performance, but as a teaching tool and a way to help students and adults develop confidence, creativity, and communication skills.

That approach shaped some of her major work in Burke County, including a four-year pilot program in advanced English and humanities for academically gifted students. She also directed school and community productions, including Broadway musicals and the outdoor drama “From This Day Forward.”

“Experiencing the magic and power of theater — at that time under the purview of the Department of English — captured her imagination in ways that went beyond performance,” the University said. “She saw theater as a tool to enliven learning in the classroom and a powerful change agent to develop latent abilities in students and adults.”

McCall also helped guide curriculum development and teacher training in Burke County Schools for language arts, gifted education, and second languages across grades kindergarten through 12th grade.

Since retirement, McCall has continued supporting theater, English, and library programs at Appalachian State and throughout Burke County. Her projects and gifts have supported a mural in Sanford Hall, creative writing awards honoring former English professor and playwright David Hodgin, library support honoring former reference librarian Allie Hodgin, revitalized dance and office spaces, theater-related scholarships for education majors, and improvements to Valborg Theatre.

Those improvements have included a piano, updated lighting and sound equipment, and a renovated orchestra pit that allows collaboration between theater and dance and the Hayes School of Music for Broadway-style productions.

McCall also has served on several nonprofit boards at the local, state and national levels. At Appalachian State, she served on the advisory board for the Department of Theatre and Dance and has been recognized through membership in university giving societies.

Her broader service includes 15 years on the Board of Trustees for Anderson University in Indiana, 20 years as North Carolina Ministries Coordinator for the Church of God and six years on the board of directors for Warner Press. She also was founding director of the North Carolina Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Foundation, which awards grants and scholarships to North Carolina educators.

In Burke County, McCall played an instrumental role in supporting museum and theatre projects at the Drexel Museum, the Burke Arts Council, and the Historic Burke Courthouse in Morganton.

Since 2020, she has served as president of the North Carolina Society of Historians, which recognizes work preserving North Carolina history and heritage. During her tenure, projects with Appalachian State connections have earned the society’s President’s Award, including research tied to the Charles McDowell plantation near Morganton.

— AVN