The late Ben Ruffin, former chairman of the UNC Board of Governors, was honored last night with the University Award, the highest honor given by the university system board.

The posthumous award, which recognizes illustrious service to higher education in North Carolina, was presented to Ruffin's widow, Avon, and daughters, April and Benita, during a banquet at UNC-Chapel Hill, Jane Stancill reports.

Ruffin, a Durham native, civil rights activist, businessman and civic leader, was the first African-American chairman of the UNC board. He died unexpectedly last December at the age of 64.

"His spirit is here today," current Board of Governors Chairman Jim Phillips said this morning at the board's meeting.

Tributes to Ruffin were offered last night by former Gov. Jim Hunt and former N.C. Central University Chancellor Julius Chambers. Earlier this year, a dormitory was named for Ruffin at his alma mater, NCCU.

Ruffin was a special assistant to Hunt and later a vice president at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. He led the UNC board during the successful  2000 campaign for a $3.1 billion bond referendum for campus construction.

He is remembered as an advocate for higher education affordability for North Carolina students.

John Edwards is bringing in the big guns for one last push before the second quarter ends.

The former North Carolina senator is calling together some of his biggest supporters, including former Gov. Jim Hunt, Raleigh attorney David Kirby and former UNC-Chapel Hill basketball coach Dean Smith, for one final push to raise money, Rob Christensen reports.

Edwards has scheduled a high dollar fund raiser for Saturday, June 30, at the home of Steve and Louise Coggins, neighbors of his summer homat on Figure 8 Island. The event will cost $2,300 for hosts, $1,000 for sponsors and $500 for patrons.

His campaign raised $14 million in the first quarter, but reportedly may have trouble matching that figure for the second quarter as it seeks to stay competitive with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

A list of the major attendees after the jump.

   Comments (0)

John Edwards is having a birthday party. And gifts are not optional.

What the former North Carolina senator wants from those attending his bash in Raleigh on Sunday is money.

The invitations to the party at the Glenwood Avenue offices of his former law partners ask those attending to contribute anywhere from $500 to $2,300 to Edwards' presidential campaign.

Among the hosts are Raleigh lawyers David Kirby and Mark Holt, former Gov. Jim Hunt, former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Burley Mitchell, former Raleigh Mayor Smedes York and Julius Chambers, former chancellor of N.C. Central University.