Campus Club President, Michelle Reed introduced our Brunch speakers, Dr. Wheeler Foshee, Professor, and Dr. Desmond Layne, Department Head and Professor to members at the Holiday Brunch.

Horticulture Department Head, Dr. Desmond Layne, shared how Auburn University students majoring in horticulture are learning and applying their knowledge on how to establish, propagate and harvest fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants and manage aesthetically pleasing environments across the community, state, nation, and internationally.

2024-2025 First Ladies endowed scholarship awardees

Many thanks to Dr. Foshee and Dr. Layne for introducing Campus Club members to the Scholarship Awardees and update us on what is new in Horticulture at the Holiday Brunch. For more information about the scholars, scroll down for their bios and photos.

Auburn’s First Lady Tracy Roberts is the dynamic wife of President Christopher B. Roberts. Tracy and Chris first met on the Plains in the late-1990s when Tracy was in Auburn one weekend to help plan a friend’s wedding. Ever since they first met more than 25 years ago, Chris has continued to carry the same piece of paper with Tracy’s phone number on it in his wallet. President and Mrs. Roberts will celebrate their 24th wedding anniversary in October.

Mrs. Roberts grew up in Griffith, Indiana, and moved to Huntsville when she was a teen and she is a graduate of Huntsville High School. Mrs. Roberts joined the U.S. Air Force and honorably served our country for four years. She was stationed in Germany at Spangdahlem Air Base, and worked with the base’s dental surgeon and with the base’s orthodontist.

Mrs. Roberts moved to Decatur, Alabama, where she continued to work as an orthodontic assistant. When she married President Roberts in 1998 and moved to Auburn, Mrs. Roberts worked with Dr. Scott Sprayberry as he was first opening his orthodontic practice. Auburn is where the Roberts’ youngest child was born. Both of their children are also graduates of Auburn High School and attended Auburn University.

In addition to being the place where she met her husband, Mrs. Roberts loves living in Auburn and enjoys being outdoors, taking golf and tennis lessons and biking. She also enjoys sewing, embroidering and attending Auburn Athletics events to enthusiastically cheer on the Tigers.

Mrs. Roberts is currently involved with Auburn Campus Club.

(Excerpts here are taken from the Auburn University website)

First Ladies Endowed Scholarship Fund Link

CLICK HERE

or use the QR Code below

Meet Our Founder and 11th First Lady

Mrs. Caroline Marshall Draughon, Auburn University’s eleventh first lady, was born in 1910 in Orrville, Alabama, a small community 15 miles southwest of Selma, Alabama. Mrs. Draughon came to Auburn with her husband in the fall of 1931 when he accepted a position in the history department of the then API – Alabama Polytechnic Institute. In 1946, Mrs. Draughon founded a “Newcomer’s Club” with the purpose to acquaint faculty wives with the community. Out of the Newcomers Club became what we now know as the Auburn Campus Club and was expanded to include all faculty wives. From 1947, when Dr. Draughon was named acting president of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, until his retirement in 1965 as president of Auburn University. "Miss Caroline", as she was fondly called, was a cherished figure on campus. In keeping with her Black Belt roots, she was a wonderful hostess and warmly welcoming first lady.

In 1996, the 50th anniversary year of Campus Club, membership was expanded to include “all AU employees, spouses, and friends of Auburn University.” Also, during the 50th anniversary year, the Caroline M. Draughon Endowed Scholarship was established in recognition of “Miss Caroline” to honor our founder. This scholarship is awarded annually to a student with high academic achievement in any university discipline who has demonstrated a need.