Featheringhams: 'It's An Honor To Be A Part Of It'

Dick and Audrey Featheringham are Chippewas to the core, as maroon and gold as they come depite the fact the neither attended CMU as an undergrad.

That is part of the motivation for the retired couple, who raised their family of four in Mount Pleasant, to lend their support to the Chippewa Champions Center. In recognition of their transformational generosity, CMU Athletics will name the honor roll of donors in the facility for the Featheringham family.

"It's an honor to be a part of it," said Dick, a retired CMU business professor who earned his master's degree from CMU. "I don't necessarily need to see my name on anything, but it's nice. We appreciate that. We don't do those things for the recognition."

The Featheringhams are among the selfless Chippewa supporters who share the vision of the long-term benefit of supporting the university in general and its athletics department in particular.

"My life has been sports," Audrey said. "That was my major in college. I taught physical education. I see the positive aspects of it, physically and emotionally and mentally."

The Featheringhams are Ohio natives who came to Mount Pleasant in 1971. Dick was a professor in the business school, serving a stint as the department chair until his retirement in 2007. Audrey taught at Sacred Heart Academy and then served as a counselor at Mount Pleasant High School before her retirement in 2000.

They are long-time season-ticket holders and support a variety of programs. The Featheringhams are charter members of the 1100 Club and are Chippewa Champions for women's basketball, men's basketball, baseball, wrestling, gymnastics, softball and volleyball.

"It's nice to be part of a crowd of people who are of like mind," Audrey said. "The spirit that is at Central, that's really the nice thing. And the teams have been great."

The Featheringhams said they admire CMU's reputation for finding individuals who are not just great athletes and coaches, but also good people who want to make a home in Mount Pleasant.

"Central is a friendly community and students recognize that," Audrey said. "Maybe that draws and hold people here."

CMU athletics became a big part of the Featheringham family and they became ingrained in the Mount Pleasant community. Dick once served as the grand marshal of the CMU homecoming parade in the mid 2000s.

"We've always had a good impression of the school and of athletics here," Dick said. "A lot of excitement, a lot of good feeling because we like all the sports. We support them, win or lose. We know they're not going to win every game, but you just hope they do.

"We get a lot out of it, I think. And any way we can help we want to try to help. It's like giving back a little bit; they give us so much. It adds a nice dimension to our lives. When we go to the games and get to know some of the players and the coaches, it's really a very positive thing."

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