Dick recently donated his share of the Salisbury property to Catawba. For now, it provides steady support for the men’s and women’s golf programs. One day, when the property sells, its proceeds will create a named endowment to carry that support into the future.
The choice was as much about memory as it was about momentum.
AN UNLIKELY LANDMARK
What looks like an ordinary fast-food stop is, in fact, part of a family tradition. For Dick, it’s not about the building or the rent checks. It’s about keeping alive the pattern of giving that defined his parents—Richard and Patsy Rendleman—and their connection to Catawba Golf.
“Mom and Dad loved Catawba College and the game of golf,” Dick said. “Even when they were no longer able to play competitively, the two Catawba teams kept them in the game. They loved the players, and the players loved them.
“Dad died in 2002, but Mom kept supporting the Catawba golf programs until her death in 2024. Along with her devotion, this gift continues our family’s commitment to Catawba Golf for years to come. We are very proud of Mom’s and Dad’s contributions to the game—especially their love and support of the Catawba teams.”
FROM THE FAIRWAY’S EDGE
Head Coach Chris Saltmarsh sees the impact from a different vantage point—at practice, on the course, and in the daily rhythm of student-athletes.
“Every coach hopes for consistency, and that’s exactly what this gift provides,” Saltmarsh said. “It sustains our programs today, but it also looks ahead. For our golfers, it means opportunity—the chance to focus on playing, competing, and growing without barriers. It’s a powerful legacy.”
NOT JUST MEMORY, BUT MOMENTUM
“It says a lot about who the Rendlemans are,” said Vice President for Athletics Michelle Caddigan. “This gift honors Dick’s parents and supports our students in a way that feels true to who Patsy was. I’m so grateful to the Rendleman family and feel lucky to have known Patsy during my first few years at Catawba. She had a way of lifting people up.”
Meg Dees, Vice President for Development, added, “This gift touches the lives of students in a very real way. It’s a reminder that philanthropy is personal, and we’re grateful to Dick and Nancy for carrying forward their family’s tradition of caring for Catawba student-athletes.”
And so, in Salisbury—through a fast-food property turned endowment and the players who walk the fairways in Catawba blue—the Rendleman story continues.
About Where Our Good Goes
Where Our Good Goes is Catawba College’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, designed to expand opportunities for students, enhance academic and campus life, and strengthen the College’s impact on communities near and far. Grounded in Catawba’s mission of scholarship with character and culture for service, the campaign reflects the College’s enduring belief that when we invest in students today, their good will go far tomorrow.
