Chapel Hill, N.C. — A $1.1 million arts endowment has been established at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in honor of Chancellor James Moeser.

William and Sara McCoy of Chapel Hill committed $100,000 immediately to the endowment, and the balance would come as part of their estate. William McCoy is a former BellSouth executive who served as interim chancellor at UNC-CH before Moeser's appointment in 2000.

The James Moeser Fund for Excellence in the Arts at UNC will pay for visiting artists' fees to bring acclaimed performers to campus.  It also will create a permanent source of income for the Office of Executive Director for the Arts to ensure that excellent artists teach students in master classes, engage with faculty through symposia and research and perform for students, faculty, staff and  the public.

"James Moeser was our first artist-chancellor," William McCoy said in a statement. "Just as his many efforts toward the arts will resonate into the future, so will recipients of the fund. We hope this will be the first of many gifts to his fund in the coming years, and we encourage others to join us in honoring James in this way."

A concert organist, Moeser has made improving the arts at UNC a priority during his tenure. He plans to step down in June.