Westchester Country Day School honored David Congdon, class of 1974 graduate, businessman, civic leader and philanthropist, with the Distinguished Alumni Award. He was recognized at a ceremony during the school’s Alumni Weekend on May 9.

Congdon is the ninth recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award, established in 2008 as the school’s highest honor. The award recognizes alumni who have set themselves apart through outstanding achievements and extraordinary service.

"When I look at Westchester Country Day School today, I see and realize what an asset it is to our community and this area,” said Congdon. “I’m proud to have been a ‘pioneer’ and member of one of the earliest graduating classes and having the legacy of my oldest daughter as well as five of my grandchildren attending today.”

Congdon is a member of Westchester’s third graduating class in 1974. He has stayed involved in the school as a parent, as a member of the Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2001, and as a current grandparent.

“David Congdon has been a Wildcat enthusiast since his days as a student,” said Mary Keever, head of school. “He has generously supported every aspect of our school, sharing his time, talents and family. His devotion reaches far beyond our school community, however, as he shares these same gifts with our High Point community to build relationships and enhance resources.”

After graduating from Westchester, Congdon received a degree in business administration at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and attended N.C. Truck Driver Training School in Raleigh, finishing second in his class. Congdon is the executive chairman of Old Dominion Freight Line Inc., the nation’s second-largest less-than-truckload transportation company. For more than 50 years, he has held a variety of roles at the company started by his grandparents, from dockman, mechanic and driver, to engineer, director, president and CEO.

Congdon has been a civic leader for many years, serving on the boards of Communities in Schools of High Point, High Point Partners, Forward High Point, and Business High Point Chamber of Commerce, where he was chairman from 2019-2020. In addition, he has served on the Board of Directors for the NC Trucking Association, American Trucking Association, and the Wake Forest Baptist High Point Medical Center.

Along with his leadership, Congdon has been recognized numerous times for his contributions to the freight and logistics industry and the local community. His honors include the Triad’s Most Influential People, UNC-Wilmington Cameron School of Business Alumni of the Year in 2008, Fleet Truck Innovators Award in 2008, and Piedmont Triad Business Leader of the Year in 2010. In 2015, he was named 23^rd on Fortune Magazine’s Businessperson of the Year list, and he was named Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the High Point Chamber of Commerce. In 2020, he was named Citizen of the Year by the High Point Enterprise. In 2021, he received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the State of North Carolina’s top honor.

Congdon and his wife, Helen, also support higher education through their philanthropy. Their donations have supported the formation of the David S. Congdon School of Supply Chain, Business Analytics, and Information Systems at UNCW and the School of Entrepreneurship at High Point University. In turn, Congdon received the honorary degree of Doctor of Business from UNCW in 2019 for his significant contributions to the university, and he serves proudly on the Board of Trustees at HPU.

Most recently, Congdon, in conjunction with Business High Point Chamber of Commerce, has spearheaded the development of Congdon Yards in downtown High Point. The campus has attracted 50 businesses employing more than 400 full-time employees and hosted more than 500 events in the past year. One of the signature programs of Business High Point is The Interchange, which serves the business community with education programs focused on leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation, and technical training.

Congdon serves as chairman and president of the Earl and Kathryn Congdon Family Foundation, which has made major impacts on High Point in the areas of economic development, quality education, and serving critical community needs.