MSU mourns the passing of alum Ron Cartee
Ron Cartee (Class of 1965), a successful businessman, philanthropist, and generous supporter of Morehead State, died on Jan. 10 at the age of 81.
Originally from Greenup County, Ronald "Ron" Cartee grew up on his family farm in Eastern Kentucky. He attended MSU and earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Sciences in 1965. He met his wife, Diane, at MSU and they married his junior year.
After graduating from MSU, they moved to Portsmouth, Ohio, where he began his business in land development. Once his son Ron completed college, the family started building restaurants, notably the first of dozens of Arby's franchise stores in 1990. The Cartee Family has been recognized numerous times at the corporate level for their dedication to the business, including receiving the President's Award, Arby's highest honor, in 2008.
In 2018, Morehead State University inducted Cartee into the Alumni Association's Alumni Hall of Fame. The Cartee family's love of MSU came in the form of giving back to the University in several ways.
They established the Ronald and Diane Cartee Scholarship Endowment, a fund to provide scholarships to incoming students, with preference given to Greenup County residents. The Ronald and Diane Cartee Family Theater was named in Adron Doran University Center (ADUC) to honor their charitable dedication to MSU.
Cartee's most recent generosity toward MSU will last for generations. He and his family provided a special gift for the statue recognizing the University's 100 years as a public institution in Kentucky in the ADUC Commons area. MSU commissioned world-renowned artist Sam McKinney (Class of 1973, 1992) to craft a bronze Eagle statue honoring MSU's Eagle mascot and the school's commitment to helping students soar higher.
Cartee will be missed by family, friends, colleagues, the MSU community and the students who his generosity has impacted.
“Ron was a proud MSU Eagle,” said Allison Caudill (Class of 2005, 2009), vice president for University Advancement. “He was constantly promoting MSU and was eager to support future generations of Eagles. His good nature, passion for giving back and love for his campus and community left a lasting impact on all who knew him. This legacy will be passed down for generations to come thanks to his philanthropic spirit.”
Arrangements are being handled by Wright's Funeral Home in Greenup. Visit www.wrightsfuneralhome.com for more information.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Ron and Diane Cartee Family Scholarship Endowment at MSU. The scholarship supports students from Greenup County studying at MSU. Contributions may be made online at alumni.moreheadstate.edu/cartee.
Contributions may also be mailed to the Morehead State University Foundation, P.O. Box 628, Morehead, KY 40351.
Photo, left to right: Ron and Diane Cartee with MSU President Dr. Jay Morgan during the unveiling of the bronze Eagle statue.
