DURHAM -- It was a ceremony to honor a man and his legacy.

“Of the athletes he's sent out and the scholars that he sent out really made Durham sparkle,” said Irv Joyner, Professor at NCCU Law.

The Durham community remembered Dr. LeRoy Walker as decades of his work embody the history of N.C. Central University.

“All of the knowledge I gained as a coach I learned from that man,” said Norman Tate, a participant in the 1968 Olympic Games.

It was on the track and field of NC Central where Dr. Walker spent most o f his days as head coach. Many of his runners made their way to the Olympic games with his training.

Hard work, dedication, and preparation was his formula for success an equation that is still carried down to students.

“He was one of the first people to bring blacks into the Olympics and taking many of NCCU's alumni to the Olympics he's recognized all over the country,” said NCCU student, Phillip Barren.

Dr. Walker's vision for his students, campus, and community are what continue to shape NC Central's motto of truth and service.

“In my eyes he's the greatest person I've ever had a relationship with,” Tate said.

News 14 Carolina will carry Dr. Walker's funeral live on Tuesday at 11 a.m.