Community Mourns Death of Ethics Center Founding Director John Lincourt

Bonnie E. Cone Distinguished Professor of Teaching Emeritus John Lincourt passed away on December 14, 2020 at the age of 79. Lincourt, described as a gifted teacher dedicated to helping students grasp complex concepts, was a faculty member in the Department of Philosophy at UNC Charlotte for 33 years until his retirement in 2006.

Lincourt was the founding Director of the Center for Professional and Applied Ethics in 1996, and served in that role until 2002. Under his leadership, the Center emphasized ethics-related services to local and regional professionals, including ethics audits, seminars, in-service ethics education, individual case consultations, and speaker series.

Collaborating with Philosophy Department faculty member Richard Toenjes, Lincourt established the Barnhardt Seminar on Business Ethics in 1989. Now known as the Barnhardt Seminar on Ethics and The World of Business, and a part of the UNC Charlotte Civic Series presented by Bank of America, the seminar is a model for many of the Center’s outreach activities.

Lincourt centered his research on health care ethics and 19th century American philosophy. He provided expertise to the community through his engagement with local and state initiatives related to ethics in health care settings including hospitals, professional organizations, and public venues.

The North Carolina Medical Society in 1989 presented Lincourt the John Huske Anderson Award, given annually to a layperson whose contributions have had a positive impact on the medical profession and public health.

Other honors included his selection in 1994 as the second Bonnie E. Cone Distinguished Professor for Teaching. He received the NationsBank Award for Excellence in Teaching (now the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence) in 1985. In 1982, he received the North Carolina Carnegie Professor of the Year award, presented by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Lincourt’s interests included travel, being with his family, reading, cooking and gardening.

He earned a doctoral degree in philosophy from State University of New York at Buffalo, a master’s degree from Niagara University and a bachelor’s degree from St. Anselm College.