Remembering Vincent M. Foote, FIDSA

The College of Design is saddened to share that Vincent M. Foote, FIDSA passed away on April 25, 2025. Vince was a longtime member of the College of Design’s industrial design faculty, influencing countless students over his forty-year teaching career. 

For his work influencing decades of design professionals, Vince received numerous awards from NC State, including the Outstanding Teacher Award, the Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Award, the Board of Governors’ Award for Teaching Excellence and the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence, the university’s highest honor bestowed upon teaching faculty. 

He was made a fellow in the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) in 1981, serving as its vice president, member of the board of directors, member of its executive committee, as regional vice president and chapter chair. He was made a member of the IDSA Academy of Distinguished Industrial Design Educators in 1993.

“Vince Foote was a beloved mentor, teacher, designer and the best kind of rabble-rouser,” says Audrey Barnes, former student of Vince, now holding his role as current department head of graphic design and industrial design at NC State. “He was hilarious, kinetic, and impossible to intimidate. He empowered generations of NC State design students to believe that not only we could be, but that we should be the leaders of the future. That we were worthy of being heard. That our ideas mattered regardless of who we were or where we came from.”

“For me, he taught me to lean into my moxie – especially in the ‘boys club’ of industrial design. This encouragement didn’t stop at graduation. Like so many others, I cherished the messages I received from him throughout the years. To have someone you admire so much continue to check in on you, to move from saying ‘way to go, kid’ to ‘proud of you, professor’ was priceless,” Barnes added.

“Vince was absolutely a thread that tied together so many of us,” said Kermit Bailey, associate professor of graphic & experience design. “For faculty and staff at every level – he was a light of positivity, always.” 

Tim Buie, associate professor of industrial design and alumnus, shared this about Vince: 

“Tough is a word I often associate with Vince. In studio, he was a tough…uh, instructor; especially so in critiques. No matter how thorough we were with a project, Vince would find all the thing wrongs with it and point them out with scathing criticism. But he was always, *infuriatingly* always, right. But he was also a strong advocate for student success. He fostered a collegial sense of friendly competition in the studio that pushed us to be our best. If a student asked to see his portfolio, he would always say, ‘You are my portfolio.’ After the ‘awwwws’ had died down, he would mutter, ‘So don’t f*** up.’”

“I also got to share an office with Vince for a few semesters, which, of course, was awesome in so many ways. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of design (he lived the early years of it, after all), he provided excellent wisdom and advice about teaching, and he shared anecdotes about the School of Design that were simultaneously thoughtful, insightful, and hilariously inappropriate. I am sure I am leaving out a lot. Just know that he was a great teacher, mentor, colleague, friend and the best industrial design educator I have ever known.”

Vince’s family encourages those in Raleigh to think of Vince during their next visit to Player’s Retreat, and are planning a group run/walk to honor his lifelong love of running. We extend our deepest sympathies to his friends, family, and colleagues.

Foote’s family encourages those in Raleigh to think of Vince during their next visit to Player’s Retreat, and are planning a group run/walk to honor his lifelong love of running. We extend our deepest sympathies to his friends, family, and colleagues.

Interview with the Libraries

Leslie Arden Thornbury is a filmmaker and an alumnus of NC State. During the 1990s, he worked on a proposed video documentary of the history of the College of Design, which included video oral history interviews with early faculty and students. These materials are available through the Special Collections Research Center at the NC State University Libraries.