A Look Back and a Glance Ahead
Posted on June 1, 1989One year ago our entire university community warmly welcomed Barbara and Paul Hardin as our new first family. And on University Day — October 12th — as is our custom, Paul Hardin was inaugurated as our new chief executive officer. The heavens boasted a resplendent Carolina blue sky that day, and the entire university family — students, faculty, staff, alumni and administration, 5,000 strong — crowded Polk Place. Many participated in the University’s longest processional.
With Distinguished Alumnus Award recipients Edward George Bilpuch ’50, Richard Knight,]r. ’78, Thomas Willis Lambeth ’57, Roger Harrison Mudd ’53 and Gail Kathleen Godwin ’59 looking on, Chancellor Hardin used the occasion to recall the University’s glorious past and to challenge us all “to command the future.” Chancellor Hardin was both realistic and optimistic about the challenges facing Carolina. He urged us all to help maintain and to advance the excellence of the University as we seek to fulfill our “three fold mission of vital teaching, cutting edge research, and distinguished public service.”
Barbara and Paul Hardin are not the only new additions to the University administration. This year brought the promotion of former Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of the Graduate School, Dr. J. Dennis O’Connor, to the re-organized position of provost. Two national searches brought us Dr. Ben Tuchi as our new Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance and former Associate Dean of the School of Law, Professor Judith Wegner, as that school’s new dean. We await the naming of a new dean for the School of Dentistry. And, Dean of the School of Nursing, Laurel Copp, has announced that she will not seek reappointment when her term concludes next June.
The past year also brought ground breakings for the Ida and William Friday Continuing Education Center as well as the George Watts Hill Alumni Center.
In sports, evidencing that UNC Baseball coach Mike Roberts ’72 was correct in claiming that this year’s team was a “group of overachievers,” the Carolina Baseball team made it to the College World Series for the first time since 1978. Undefeated, the Woman’s Soccer team, under the leadership of Coach Anson Dorrance ’74, won yet one more national championship. Coach Dean Smith directed the Carolina Basketball team through another outstanding season which included one more final 16 appearance. While Coach Mack Brown’s first season was not as successful on the field as he and Carolina football fans wished, a highly successful recruiting year leaves Carolina fans hopeful and enthusiastic about the future.
Unfortunately, this year saw the passing of too many special people who shaped Chapel Hill and University history. Among others, we lost former Law School Dean and Professor Dean Henry P. Brandis ’28, long-time Chapel Hill Newspaper publisher and editor Orville B. Campbell ’42, Institute of Government founder Albert Coates ’18, UNC’s first fulltime Alumni Secretary Daniel L. Grant ’21 and former Student Health Services Director, Dr. James A. Taylor ’39.
The University’s Board of Visitors continued their useful contributions to the University with task force reports on research and on budget and finance. An Alumni Association Task Force chaired by former UNC Trustee Chairman and now GAA President Tom Lambeth ’57 issued a far ranging report which provides a challenging agenda for Carolina alumni in the months and years ahead.
As I have said before, all Carolina alumni have a vested interest in advancing our university. Each of us not only carries special memories of our own experiences in Chapel Hill but we should also recognize that the value of our diploma as measured in the market place is not based upon the standing and reputation of the University when we attended Carolina. That value is based on the standing and reputation of Carolina today!
Each of us can do more to advance Carolina. To do so we should be well informed and fully involved. Alumni publications, clubs, programs, seminars and other association sponsored activities are vital to informing and involving Carolina alumni on behalf of our University.
As always, we encourage your active involvement. We welcome your “loving criticism.” And we need your suggestions. Together, we can all make the coming year another memorable and successful one for The University of North Carolina.
Yours at Carolina,
Douglas S. Dibbert ’70
