Kenan-Flagler Creates Hodges Leadership Center

Posted on Oct. 13, 2008

Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School has announced the creation of the Luther H. Hodges Leadership Center to support leadership education and honor the late N.C. Gov. Luther H. Hodges ’19.

Kenan-Flagler established the leadership initiative in 2005 with the goal of developing master of business administration students as exceptional leaders who positively affect the organizations they lead and the communities they serve.

Hodges served as the governor of North Carolina from 1952 to 1960 and as U.S. secretary of commerce from 1961 to 1965. Under his leadership, Research Triangle Park was created and today is an international model of economic development and scientific advancement. The Hodges family has supported the teaching of ethics and leadership at the business school since the mid-1970s.

“Luther Hodges is widely recognized as a North Carolina statesman and ethical leader whose life had global impact,” said James W. Dean Jr., Kenan-Flagler dean. “His record of achievement personifies our school’s core values of excellence, leadership, integrity, community and teamwork. We appreciate the support of leadership and ethics education by Luther H. Hodges Jr. and his two sisters. With their continuing support, we will raise additional money in the years to come to further enhance the Hodges Leadership Center.”

“The center is a fitting tribute to our father,” said Luther H. Hodges Jr. ’57, an adjunct professor at Kenan-Flagler. “Leaders succeed when they follow a strong moral compass, and leadership and ethics are intertwined at UNC Kenan-Flagler. Our father led a life that demonstrated the value of hard work, integrity, leadership, and we are proud to have his name connected with the Leadership Initiative and to contribute to its important work with students.”

“With the Hodges’ support, we will expand our leadership activities in the undergraduate bachelor of science in business administration, master of accounting and MBA for Executives programs so that we can further develop the leadership capabilities of all UNC Kenan-Flagler graduates,” said Mindy Storrie ’97 (MBA), director of leadership.

The Leadership Initiative is an experience-based program that assesses and develops students’ leadership skills to better prepare them to excel as leaders with the highest integrity in their future careers. The program exposes the student to leadership principles, inside and outside the classroom, and then gives each student the opportunity to practice leadership in meaningful, real-world situations and simulations. They receive feedback, reflect on and learn from it, and then repeat the cycle.

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