UNC Chief Executive Officers

Posted on March 10, 2016

These people have served as chief executive officers of The University of North Carolina, the Consolidated University and the UNC System.

 

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA:

(Chartered 1789, students admitted 1795, first graduates 1798)

 

PRESIDING PROFESSOR:

The Rev. David Ker, 1794–96 (first professor — languages)

Charles Wilson Harris, July–December 1796 (professor of math)

The Rev. Joseph Caldwell, 1796–97 (professor of math)

James S. Gillaspie, 1797–99 (professor of natural philosophy)

The Rev. Joseph Caldwell, 1799–1804

 

PRESIDENT:

The Rev. Joseph Caldwell, 1804–12 (first president)

The Rev. Robert Hett Chapman, 1813–16

The Rev. Joseph Caldwell, 1816–35 (fourth term as CEO)

Elisha Mitchell, February–December 1835 (acting)

David Lowry Swain (class of 1825), 1835–68 (first alumnus to be president)

Solomon Pool (class of 1853; MA in 1856), 1869–74

The University closed during Reconstruction in 1870, with the last graduating class in 1868. Solomon Pool retained the title of president until 1874, even though the University was not functioning. UNC was reorganized and reopened in 1875.

Charles Phillips, chair of the faculty, 1875–76

Kemp Plummer Battle (class of 1849; MA in 1852), 1876–91

George Tayloe Winston (class of 1870), 1891–96

Edwin Anderson Alderman (class of 1882, PhB), 1896–1900

Francis Preston Venable, 1900–14

Edward Kidder Graham (class of 1898, PhB), 1913–14 (acting)

Edward Kidder Graham, 1914–18

Marvin H. Stacy (class of 1902, PhB; MA in 1904), chair of the faculty, 1918–19

Harry Woodburn Chase, chair of faculty, January–June 1919

Harry Woodburn Chase, 1919–30

Frank Porter Graham (class of 1909), 1930–32 (Unconsolidated)

 

CONSOLIDATION 1932:

The University of North Carolina, N.C. State College of Agriculture & Engineering at Raleigh, and the College for Women at Greensboro comprised “The Greater University.” Consolidation brought changes in the titles of the CEO for the Chapel Hill campus as follows:

VICE PRESIDENT:

Robert Burton House (class of 1916), 1932–34

 

DEAN OF ADMINISTRATION:

Robert Burton House, 1934–45

 

CHANCELLOR:

Robert Burton House, 1945–57

William Brantley Aycock ’37 (MA, ’48 JD), 1957–64

Paul F. Sharp, 1964–66

Carlyle Sitterson ’31 (’32 MA, ’37 PhD), 1966–72

Ferebee Taylor ’42, 1972–80

Christopher C. Fordham III ’47 (’49 CMED), 1980–88

Paul Hardin, 1988–95

Michael Hooker ’69, 1995–99

William O. McCoy ’55, 1999–2000 (acting and interim)

James Moeser, 2000–08

Holden Thorp ’86, 2008–13

Carol L. Folt, 2013 – Jan. 31, 2019

Kevin M. Guskiewicz (interim), Feb. 6, 2019 – present

Special Report: A history of the chancellorship.

 

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE CONSOLIDATED UNIVERSITY:

PRESIDENT:

Frank Porter Graham, 1932–49

William D. Carmichael, 1949–50 (acting)

Gordon Gray ’30, 1950–55

J. Harris Purks, 1955–56 (acting)

William C. Friday ’48 (LLB), 1956–57 (acting); 1957–72

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM:

Reorganized by the N.C. General Assembly in 1972, with the UNC System for Higher Education comprising 16 universities.

PRESIDENT:

William C. Friday, 1972 – 86

C.D. Spangler ’54, 1986 – 97

Molly Corbett Broad, 1997 – 2005

Erskine B. Bowles ’67, 2006 – 10

Thomas W. Ross ’75 (JD), 2011 – 16

Dr. Junius J. Gonzales (interim), Jan. 4 – Feb. 29, 2016

Margaret Spellings, March 2016 – January 2019

Dr. William Roper (interim), Jan. 1, 2019 – present

Three presidents’ houses? Try nine. Our chief executives didn’t always hang out where the University expected they would.

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