William C. Friday
Encyclopedia
William Clyde "Bill" Friday (born July 13, 1920) He was born in Raphine, Virginia
and raised in Dallas, North Carolina
. He served as the head of the University of North Carolina
system from 1956 to 1986.
Friday graduated from Dallas High School in Dallas, North Carolina, where he played baseball and basketball. He holds a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University
and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
. Friday served in the United States Naval Reserve during World War II
. He is a member of Lambda Chi Alpha
Fraternity.
His entire professional life was spent in higher education. Friday was assistant dean of students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
from 1948 to 1951, assistant to the President of the Consolidated University of North Carolina Gordon Gray from 1951 to 1955, then Secretary of the University of North Carolina system, and acting president from 1956 to 1957, when he was chosen to take the position permanently.
Friday was the founding co-chairman of the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
. http://www.knightcommission.org/about/kciamember/william_c_friday/
Now retired, Friday remains an influential voice in North Carolina and hosts a public television talk show, North Carolina People, which he began while still president of the University system. http://www.unctv.org/ncpeople/index.html When Friday endorsed Erskine Bowles
as the new president of the University in 2006, it was seen as helping "seal the deal" for Bowles to get the post.
Several educational institutions, or units of larger institutions, are named in Friday's honor. William C. Friday Middle School is located in Dallas, NC, in Gaston County, Friday's home county. The William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation is located on the campus of North Carolina State University
at Raleigh. The William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education is located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Raphine, Virginia
Raphine is an unincorporated community in Rockbridge County in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S. state of Virginia.-History:The name "Raphine" came from an old Greek word "raphis", meaning "to sew." It was chosen in honor of James Edward Allen Gibbs , a local farmer who patented the first...
and raised in Dallas, North Carolina
Dallas, North Carolina
Dallas is a town in Gaston County, North Carolina and a suburb of both Charlotte and Gastonia. The population was 3,402 at the 2000 census. It was named for George M. Dallas, Vice President of the United States of America under James K. Polk.-Geography:...
. He served as the head of the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
system from 1956 to 1986.
Friday graduated from Dallas High School in Dallas, North Carolina, where he played baseball and basketball. He holds a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
. Friday served in the United States Naval Reserve during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He is a member of Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
Fraternity.
His entire professional life was spent in higher education. Friday was assistant dean of students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
from 1948 to 1951, assistant to the President of the Consolidated University of North Carolina Gordon Gray from 1951 to 1955, then Secretary of the University of North Carolina system, and acting president from 1956 to 1957, when he was chosen to take the position permanently.
Friday was the founding co-chairman of the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
Knight Commission
The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, often referred to simply as the Knight Commission, is a panel of members of the American academic, athletic and journalism communities, with an eye toward reform of college athletics, particularly in regard to practices in recruiting for football...
. http://www.knightcommission.org/about/kciamember/william_c_friday/
Now retired, Friday remains an influential voice in North Carolina and hosts a public television talk show, North Carolina People, which he began while still president of the University system. http://www.unctv.org/ncpeople/index.html When Friday endorsed Erskine Bowles
Erskine Bowles
Erskine Boyce Bowles is an American businessman and political figure from North Carolina. He served from 2005 to 2010 as the President of the University of North Carolina system...
as the new president of the University in 2006, it was seen as helping "seal the deal" for Bowles to get the post.
Several educational institutions, or units of larger institutions, are named in Friday's honor. William C. Friday Middle School is located in Dallas, NC, in Gaston County, Friday's home county. The William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation is located on the campus of North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
at Raleigh. The William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education is located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
External links
- Civil Rights Greensboro: William C. Friday
- UNC-TV Biographical Conversation
- Oral History Interviews with William C. Friday http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/L-0049/menu.html, http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/L-0144/menu.html, http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/L-0145/menu.html, http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/L-0147/menu.html from Oral Histories of the American South
- Inventory of the William C. Friday Papers, 1942-1999, at the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation
- William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education