Oliver Carmichael | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 20th President of theUniversity of Alabama | |
| In office 1953–1957 | |
| Preceded by | Lee Bidgood (acting) |
| Succeeded by | James H. Newman (acting) |
| 3rdChancellor of Vanderbilt University | |
| In office 1937–1946 | |
| Preceded by | James H. Kirkland |
| Succeeded by | Harvie Branscomb |
| 4th President ofAlabama College | |
| In office 1926–1935 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Waverly Palmer |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Fort Harman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 3, 1891 Goodwater, Alabama, U.S.[1] |
| Died | September 25, 1966(1966-09-25) (aged 74) |
| Alma mater | Alabama Presbyterian College (BA) Wadham College, Oxford (BA) University of Alabama (MA) |
Oliver Cromwell Carmichael (October 3, 1891 – September 25, 1966) served as the thirdchancellor ofVanderbilt University from 1937 to 1946. He also served as the President of theUniversity of Alabama from 1953 to 1957.
Oliver Cromwell Carmichael was born on October 3, 1891, the son of a farmer. He received a B.A. fromAlabama Presbyterian College and an M.A. from theUniversity of Alabama.[2][3] He was aRhodes Scholar atOxford University, followingHarvie Branscomb (1894–1998).[2] He was the first Rhodes Scholar from Alabama.[3]
He was the younger brother of mathematicianRobert Daniel Carmichael.[1]
Carmichael worked in aYMCA in India and East Africa.[2] During theFirst World War, Carmichael and later Vanderbilt ChancellorHarvie Branscomb worked for the AmericanCommission for Relief in Belgium underHerbert Hoover. He joined theBritish Army in 1915[4] and served in theEast African campaign and commanded a field canteen. He returned to the United States but then joined theUnited States Army shortly after theAmerican entry into World War I, serving as afirst lieutenant with the321st Regiment of the81st Division on theWestern Front from August 1918 onwards.[5]
After the war,Belgium awarded Carmichael and Branscomb the Médaille du Roi Albert and Médaille de la Reine Élisabeth for their service.[3] On his return, he became a high school principal.[2] From 1926 to 1935, Carmichael served as the fourth president of Alabama College, now known as theUniversity of Montevallo.[6]
Carmichael became Dean of the Graduate School ofVanderbilt University inNashville, Tennessee in 1935, and he was elevated to serve as the thirdchancellor of the university from 1937 to 1946.[3][2] In 1939, he was also elected to the board of trustees ofDuke University.[7]
Carmichael served as the President of theCarnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching from 1945 to 1953.[2][8] During his tenure, he wrote an article entitledWhat Makes a Good College President.[9]
Carmichael served as thePresident of the University of Alabama from 1953 to 1957.[10] During his tenure, the football team lost consistently.[8] He resigned over a "violent controversy" after expellingAutherine Lucy, an African-American student.[8] While he broadly hinted that UA might have to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision against segregation, the board of trustees did not agree. He ultimately resigned over the issue.[11]
Carmichael died on September 25, 1966.[10]
Carmichael Towers (1970–2019 and 1966–2021) on the campus of Vanderbilt University were four residential buildings named in his honor. In 2024, construction of the Oliver C. Carmichael Residential College was completed, replacing the Carmichael Towers and allowing students to move in for the 2024-2025 academic year.[12][13]
The campus library at theUniversity of Montevallo, on Bloch Street, completed in 1968, bears Carmichael's name.[14][15]
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chancellor of Vanderbilt University 1937–1946 | Succeeded by |
