Bill Friday | |
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| Born | William Clyde Friday (1920-07-13)July 13, 1920 Raphine, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | October 12, 2012(2012-10-12) (aged 92) |
| Education | North Carolina State University (BS) University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (LLB) |
| Occupation(s) | Educator,TV Host |
| Known for | 1st President of the University of North Carolina System |
| Term | 1956–1986 |
| Predecessor | Harris Purks |
| Successor | Clemmie Spangler |
| Spouse | Ida Howell |
William Clyde Friday (July 13, 1920 – October 12, 2012) was an Americaneducator who served as the head of theUniversity of North Carolina system from 1956 to 1986. He was born inRaphine, Virginia and raised inDallas, North Carolina.
Friday graduated from Dallas High School in Dallas, North Carolina, where he playedbaseball andbasketball. He held abachelor's degree in textile manufacturing fromNorth Carolina State University and alaw degree from theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While attending NCSU, Friday was elected president of the senior class of 1941.[1] He was a member ofLambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Friday served in theUnited States Navy Reserve duringWorld War II.
His entire professional life was spent in higher education. Friday was assistant dean of students at theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1948 to 1951, assistant to the President of the Consolidated University of North CarolinaGordon Gray from 1951 to 1955, then Secretary of the University of North Carolina system, and acting president of the system from 1956 to 1957, when he was named as permanent president. Friday would remain in this position until retiring in 1986.
Friday was the founding co-chairman of theKnight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics[2] and served in this role from 1989 to 2005.
After retirement, Friday remained an influential voice in North Carolina and hostedNorth Carolina People a talk show on theUNC-TV public television network, which he began while still president of the UNC system. In 2012, the show began its 42nd season.[3] When Friday endorsedErskine 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 inDallas, in Gaston County, Friday's home county. TheWilliam and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation is located on the campus of North Carolina State University at Raleigh. The William and IdaFriday Center for Continuing Education is located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He died in his sleep on October 12, 2012, UNC's University Day, aged 92.[2]
He is buried at theOld Chapel Hill Cemetery in Chapel Hill.
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