Leo Warren Jenkins (May 28, 1913 – January 14, 1989) was the sixth president and chancellor of what is now

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment, fourth largest university in North Carolina and the only one in the state with s ...

Greenville, North Carolina Greenville ( ; ) is the county seat of and the most populous city in Pitt County, North Carolina, United States. It is the principal city of the Greenville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the List of municipalities in North Carolina, 12t ...

, United States. He was born in the Succasunna section of Roxbury, New Jersey and raised in

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

, majoring in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

a masters from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

and a doctorate from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

. He enlisted in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as a marine, serving during the battle of Guam. Jenkins joined the faculty of East Carolina Teachers College in 1947 and served as Dean of the school until his election to the presidency in 1960. Under his watch, East Carolina gained university status in 1967. When ECU became part of the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

System in 1972, Jenkins stayed on as chancellor, retiring in 1978. The Leo W. Jenkins Cancer Center at the Brody School of Medicine and the Leo W. Jenkins Fine Arts Center on main campus were named for him.[Jenkins Fine Arts Center. (2023). East Carolina University. https://calendar.ecu.edu/jenkins_fine_arts_center

References

External links

East Carolina University Icons Gallery profile

Leo Warren Jenkins Papers (#360), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University

Leo W. Jenkins Oral History Interview (#OH0051), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University

Leo W. Jenkins Papers. UA90-06. University Archives, East Carolina University
1913 births 1989 deaths United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni New York University alumni People from Elizabeth, New Jersey People from Roxbury, New Jersey Presidents of East Carolina University Rutgers University alumni United States Marines 20th-century American academics {{US-academic-administrator-1910s-stub