William Clyde Friday (July 13, 1920 – October 12, 2012) was an American educator who served as the head of the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

system from 1956 to 1986. He was born in Raphine, Virginia and raised in Dallas, North Carolina. Friday graduated from Dallas High School in Dallas, North Carolina, where he played

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

. He held a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in textile manufacturing from North Carolina State University and a law degree from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

. While attending NCSU, Friday was elected president of the senior class of 1941. He was a member of

Lambda Chi Alpha Lambda Chi Alpha (), commonly known as Lambda Chi, is a college fraternity in North America which was founded at Boston University in 1909. It is one of the largest social fraternities in North America, with more than 300,000 lifetime members a ...

fraternity. Friday served in the United States Navy Reserve during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. His entire professional life was spent in higher education. Friday was assistant dean of students at the

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 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 the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and served in this role from 1989 to 2005. After retirement, Friday remained an influential voice in North Carolina and hosted ''North Carolina People'' a talk show on the

UNC-TV The University of North Carolina Center for Public Media, branded on-air as PBS North Carolina or commonly PBS NC, is a public television network serving the state of North Carolina. It is operated by the University of North Carolina system, whi ...

public television network, which he began while still president of the UNC system. In 2012, the show began its 42nd season. 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 Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, in Gaston County, Friday's home county. Th
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. He died in his sleep on October 12, 2012, UNC's University Day, aged 92. Friday grave 1

He is buried at the

Old Chapel Hill Cemetery Old Chapel Hill Cemetery is a graveyard and national historic district located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. History The land was a land grant to the University of North Carolina ...

in Chapel Hill.

References

External links

* *Oral History Interviews with William C. Frida

fro
Oral Histories of the American SouthGuide to the William C. Friday Papers circa 1940-2012
at the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Friday, William C. 1920 births 2012 deaths North Carolina State University alumni Presidents of the University of North Carolina System University of North Carolina School of Law alumni People from Rockbridge County, Virginia People from Dallas, North Carolina National Humanities Medal recipients American television personalities United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy reservists