Edward Bernard Fort is the Chancellor

Emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

and a professor of

Leadership Studies Leadership studies is a multidisciplinary academic field of study that focuses on leadership in organizational contexts and in human life. Leadership studies has origins in the social sciences (e.g., sociology, anthropology, psychology), in huma ...

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' ...

, where from 1981 to 1999 he was the 8th chancellor.

Early life and education

Fort was born in

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. After earning a

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

in history and a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

educational administration Academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities. Some ...

from

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-l ...

he earned a doctorate in

from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

in 1964.

Early career

In 1964 Fort became a curriculum coordinator for the Detroit Public School system. He also taught as a visiting professor at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. Fort was an adjunct professor of urban education at the

University of Michigan-Dearborn A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

in 1968, and a visiting professor at Michigan State University in 1974. He became

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of the now defunct Inkster Michigan Public School System, and

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in 1967 and 1971 respectively. From 1974 to 1981, Fort was chancellor of the

University of Wisconsin Colleges The University of Wisconsin Colleges was a unit of the University of Wisconsin System composed of 13 local two-year campuses and one online campus. These campuses offered a liberal arts, transfer-parallel curriculum. The unit was established in 197 ...

, a unit of the

University of Wisconsin System The University of Wisconsin System is a state public university system in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is one of the largest public higher-education systems in the country, enrolling more than 160,000 students each year and employing approx ...

comprising 14 two-year colleges.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

On September 1, 1981, Fort assumed the responsibilities of chancellor of North Carolina A&T State University. He would later be inaugurated as the university's eighth chancellor on April 24, 1982. Under Fort's leadership, North Carolina A&T established itself on the national level as a leader in engineering and technology education. During the Fort administration, the university initiated more than 30 new academic programs and awarded its first

doctoral degrees A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

mechanical Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations o ...

and

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

. In addition, the university experienced substantial growth as more than $50 million in new construction was completed; including a new building for the

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and a new Library, as well as nearly $30 million in campus renovations. The university also experienced an increase in enrollment in both domestic and international students. On June 30, 1999, Fort retired as chancellor of the university, and currently serves as a professor of Leadership Studies (Endowed), Chancellor Emeritus and Special Assistant to the Chancellor.

Personal life and legacy

Fort's wife Lessie Covington died; they had two children together. The Edward B. Fort Interdisciplinary Research Center (IRC) on the campus of North Carolina A&T was named in his honor in March 1999.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort, Edward B. 1951 births Living people North Carolina A&T State University leaders North Carolina A&T State University faculty 21st-century African-American academics 21st-century American academics 20th-century African-American academics 20th-century American academics Wayne State University alumni University of California, Berkeley alumni Academics from Detroit