Dive Summary:
- William "Bill" Friday, the longtime former President of the University of North Carolina (UNC), died in his sleep early Friday morning at the age of 92.
- Friday was only 35 years old when he was offered the job of interim president in 1956 but, he served for 30 years before retiring in 1986.
- Revered by students and educators as an approachable leader, Friday structured UNC into the multi-campus system it is today.
From the article:
"... Erskine Bowles, who became UNC system president in 2006, always addressed him as 'President Friday.'
'I never call him anything else,' Bowles said in early 2009. 'It's just out of respect. He was president when I was a student. He's been a hero of mine since I was in short pants. I have enormous respect for this great man, and I do consider him to still be the president of the university. I stand here on his shoulders, there's no question about it. And every president that follows me will.' ..."
