William C. Friday

Who was William C. Friday?

William Clyde "Bill" Friday was an American educator who served as the head of the University of North Carolina 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 and basketball. He held a bachelor's degree in textile manufacturing from North Carolina State University and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While attending NCSU, Friday was elected president of the senior class of 1941. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. Friday served in the United States Navy Reserve during World War II.

His entire professional life was spent in higher education. Friday was assistant dean of students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 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 from 1956 to 1957, when he was chosen to take the position permanently.