University of Alabama in Birmingham. Office of the President.

UAB became an autonomous university within the University of Alabama System in 1969, and Dr. Joseph F. Volker was named UAB's first president. The president is responsible for the overall direction of the university, campus planning and fundraising endeavors, and university financial matters. The president reports to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees and works in a coordination with the chancellor of the University of Alabama System and the Tuscaloosa and Huntsville campuses. Previous to holding this post, Volker had served as dean of the University of Alabama School of Dentistry, vice president for health affairs of the Medical Center, and director of research and graduate studies at the Medical Center. Later he would be the first chancellor of the University of Alabama System. Born in 1913, Volker died in Birmingham in 1989. As president of UAB, Volker led efforts to acquire more land upon which to expand UAB, and he oversaw the development of University College, now AcademicAffairs. He left the presidency in 1976 to become chancellor of the University of Alabama System.