John William Harrelson was born in 1885 in Cleveland County, North Carolina. He attended North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts [later, North Carolina State University] and graduated in 1909 with a B.A. in Engineering. He earned a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College in 1915. Harrelson was selected to head North Carolina State College in 1934 under the new title of Dean of Administration. His title changed to Chancellor in 1945, and he served that position until 1953. During his leadership, Harrelson participated in the consolidation of North Carolina's institutions of higher education. With the advent of World War II, military training played an expanding role at NC State. After 1945, the College saw expanded growth with the establishment of the School of Design and the School of Forestry, as well as the construction of a nuclear reactor. Harrelson died in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1955.
From the description of North Carolina State University, Office of the Chancellor, John William Harrelson Records, 1933-1953 [manuscript] (North Carolina State University). WorldCat record id: 660163103
