Drs. Tinsley Randolph Harrison and Champ Lyons became the first University of Alabama distinguished professors in 1964. The Board of Trustees have since honored others as distinguished professors including Drs. Charles A. McCallum, S. Richardson Hill, and James A. Pittman. Dr. Joseph F. Volker became a distinguished professor in 1982 upon his retirement as chancellor of the University of Alabama System. Volker had served as dean of the University of Alabama School of Dentistry, vice president for health affairs of the Medical Center, first president of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and first chancellor of the University of Alabama System. As a distinguished professor, Volker conducted research, taught classes, and served as a consultant to the Medical Center. He served in this capacity until his death in 1989.
From the description of Administrative Files of Distinguished Professor Joseph F. Volker 1982-1989. (Mervyn H. Sterne Library - UAB). WorldCat record id: 31026287
