The first president of the Davidson student body to become president of the College was Samuel Reid Spencer, Class of 1940. In 1951, Spencer returned to Davidson to serve as assistant to President Cunningham. After three years, he was named Dean of Students and Associate Professor of History, advancing to full professor in 1955. He left Davidson in 1957 to become president of Mary Baldwin College.
In 1968, he returned to Davidson as president. During his tenure as president, 1968 to 1983, Davidson College witnessed the introduction of coeducation, the active recruiting of minority students, the establishment of self-selection for fraternities, an emphasis on faculty research, and the development of foreign study opportunities for students.
From the description of Records 1968-1983. (American Museum of Natural History). WorldCat record id: 722057994
