Monteith, Larry K. (Larry King), 1933-

Born on August 17, 1933 in Bryson City, N.C., Larry King Monteith attended an all-boys school in Asheville, N.C., the Ben Lippen School for Boys . He joined the United States Navy in 1952. Four years later, he enrolled in North Carolina State University, receiving a B.S. (1960), followed by a M.S. (1962) degree and a Ph.D. (1965) in Electrical Engineering from Duke University, all in Electrical Engineering.

From 1960 - 1962, he held positions at Bell Telephone Laboratories as an engineer, analyzing the NIKE missile system and participating in a semiconductor research group. In the mid-to-late sixties, Monteith became a charter member of the Solid State Laboratory, Research Triangle Institute, working as a research engineer in the field of solid state materials and devices. It was during this period that most of his highly technical research reports, articles, and papers were published, ranking Monteith an expert on solid state materials.

In 1968, Monteith joined the faculty of North Carolina State University, Electrical Engineering Department and became Department Head in 1974. He became Dean of the School of Engineering in 1978, Interim Chancellor, and finally Chancellor in May, 1990, serving as the chief executive officer to the largest of the sixteen institutions constituting the University of North Carolina .

During Monteith's tenure as Interim Chancellor and Chancellor (1989 - 1997), North Carolina State University received nationwide recognition and assumed a prominent role in research and education. Some of these accomplishments include establishment of the university's chapter of Phi Betta Kappa ; the expansion of Centennial Campus and the Engineering Graduate Research Center ; the improved ranking of NCSU Libraries (42nd of 108 U.S. university libraries), also named one of six "research libraries of the future," and the successful fundraising campaign, Century II Campaign.

Monteith has also received numerous personal awards, such as Engineer of the Year (1990) and is a member of many honorary associations and professional societies. He was also instrumental in the development of the highly publicized Microelectronics Center of North Carolina ( MCNC ).

After a forty-one year affiliation with North Carolina State University as student, alumnus, faculty member, dean and chancellor, Monteith announced his retirement. Residing in Raleigh, N.C., he is married to Nancy Alexander and has three children, Carol, Larry, and Steve.

From the guide to the Larry K. Monteith Papers, 1933-1999, 2009, (Special Collections Research Center)