William Clyde Friday was born in 1920 in Raphine, Va., and grew up in Dallas, Gaston County, N.C. He graduated from the Law School of the University of North Carolina in 1948, after which he served as assistant dean of students and was named assistant to University President Gordon Gray in 1951. Friday was appointed secretary of the University in 1955, named acting president of the Consolidated University of North Carolina (North Carolina State College (Raleigh), the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), and Woman's College (Greensboro)) in 1956, and became president later in the year. In 1971, the General Assembly restructured higher education in North Carolina, and the Consolidated University became the University of North Carolina System. On 1 July 1972, Friday became president of the new system. He served in that capacity for 30 years, during which time the University System grew to 16 campuses. Friday retired in 1986, after which he became president of the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, guiding the philanthropy's support of educational endeavors. Although he retired from public service in 1999, Friday remains influential in many aspects of North Carolina life. The collection consists of photographs, 1951-1980s, that relate to William C. Friday, primarily his activities as president of the University of North Carolina system. Topics include Friday's inauguration; the 1961 visit of President John F. Kennedy to the University of North Carolina; the UNC Board of Trustees; and Friday's television interview program, which he began in 1971. Many well-known North Carolinians and other individuals are represented in the images. North Carolina People,
