Oral history interview with J. Carlyle Sitterson, November 4 and 6, 1987
Subtitle: interview L-0030, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007)
Contributors: Dean, Pamela, interviewer; Southern Oral History Program; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Documenting the American South (Project); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library
Edition: Electronic ed.
Publisher: University Library, UNC-Chapel Hill
Published: 2007
Place of publication: [Chapel Hill, N.C.]
Language: eng
Subjects: Interviews; College administrators; Administration; Students; Student movements; Faculty integration; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Other titles: Interview L-0030, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007); Interview with J. Carlyle Sitterson, November 4 and 6, 1987; Oral histories of the American South.
Description: Former University of North Carolina Chancellor J. Carlyle Sitterson recalls the dramatic changes the university underwent during the 1960s. Appointed chancellor in 1966, Sitterson was immediately faced with a variety of student issues, including student visitation, dress codes, and privacy issues. Additionally, Sitterson cites the Speaker Ban Law, Jim Crow facilities and the Vietnam War as flashpoint topics for student activists. To maintain communication with students, Sitterson employed an open-door policy for student advisory committees, which brought concerns to him. Sitterson notes that UNC officials used open forums with university administrators or state politicians to preempt violent student riots. The proliferation of radical student activities on campuses nationwide produced fears of student sit-ins at UNC. Desegregating the university student body and faculty were additional changes facing Sitterson. The desegregation of faculty, Sitterson argues, was a more difficult proposition, since black faculty cost more because of the limited number of skilled applicants. Sitterson says that he walked a tightrope between his superiors and his faculty and that his support of hiring black staff further distanced him from the Board of Trustees.
Notes: Title from menu page (viewed on Nov. 18, 2008).

Interview participants: J. Carlyle Sitterson, interviewee; Pamela Dean, interviewer.

Duration: 01:30:52.

This electronic edition is part of the UNC-Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.  It is a part of the collection Oral histories of the American South.

Text encoded by Jennifer Joyner.  Sound recordings digitized by Aaron Smithers.

Text (HTML and XML/TEI source file) and audio (MP3); 2 files: ca. 148 kilobytes, 166 megabytes.

Original version: Southern Oral History Program Collection, (#4007), Series L, University of North Carolina, interview L-0030, Manuscripts Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Transcribed by Kelly Bruce. Original transcript: 46 p.

Funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this interview.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

System requirements:  Web browser with Javascript enabled and multimedia player.