Oliver Carmichael

Oliver Carmichael (October 3, 1891 – September 25, 1966) served as the third chancellor of Vanderbilt University from 1937 to 1946. He also served as the President of the University of Alabama from 1953 to 1957.

Oliver Carmichael
20th President of the University of Alabama
In office
1953–1957
Preceded byLee Bidgood (acting)
Succeeded byJames H. Newman (acting)
3rd Chancellor of Vanderbilt University
In office
1937–1946
Preceded byJames H. Kirkland
Succeeded byHarvie Branscomb
Personal details
BornOctober 3, 1891
DiedSeptember 25, 1966(1966-09-25) (aged 74)
Alma materAlabama Presbyterian College (B.A.)
University of Alabama (M.A.)
Wadham College, Oxford (B.A.)

Early life

Oliver Carmichael was born on October 3, 1891, the son of a farmer. He received a B.A. from Alabama Presbyterian College and an M.A. from the University of Alabama.[1][2] He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, following Harvie Branscomb (1894–1998).[1] He was the first Rhodes Scholar from Alabama.[2]

Career

Carmichael worked in a YMCA in India and East Africa.[1] During the First World War, Carmichael and later Vanderbilt Chancellor Harvie Branscomb worked for the American Commission for Relief in Belgium under Herbert Hoover. After the war, Belgium awarded Carmichael and Branscomb the Médaille du Roi Albert and Médaille de la Reine Élisabeth for their service.[2] On his return, he became a high school principal, then the president of Alabama College, a women's college.[1]

Carmichael became Dean of the Graduate School of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee in 1935, and he was elevated to serve as the third chancellor of the University from 1937 to 1946.[2][1] In 1939, he was also elected to the board of trustees of Duke University.[3]

Carmichael served as the President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching from 1945 to 1953.[1][4] During his tenure, he wrote an article entitled What Makes a Good College President.[5]

Carmichael served as the President of the University of Alabama from 1953 to 1957.[6] During his tenure, the football team lost consistently.[4] He resigned over a "violent controversy" after expelling Autherine Lucy, an African-American student.[4] While he broadly hinted that UA might have to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision against segregation, the board of trustees did not agree. He ultimately resigned over the issue.[7]

Death

Carmichael died on September 25, 1966.[6]

Legacy

The Carmichael Towers on the campus of Vanderbilt University are residential buildings named in his honor.[8]

References

  1. Vanderbilt University biography
  2. Doll, G.N. Spies Like Us. Vanderbilt Magazine, accessed 3 June 2019.
  3. Duke University: Board of Trustees 1930s Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Kemper, Kurt Edward (2009). College Football and American Culture in the Cold War Era. U of Illinois P. p. 123. ISBN 9780252034664. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  5. Carmichael, Oliver C. (Winter 1947). "What Makes a Good College President". Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors (1915-1955). 33 (4): 681–687. doi:10.2307/40220242. JSTOR 40220242.
  6. Dr. Oliver Carmichael, 74, Dies; Ex-President of U. of Alabama; His Reign Was Marked by a Violent Controversy Over Admission of Negro, The New York Times, September 27, 1966
  7. "Education: Goodbye to 'Bama". Time. November 19, 1956. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  8. Vanderbilt University Campus Dining: Carmichael Towers
Academic offices
Preceded by
James Hampton Kirkland
Chancellor of Vanderbilt University
1937–1946
Succeeded by
Harvie Branscomb
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