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Australian Navy. After the War he returned to the University of Minnesota where he received the Ph.D. degree in 1947. Dr. Sharp has been an Instructor in the University of Minnesota (1946-47); Associate Professor of History, Ohio State University 1947-54); Professor of American History and Chairman of the American Institutions Program, University of Wisconsin (1954-57). He has taught as Visiting Professor at Minnesota, San Francisco State College, University of Wisconsin, and the University of Oregon. He was appointed President of Hiram College in July, 1957. In 1953, he spent the year in Australia as a Fulbright Lecturer at the University of Melbourne and Sidney.
"Dr. Sharp is a successful author who has specialized in western American and American Economic history. His most recent book, published in 1955 under the title of Whoop-Up Country was an analysis of a section of Canadian-American West. The book won the Silver Spur Award of the Western Writers of America as the best non-fiction of the year and the Award of Merit of the American Association of Local History as the most important contribution to state and local history in the western region in 1955. One of his earlier books was Agrarian Revolt in Western Canada, a study which contributed much to understanding of the American past by comparing the agrarian experience of Canada and the United States.
"His research monographs have covered wide areas of western history and have appeared in the American Historical Review, Mississippi Valley Historical Review, Agricultural History, the Pacific Historical Review, and the Journal of Higher Education.
"Dr. Sharp has received many awards and honors during his career. These include a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship for teaching and study in his chosen field, the Annual Alumni Award of the Iowa State University, a Ford Faculty Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin, and various grants from state and regional historical societies for studies in American history.
"Dr. Sharp's professional affiliations include membership in the Association of American Colleges where he serves on the Commission on Liberal Education; the International Relations Committee of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education; the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association from 1953 to 1957 and of the Executive Committee of the Agricultural History Society from 1950 to 1954. In 1961 he received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from Texas Christian University.
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"Dr. Sharp is married to the former Rose Anderson of Enid, Oklahoma. They have three children: William, who graduated this year from Stanford University and is currently serving with the Peace Corps in Colombia; Kathryn, a junior at the College of Wooster; and Trevor, who will be a senior in high school next fall.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the cold and impersonal record of the man's activities thus far. These are important and impressive. But not less important among his qualifications - if not his credentials - is the fact that he has at the age of 46 established for himself a national reputation as a brilliant, dedicated, and successful educator in the finest tradition of the Liberal Arts. Moreover, in the time since he attracted the notice of our Committee and my colleagues in administration, he has impressed us with his warmth of personality, practical sense, and suitability for the requirements at this juncture in the history of the University of North Carolina.
"We are exceedingly glad that he responded to our invitation to join us in this high endeavor, and I recommend for your approval Dr. Paul Frederick Sharp to be Chancellor of the University at Chapel Hill and Professor of History effective September 1, 1964."
Mr. Medford:
"You have heard Dr. Sharp's qualifications as presented to you by President Friday. It would be useless for me to dwell further upon these qualifications. I can only tell you very briefly that he made a tremendous impression upon this Committee. We feel that he is a man that is dedicated to higher education; that he really knows where education is going and what role it should play in the modern world. We believe that he is the best man that we can get at this time. He certainly is as good a man as we could turn up in a search, as I have recited to you that lasted over nine months. We think we covered the waterfront and also the hill country. I hope that this Board will approve this selection. I would like to move the appointment of Dr. Sharp for Chancellor and Professor of History at Chapel Hill."
Mr. Foscue seconded the nomination, and he stated that the Committee searched through a long list of people and had access to some very fine information; that they decided to recommend Dr. Sharp because he was one of the most outstanding men in American education. He further stated that on the trip back home from New York their thoughts were related to a letter from Billy Carmichael that Dr. Sharp is one of the 'tall poles' in American education.
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Mr. Tate and Mr. Redding also seconded the motion.
Mr. Tate stated that he concurred in everything Mr. Medford had said and added that he had served on many business committees of various and sundry kinds and that he had never served on a committee that worked any harder or more sincerely or diligently to find, in over 125 distinguished educators, a man that they could recommend.
Mr. Redding stated that it had been a real privilege and pleasure to serve on the committee and that he felt one of the finest things was the association they had, not with just the members of the Trustees alone, but with other members of the Alumni Association and the Professors; that this relationship had given each one of them a better insight into the workings of the University and an opportunity to see what fine men the University has. He concurred one-hundred percent with the selection and the nomination of Dr. Sharp.
The motion was then put to a vote and Dr. Sharp was unanimously elected Chancellor and Professor of History at the University at Chapel Hill. Mr. Medford and members of the Committee were asked to escort Dr. and Mrs. Sharp to the Hall. Mr. Friday introduced Dr. and Mrs. Sharp and there was great applause.
Dr. Sharp:
"Governor Sanford, President Friday, Ladies and Gentlemen:
"If it weren't for the smiles and applause, I'd almost take this for my execution. Under such circumstances I know you realize how proud we are. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has for all of my academic lifetime been admired and highly regarded by me as one of the nation's great universities. To be associated with it in any capacity is, I believe, a matter of real pride and pleasure. To be its Chancellor adds the exciting note of leadership. I assure you and I pledge to you on the occasion of this election all of the energy, the imagination, the ability I have to aid you and the people of this State in continuing the great traditions at Chapel Hill. These are the traditions that excite me. The traditions of a strong faculty, dedicated to teaching, to scholarship, to research, to all the qualities that make for greatness in the academic world; the great traditions of freedom, the environment within which this faculty has been able to work and extend these qualities to the outer reaches of the State so that the lives of everybody in the community are enriched by their efforts. To me, therefore,
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Governor's Office Raleigh, North Carolina July 10, 1964
The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of The University met in regular session in the Office of Governor Sanford, State Capitol Building, Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, July 10, 1964, with the following members present: Messrs. Pearsall, Mintz, Noble, Wicker, Maynard, Barber, Umstead, Hill, Taylor, Bryant, and Mrs. Burgwyn; Governor Sanford presiding, Arch T. Allen, Secretary.
Also present were: President Friday, Vice Presidents Anderson, King and Weaver, Business Officer & Treasurer Shepard, Chancellors Aycock, Caldwell and Singletary.
The meeting was called to order and President Friday was recognized. He called on the Chancellors for their personnel reports and recommendations in the following order:
Chancellor Aycock, for the University at Chapel Hill
Appointments:
James Logan Godfrey, Dean of the F acuity and Professor, Department of History, is recommended for appointment as Distinguished University Professor, beginning July 1, 1964.
Frederick P. Brooks, Jr., as Chairman and Professor, Department of Informational Science, with salary of $20,000 beginning September 1, 1964, on a twelve-months basis. Born Durham, North Carolina 1931, married, two children. A. B. 1963 Duke University; S.M. 1955 and Ph.D. 1956, Harvard University. Experience: Teaching Fellow, 1954-56 Harvard University; Visiting Instructor 1958, Vassar College; Adjunct Assistant Professor 1960-61, Columbia University; IBM Corporation since 1956 - final position, Operating System 360, Manager and Corporate Processor Manager. Interviewed by Chancellor Aycock.
William Marion Hardy, as Associate Professor, Department of Radio, Television and Motion Pictures, with salary of $9,000, beginning September 1, 1964. Born Norfolk, Virginia, 1922. Married, two children. B.S. 1943 Duke University; M. A. 1955 University of North Carolina. Experience: Instructor 1954-58 Texas Western College; Assistant and Associate Professor 195863 Purdue University; Visiting Associate Professor 1963-64 University of North Carolina. Interviewed by: Mr. Hardy is presently a Visiting Professor at the University.
Howard Cook, as Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, with salary of $10,000 beginning September 1, 1964. Born Spartanburg, South Carolina, 1933. Married. One child. B.S. 1956, Clemson College; Ph.D. 1962, University of Texas. Experience: Assistant Professor 1962-64, Auburn University. Interviewed by: Chairman of the Department of Mathematics and his staff.
William Ewart Easterling, as Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, with salary of $12,000 beginning July 1, 1964. Born Raleigh, North Carolina 1930. Married. Four children. A. B. 1952, Duke University; M. D. 1956, University of North Carolina. Experience: Fellow, U. S. Public Health Training Program, University of California at Los Angeles 1963-64. Interviewed by: Dr. Easterling is well-known as a former student at the University.