Nelson Ferebee Taylor (1920 - 2004) was an American lawyer and educational administrator who served as chancellor of the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

from 1972 to 1980.Carolina Alumni Review obituary
/ref>

Early life

Taylor grew up in

Oxford, North Carolina Oxford is a town in Granville County, North Carolina, United States, with a population of 8,628 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Granville County. History The town's history dates to 1761, when local legislator Samuel Benton built ...

and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in American history. One of his grandfathers was politician Dennis Ferebee.NCpedia biography of Dennis Ferebee
/ref> During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Taylor served in the U.S. Navy and was awarded the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

. After the war, he earned his law degree at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

and earned degrees at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

as a

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

Career

He practiced law in New York for some time, but returned to Chapel Hill in 1968 as a visiting law professor and in 1970 became vice president for administration for the

University of North Carolina System The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sys ...

. Then, he was selected as UNC-Chapel Hill's fifth chancellor in 1972, when the UNC System grew to its current size of 16 constituent institutions. Taylor joined the

University of North Carolina School of Law The University of North Carolina School of Law is the law school of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Established in 1845, Carolina Law is among the oldest law schools in the United States and is the oldest law school in North Carol ...

faculty in 1973. As chancellor, Taylor launched the Carolina Challenge to increase UNC’s endowment to $100 million. The goal was reached in 1985, and two new foundations were created – the Institutional Development Foundation and the Arts and Sciences Foundation. UNC’s physical holdings also grew during Taylor’s term, to include the old Country Club property and the Baity property, which is the current site of the

Dean E. Smith Center The Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center (commonly known as the Dean Smith Center, Smith Center, or the Dean Dome) is a multi-purpose arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, used primarily as the home for the University of North Carolina at Ch ...

, the Kenan Center and the Kenan-Flagler School of Business, and the Koury Natatorium. Taylor took special interest in improving the campus’s library facilities. He helped secure funds for the construction of Davis Library, the expansion of the Health Sciences Library and renovation of Wilson Library. He also supported a substantial increase in the library’s holdings. The Nelson Ferebee Taylor Reading Room in Davis Library was dedicated in 1986. Taylor also advocated diversity in the student body and faculty. From 1972 to 1979, black faculty members increased 280 percent (to 57); other minority faculty members increased 27 percent; and female faculty increased 32 percent. In terms of students, black enrollment grew 87 percent and female enrollment increased 52 percent. Taylor also oversaw the creation of the Pogue scholarships, which were created to attract top students from North Carolina with an emphasis on minority applicants.

Later life and honours

He stepped down as chancellor in January 1980, following a heart attack a year earlier, but continued to teach law until 1991. He was named Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of Law and received the Frederick B. McCall Award for Teaching Excellence. In addition, an award in Taylor’s name was created 1991 and is awarded annually to a graduating law student for excellence in corporate law. Another award in his name was created by the class of 1982. The annual award recognizes a senior who has “made the greatest contribution to the continued vitality and strength of the honor code in the community.”

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Nelson People from Oxford, North Carolina Leaders of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1920 births 2004 deaths University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni American Rhodes Scholars Alumni of the University of Oxford Harvard Law School alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II 20th-century American academics