Native son home at helm

On the eve of University Day, junior Dawson Gage wrote an e-mail to tell his mother what he likes about Chancellor Holden Thorp.

“Mom, he’s a brilliant person who’s chosen to make his life here, in his home state,” read his mother Hannah Gage, chairwoman of the Board of Governors, to the crowd surrounding South Building.

Sunday’s installation of Thorp as UNC’s 10th chancellor had the air of a homecoming, despite Thorp having been on the faculty since 1993.

About 2,750 students, faculty and alumni attended the installation, falling on the 215th anniversary of the University’s founding.

Beforehand, Thorp was compared to all kinds of sages, ranging from University founder William R. Davie to Yoda from Star Wars.

But foremost in their minds was the pride of having a chancellor who graduated from UNC and worked his way up the faculty ranks.

Thorp graduated in 1986, attended graduate school at Cal Tech and worked at N.C. State University before returning to UNC.

“You spread your wings, flew away and tore the Tar Heel tether in two,” said Joe Templeton, chairman of the faculty. “Then you chose to return. Thank you.”

In his first big speech, Thorp forsook the traditional historical retelling of the University’s past, instead opting for a comedic two-paragraph abridged version.

“I need my time today to talk about the future,” he said.

Though his speech did not break much new ground, Thorp clearly enunciated three key goals for UNC: to recruit top undergraduate and graduate students, to attract talented faculty who can teach and research and to elevate the region and state.

All three were connected, but each had specific tactics.

The first goal can be achieved by revamping academic programs to make them more attractive to students’ interests and offering more financial aid.

The second can be achieved by creating more endowed professorships and garnering more research money and the third by collaborating with the other 16 campuses in the UNC system.

But his speech mostly dealt with the interconnections between the three.

“It’s on us to do more than teach,” Thorp said. “We must inspire our students to reach beyond themselves and take on the great problems facing the world.”

And Thorp touched on safety as necessary to achieve all his goals — academic safety for innovation as well as physical safety.

But before Thorp laid out all his goals, long-time friend and poet Allan Gurganus submitted him as the answer to all of them — and a few more.

“Whenever I lose my car keys, I consider calling Holden Thorp,” said Gurganus, who has known Thorp since he was a child.

Back then, Thorp was half Huck Finn, half Yoda and a chancellor in miniature, Gurnagus said.

“A North Carolinian is finally chancellor of this great University. Yes, yes. Can I hear an amen?”



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.