Twelve men have been the president or chancellor at East Carolina University. In 1972, ECU joined the UNC system, which changed the name of the chief administrator at East Carolina. The chancellor is chosen by the UNC board of governors on the recommendation of the UNC BOG president. Above the chancellor is the board of trustees. Four of the twelve trustees are picked by the governor of North Carolina. The student body president sits on the board ex officio .
| # | Name | Term begin | Term end | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Herring Wright | 1909 | 1934 | ||
| 2 | Leon Renfroe Meadows | 1934 | 1944 | ||
| 3 | Howard Justus McGinnis | 1944 | 1946 | Interim | |
| 4 | Dennis Hargrove Cooke | 1946 | 1947 | ||
| 5 | John Decatur Messick | 1947 | 1959 | [1] [2] | |
| 6 | Leo Warren Jenkins | 1960 | 1972 |
| # | Name | Term begin | Term end | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leo Warren Jenkins | 1972 | 1978 | ||
| 2 | Thomas Bowman Brewer | 1978 | 1981 | ||
| 3 | John McDade Howell | 1982 | 1988 | ||
| 4 | Richard R. Eakin | 1988 | 2001 | ||
| 5 | William Muse | 2001 | 2003 | ||
| 6 | William E. Shelton | 2003 | 2004 | Interim | |
| 7 | Steven Ballard | 2004 | 2016 | ||
| 8 | Cecil Staton | 2016 | 2019 | [3] | |
| 9 | Daniel Gerlach | 2019 | 2019 | Interim | [4] |
| 10 | Ron Mitchelson | 2019 | 2021 | Interim | |
| 11 | Philip Rogers | 2021 | - |
 |
The University of North Carolina is the 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 System to differentiate it from its first campus, UNC-Chapel Hill.
East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina and the only one in the state with schools of medicine, dentistry and engineering.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolling students in 1795, making it one of the oldest public universities in the United States.
The University of North Carolina at Asheville is a public liberal arts university in Asheville, North Carolina, United States. UNC Asheville is the designated liberal arts institution in the University of North Carolina system. It is a member and the headquarters of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colleges. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
Erskine Boyce Bowles is an American businessman and political figure from North Carolina. He served as the 19th White House Chief of Staff from January 1997 to October 1998, under President Bill Clinton, and as the president of the University of North Carolina system from 2005 to 2010. He also ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 2002 and 2004 to represent North Carolina.
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is a public, historically black, land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System. Founded by the North Carolina General Assembly on March 9, 1891, as the Agricultural and Mechanical College for the Colored Race, it was the second college established under the provisions of the Morrill Act of 1890, as well as the first for people of color in the State of North Carolina. Initially, the college offered instruction in agriculture, English, horticulture and mathematics. In 1967, the college was designated a Regional University by the North Carolina General Assembly and renamed North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is a public art school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It grants a high school diploma, in addition to both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Founded in 1963 as the North Carolina School of the Arts by then-Governor Terry Sanford, it was the first public arts conservatory in the United States. The school owns and operates the Stevens Center in Downtown Winston-Salem and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The Confederate Monument, University of North Carolina, commonly known as Silent Sam, is a bronze statue of a Confederate soldier by Canadian sculptor John A. Wilson, which once stood on McCorkle Place of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) from 1913 until it was pulled down by protestors on August 20, 2018. Its former location has been described as "the front door" of the university and "a position of honor".
Old East is a residence hall located at the north part of campus in University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Built in 1793 by slave labor, it became the first state university building in the United States. The Wren Building at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, was built in 1695, but William and Mary did not become a public university until 1906.
Cecil Pope Staton Jr. is an American politician and academic administrator. He served as the Chancellor of East Carolina University from 2016 to 2019. Previously, Staton served as Interim President of Valdosta State University (2015–2016) and as Vice Chancellor for Extended Education with the University System of Georgia (2014–2016).
East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine is the dental school at East Carolina University. It is North Carolina's second dental school, which enrolled its inaugural class in the fall of 2011. ECU SoDM was established to address the shortage of dentists in the rural regions across North Carolina. It serves North Carolina statewide by educating more dentists, with the primary focus of student recruitment being students who desire to return to rural and underserved areas to provide oral health care. The SoDM built 8 community service learning centers located in rural and underserved areas throughout the state. The students will complete nine-week rotations at the service learning centers during their final year of study.
The East Carolina Pirates are a college football team that represents East Carolina University. The team is a member of the American Athletic Conference, which is in Division I Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Blake Harrell is the interim head coach.
John Decatur Messick was the fifth president of what is now East Carolina University. He was born on November 9, 1897, near Aurora, North Carolina. He graduated from Elon College in 1922. He then went to summer school to complete graduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1934, he earned a Ph.D. degree from New York University.
The Charlotte 49ers football program represents the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in college football. The UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees officially voted to add a football program on November 13, 2008, after a unanimous recommendation by the Football Feasibility Committee. It was made possible by Student Government initiatives starting in 2006 by then-student body president Benjamin Comstock and student body vice president Jordan Van Dyne, namely the first step of organizing a transparent student vote on football that disclosed possible hikes in tuition fees as a result of football. The online poll was approved by the Student Senate and administered in collaboration with the University's IT Department. Despite the possibility of potential rises in student fees, the vote clearly displayed a student interest in a football team. The program began play during the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season.
Kevin M. Guskiewicz is an American academic administrator, currently serving as the 22nd president of Michigan State University since March 2024. He previously served as the 12th chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2019 to 2024.
Carol Lynn Folt is an American academic administrator, currently serving as the 12th president of the University of Southern California since July 2019. She previously served as the 11th chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2013 to 2019 and as interim president of Dartmouth College from 2012 to 2013.
McColl–Richardson Field at Jerry Richardson Stadium is a college football stadium in University City, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States and the home field of the Charlotte 49ers football team representing the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The team became a Football Bowl Subdivision member in 2015 and competes in the American Athletic Conference.
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors, known more commonly as the UNC Board of Governors, is the governing body of the University of North Carolina system. The board is composed of 24 members, selected by the state legislature.