Here’s a photograph that’s got a lot of us stumped, so we are turning it over to your collective knowledge. The photograph is labeled on the back “Presidents of UNC” and that it was once part of the UNC News Bureau, but there is no other identifying information. A bit of investigation, however, leads me to conclude that not all of these gentleman are UNC presidents.
What we know and what we suspect:
- On the far left is Harry Woodburn Chase, president of UNC from 1919 through 1930.
- Third from the right is Frank Porter Graham, successor to Chase, appointed by the Board of Trustees on 9 June 1930 and serving until 1949.
- Chase was on hand for 1930 graduation ceremonies, held from 7-10 June.
- Chase returned to UNC for University Day on 12 October 1939; the account in The Daily Tar Heel, however, don’t favor this occasion as the date of the photograph.
- Second from the right is William Preston Few, long time president of Trinity College/Duke University. He died 16 October 1940.
- Dr. Francis P. Venable, UNC president (1900-1913), received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree during the 1930 commencement, but he is not in the photograph. That doesn’t mean the photograph is from that event, but a photograph intended to portray UNC presidents.
- Third from left looks like UNC president Edwin Anderson Alderman (1896-1900), but then again it doesn’t. If it is, he died 29 April 1931.
OK . . . your turn! Recognize anyone else . . . or better yet, the occasion?
Meeting of the university’s first multicultural task force?
Is the man beside of Dr. Frank, Robert B. House?
If it is House in the photo, then this might inlcude images of the heads of the other two campuses, which were part of the University of North Carolina at the time–Woman’s College and NC State.
Another question is where they are standing. Surely it is somewhere at UNC-CH, right? I see some distinctive features. Anyone recognize it?
Also, third from the left is definitely Edwin Alderman. Alderman was almost certainly President of UVA at the time of this photograph.
Thanks for all the input so far. Mark: I’ve tried to guess what building is behind them, but haven’t had a chance to actually compare building images or walk campus. Kevin: the man next to Frank Port Graham is not R. B. House.
As for location, I was thinking in the Alumni Hall, Caldwell, etc. area. It just has sort of that feel and look to it.
I took a little stroll around some likely building candidates, including Peabody before the newer facade, and I didn’t return with a winner.
And here’s a photograph with Alderman made in 1930 that doesn’t look like the same fellow: http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/media_player?mets_filename=evm00000378mets.xml
The jury is still out, but I’m beginning to think the photograph may have been made on a different campus.