Dr. Julius L. Chambers to Be Honored For Service to State of North Carolina | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Raleigh, NC – Dr. Julius L. Chambers will be honored posthumously today by the State of North Carolina with the presentation of the Spirit of North Carolina Award. Dr. Chambers died in August 2013.


    The award will be presented this afternoon at the Governor's Award for Excellence ceremony at the North Carolina Museum of History.

    Dr. Chambers is only the second person to receive this special honor which is presented to state employees who have mentored others in the pursuit of excellence and whose achievements are of the highest caliber. The award is given by the executive branch to employees who exemplify the state motto of "To be, rather than to seem."

    "Julius Chambers was a pioneer in education and civil rights and he advanced both fields while in direct service to the people of North Carolina," said Governor Pat McCrory. "His public service and life's work enriched North Carolina and our nation."

    In 1993, Dr. Chambers left his historic legal career to become the first alumnus named Chancellor of North Carolina Central University. A native of Mount Gilead, he graduated from North Carolina College in 1958 summa cum laude with a degree in history. He then earned a master's degree in history at the University of Michigan and a law degree from the UNC School of Law, graduating first in his class.

    During his eight-year tenure as chancellor, 10 endowed chairs were established including the $1 million Charles Hamilton Chair at the NC Central Law School. Under his leadership, NC Central grew in stature and made a significant turn toward modern-day disciplines such as biotechnology and homeland security.

    After retiring from the university in 2001, Dr. Chambers accepted an invitation from the UNC School of Law later that year to serve as the founding director of the UNC Center for Civil Rights. The center trains civil rights advocates, provides research and as well as legal counsel to lower-income communities in the Southeast. He led the center until 2010.

    Coach Kay Yow was the first recipient of the Spirit of North Carolina Award in 2007.


    Contact: Crystal Feldman
      govpress@nc.gov