Outgoing Fayetteville State University chancellor Dr. James A. Anderson is a towering figure whose intelligence, leadership and excellence will be missed at the North Carolina school and beyond, say those familiar with his tenure.
“I’m really, really, really happy for him, but not happy for the HBCU community because we’re losing an amazing leader, an incredibly transformational leader, a visionary, a person that was willing to take risks for the betterment of all HBCUs,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, of which FSU is a member.
The university will soldier on, but Anderson’s bold and effective leadership will be “a great loss for us,” said Vedas Neal, chair of the trustee board and past president of FSU’s national alumni council.
“Dr. Anderson has taken us well over the bar, moving us into the future at a rapid pace,” said Neal. “He faced the challenges of the 21st century and put us on the map not only locally, but internationally. It has been an awesome experience. Everything has been first-class and upward.”
Anderson, 70, announced June 13 that he was retiring after working for 45 years in higher education. He was unavailable Friday for an interview, but he told The Fayetteville Observer newspaper earlier in the week that he was stepping down for personal reasons, including to spend more time with family.
A news release issued by the university said that Anderson, who led FSU for 11 years, “will continue to be a part of the Bronco family.”
“During his tenure, the university has completed many milestones that are too long to list,” the statement said. “Suffice it to say that among funding agencies, Department of Defense agencies and contractors, national educational organizations, accrediting bodies and our peer institutions, FSU has developed a national reputation.”
