Illness Forces N.C. Central's Chambers to Take Leave

Black Issues in Higher Education, August 19, 1999

DURHAM, N.C.--Julius Chambers, chancellor of North Carolina Central University (NCCU), will take a leave of absence to treat an undisclosed medical condition, university officials said late last month.

Chambers, 62, told his staff that he will undergo surgery early this month and that he expects to be away for up to six weeks, university officials say.

"I'm worried about him," Provost Eugene Eaves says.

But David Hoard, vice chancellor of development, suggested there was no great cause for concern.

"It's a routine operation," Hoard says. "It's nothing super-serious."

In Chambers' absence, the university will be managed by a five-member team made up of the four vice chancellors and George Walls, special assistant to the chancellor. Eaves will attend NCCU trustees' meetings and serve as the university's liaison to the board.

Chambers, who became chancellor in 1992, is not expected to return to NCCU until after the first day of classes and is reportedly working with vice chancellors and staff leaders to ensure that registration runs smoothly. The first day of classes is Aug. 17.