Irvin Reid is 1st Black prexy at Wayne State U

Jet, Sept 22, 1997

Irvin Reid was recently named president of Wayne State University in Detroit. He is the school's first Black president.

Reid replaces President David Adamany, who announced his resignation in December 1996.

Prior to his appointment, Reid was president of Montclair State University in New Jersey, where he had served since 1989.

The new president said he is interested in forming stronger ties with the business community, and he will bring a service-based approach to the university's operations, treating students as customers.

Wayne State has more than 31,000 students, 1,700 full-time faculty, 14 schools and colleges, including law and medicine, and an operating budget of $329 million.

Reid, 56, has a 30-year career as a faculty member and academic administrator. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in general experimental psychology from Howard University. He also holds a master's and a doctorate in business and applied economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

He is married to Pamela Trotman Reid, and they have two children.