Introduction
Oliver Carmichael (October 3, 1891 – September 25, 1966) served as the third chancellor of Vanderbilt University from 1937 to 1946. He also served as the President of the University of Alabama from 1953 to 1957.
Early life
Oliver Carmichael was born on October 3, 1891. He received a B.A. from Alabama Presbyterian College and an M.A. from the University of Alabama. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University alongside Harvie Branscomb (1894–1998).
Career
Carmichael worked in a YMCA in India and East Africa. On his return, he became a high school principal, then the president of Alabama College, a women's college.
Carmichael served as the third chancellor of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 1937 to 1946. In 1939, he was also elected to the Board of Trustees of Duke University.
Carmichael served as the President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching from 1945 to 1953. During his tenure, he wrote an article entitled What Makes a Good College President.
Carmichael served as the President of the University of Alabama from 1953 to 1957. During his tenure, the football team lost consistently. He resigned over a "violent controversy" after expelling Autherine Lucy, an African-American student. While he broadly hinted that UA might have to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision against segregation, the board of trustees did not agree. He ultimately resigned over the issue.
Death
Carmichael died on September 25, 1966.
Legacy
The Carmichael Towers on the campus of Vanderbilt University are residential buildings named in his honor.