Thomas K. Hearn Jr. | Headed Wake Forest, 71 Posted on August 24th
Thomas K. Hearn Jr., 71, president of Wake Forest University from 1983 until 2005, died Monday in Winston-Salem, N.C.
He had been diagnosed with brain cancer while serving as president in 2003 and was eventually declared cancer-free. He returned to the job a few months later but announced that he planned to retire in June 2005.
During his presidency, Wake Forest saw college applications double, hired significantly more faculty, and was host to presidential debates in 1988 and 2000. The college also launched an extensive construction and renovation initiative on campus.
Mr. Hearn’s first major decision at the school was to sever ties with the Baptist State Convention, paving the way for a self-governing structure at the university. - AP