Fire and Stone

“A worthy contribution to the history of American higher education and, in particular, to understanding the history of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the years between its near collapse during the era of Reconstruction and the activist presidency of Frank Porter Graham during the Great Depression.”—The Journal of Southern History

“Offers a thorough accounting of two critical University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) presidencies in the early twentieth century. . . . Covington has performed an important service.”—North Carolina Historical Review

“Explains how the 'fire' of Graham and the 'stone' of his successor, Chase, transformed UNC from a quiet liberal arts institution into a respected university equipped to provide an academic experience that prepared students to participate in a growing commercial, industrial, and agricultural New South.”—PineStraw

“Some years ago former Mississippi Governor William Winter was asked what there had been in the South to keep him going as Mississippi dealt with the trauma of great social change. He paused for a moment and then answered, ‘I could always look to Chapel Hill.’ The reference to the town, of course, was a reference to the University established there more than two centuries ago, and this book is a compelling story of how a young president, Edward Kidder Graham, in a brief tenure so marked it with what the author describes as ‘attitude and spirit’ that his dream is vital even today. It is also the story of Graham’s successor Harry Chase who proved himself a courageous and effective disciple, and the beginning of the story of Graham’s cousin Frank who succeeded Chase and whose spirit has never left the place. Even those who do not love Carolina but who do respect important history well captured and shared will find this a fine read. All will have a new understanding of the conviction of celebrated journalist and alumnus Charles Kuralt that from this early twentieth century movement fully emerged ‘as it was in the beginning, the University of the people.’” — Thomas W. Lambeth, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Class of 1957, President of General Alumni Association (1989-1990), and Executive Director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (1978-2001)

“If you care about public service, if you care about research that helps North Carolinians, or if you simply want to learn more about UNC’s history, then you need to read this book. Covington tells the story of the University at the start of the twentieth century, during a time that laid the foundation for an institution that remains proudly public. In his telling, he vividly captures the times and the people who first made it a center of innovation for the state.” — Lynn White Blanchard, Director of the Carolina Center for Public Service at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill