This issue of THE BRONCOS’S VOICE is dedicated to Chancellor Charles ”A” Lyons, Jr. Thank
you, Chancellor Lyons for your many years of service to Fayetteville State, setting a standard of ex
cellence that has helped FSU become the growing dynamic university that it is.
-The Editors
Ihe Broncos ^Vbfce
Vol. 42 No. 2
Nov. 30,1987
SPECIAL EDITION
Educational Leader Inauguration set
April 1977 - Born in a small eastern
North Carolina farming community,
Dr. Charles “A” Lyons, Jr. has today
emerged as one of the nations promi
nent figures in the area of higher
education.
Presently Dr. Lyins is Chancellor of
Fayetteville State University, a
southeastern North Carolina-based in
stitution which is in its one-hundredth
year of existence, and is the second
oldest siaie-supported school in the
university system.
The Conetoe, North Carolina-born
native received his BA degree over 26
years ago with “Highest Honors”
from Shaw University at Raleigh,
North Carolina majoring in History
and minoring in English.
He furthered his academic training
at Ohio State University Columbus,
Ohio, and obtained the Master of Arts
degree in Political Science in 1954.
Dr. Lyons earned the Ph.D. degree
at Ohio State University in 1957 in
Political Science with an area specialty
of South and Southeast Asia.
He has also studied at Columbia
University, Johns Hopkins University,
Gokhale Institute of Politics &
Economics in India and the School of
Business Administration at Harvard
University.
He is married and he and his wife
Rosa, are the parents of three children,
Sheila, Brenda and Charles Herbert.
He came to Fayetteville in 1969 and
assumed the Presidency of Fayetteville
State College. Dr. Lyons later in 1972
became the first Chancellor of newly-
named Fayetteville State University
which became a constituent institution
of the 16-member University of North
Carolina high education reorganiza
tion plan.
Some of his prior administrative
posts include Dean of the College,
Elizabeth City State College, 1959-62;
Executive Secretary, North Carolina
Teachers Association, 1962-64; and
Director of Admissions, Howard
University, 1964-69.
In 1974, Dr. Lyons was named Presi
dent of the National Association for
Equal Opportunity in Higher Educa
tion (NAFEO), an organization com
posed of more than 100 predominantly
Black institutions of higher education
Lyons,
FSU Chancellor Charles
Jr.
enrolling over 200,000 students in
undergraduate, graduate and profes
sional schools.
He is a member of the First Baptist
Church in Fayetteville and his civic af
filiations in the city include the Civitan
Club; Ex-Officio Member of the Board
of Directors, Fayetteville Area
Chamber of Commerce; Member of
the Board of Directors, United Na
tional Bank; Honorary Member of the
Kiwanis Club; and the Eureada
Masonic Lodge Number Three of
Fayetteville.
Dr. Lyons is the recipient of
numerous awards, honors and distinc
tions and has traveled extensively, both
at home and abroad.
He holds membership in numerous
professional associations and has serv
ed as a consultant in many civic and
educational areas.
In his present post as Chancellor of
Fayetteville State University, Dr.
Lyons has led the 2000-plus enrollment
institution into its “Centennial Year”
of operation.
Founded in 1877, Chancellor Lyons
is the seventh administrator of Fayet
teville State University. Since taking
over the leadership of the school in
1969, a multi-million dollar science
building will soon be erected, a multi
million dollar classroom building com
plex, a new Continuing Education
Center and a modern dormitory have
all been completed under his ad
ministration.
April 1970 - Fayetteville State
University has set the inauguration of
President Charles ‘A’ Lyons for May
3, 1970 Dr. M.S. Frierson, Chairman
of the University Inauguration Com
mittee, told The Voice.
Dr. Lyons assumed the FSU
presidency August 1, thus becoming
the eighth executive officer of the in
stitution.
Dr. Lyons came to the Fayetteville
State posL from Howard University,
where he served as director of admis
sions. He is a native of Conetoe and
did his undergraduate work at Shaw
University and earned the doctorate
degree from Ohio State University.
Dr. Frierson said that a detailed pro
gram will be announced later.
President Welcomes
October 1970 - President and Mrs.
Lyons cordially welcomed approx
imately one-hundred students and
several faculty and staff members to
their home on Tuesday evening,
September 29, 1970.
The reception began at 7:30 p.m.
with preparations for the entire
University community. As guests arriv
ed, they were greeted warmly by Dr.
and Mrs. Lyons. She acted as hostess,
pointing out the purposes of rooms on
the first floor of the home. All guests
were shown through the formal dining
Science Building Named
September 1981 - In a move that
even caught the Chancellor himself by
surprise, the Board of Trustees an
nounced that the new science building
will be named in honor of Dr. Charles
“A” Lyons.
The board made their announcement
at the quarterly board meeting on
September 23, 1981. Observers said it
was the first time they had ever seen
Chancellor Lyons speechless. Having
the science building named after him
during his tenure not only recognizes
his outstanding efforts in securing that
building and other improvements at
FSU, but also shows the high esteem in
which he is held.
Dr. Lyons has served as chancellor
since 1969.
room, informal dining room, formal
living room, informal hving room,
den, kitchenette and library.
Students flocked in wearing infor
mal and casual attire. Faculty members
most often were attired in formal dress
or informal. All congregated, chatted
and ate and drank together in a friend
ly atmosphee.
Dignitaries on the scene were: Dr.
Eldridge, Dean McKoy, Dean Jones,
Dr. Frierson, Dr. Liu, Mr. E. Murphy,
Dr. Currie, Mr. I. Robinson, Mrs.
Blossom, Mr. Leazer, Mr. Reid, Dr.
Young, Mr. Suryanara-yana, Mrs.
Smith (from the library), and many
others.
To give credit where it is due, it must
be said that in the preparation of the
food for the occasion, student
waitresses, Elsie Smith, Glays Mc
Clain, Mary Best, Janice Jones, Bob
bie Fairly and campus cooks, Mrs. Lit
tle and Mrs. Simmons set-up a tasty
combination of party mints, cocktail
nuts and assorted cookies.
Students aiding Mrs. Lyons as
guides were Janice Barkely, Rosena
Brandon, Verritte Woods, Portia
Tann, Barbara Jenkins, Lula Woodard
and Redecca Alford.
James Nesby, President of the stu
dent body, was present for the occa
sion. He seemingly found an in
teresting conversation with President
Lyons.