Edwin A. Greenlaw (1874-1931) was the head of the English Department, editor for Studies in Philology, and Dean of the Graduate School. It was through his efforts that the English Department at UNC was recognized as one of the best in the country and that UNC was inducted into the Association of American Universities. In 1970, the new English builing at UNC was named after him.
Frank Porter Graham (October 14th 1886-February 16th, 1972) served as President of UNC, then as the first president of the UNC system. As an advocate of racial equality and labor rights, he was controversial at his time and deemed a “radical” and a “socialist.
Josephus Daniels (May 18th, 1862 – January 15th, 1948) was an alumnus of the UNC Law School. He gained influence as publisher of the Raleigh News and Observer, including promoting the white supremacy campaign of 1898. Daniels served as the Secretary of the Navy during World War I and as an ambassador to Mexico.