Hazo W. Carter Jr., president emeritus of historically Black West Virginia State University, died earlier this month. He was 67 years old.
Dr. Carter served as president of West Virginia State University for 25 years from 1987 to 2012. During his tenure he regained land-grant status for the institution, which opened many doors for federal funds and research dollars. He also transitioned the institution from a college to a university, introducing the first graduate degree programs in biotechnology and media studies in 2004.
Dr. Carter was a graduate of Tennessee State University in Nashville. He held a master’s degree from the University of Illinois and an educational doctorate from Vanderbilt University. Before assuming the president of West Virginia State, Dr. Carter was president of Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas, and vice president for student affairs at Norfolk State University in Virginia.
