In Memoriam

Herman D. James (1943-2010)

Herman D. James, the fifth president of Glassboro State College, which is now known as Rowan University, has died of heart failure at his home in Voorhees, New Jersey. He was 67 years old.

A native of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dr. James was a graduate of Tuskegee University. He earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh.

In 1982 he was hired as vice president for academic affairs at Glassboro State College. He was named president of the college in 1984. Dr. James secured a $100 million donation from Henry and Betty Rowan, at the time the largest gift ever received by a state college or university. As a result, the institution was renamed Rowan University.

After resigning as president in 1998, Dr. James continued to teach at the university for another decade.

Copyright © 2010. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.