James Finch Royster

Life and Orange County connections

Dated events connected with this person, in date order. See these 16 dated events in the chronology →

During their lifetime

1. fall 1907 James Finch Royster joins the university's English department James Finch Royster came to the university's English department in the fall of 1907 and taught there for seven years. Place: Chapel HillSearch the index · NCpedia: Royster, James Finch (A. C. Howell, Dictionary of North Carolina Biography)
2. 1914 James Finch Royster leaves the university for the University of Texas Royster, who had been teaching the journalism course Edward Kidder Graham created, left Chapel Hill for the University of Texas, one of the faculty Graham could not keep during his year as acting president. People: Edward Kidder Graham Place: Chapel HillSearch the index · NCpedia: Royster, James Finch (A. C. Howell, Dictionary of North Carolina Biography)
3. 1921 James Finch Royster returns as Kenan Professor of English Philology After seven years in Texas, Royster accepted the Kenan Professorship of English Philology, which he held until his death. Covington says President Chase recruited him back from Austin. People: Harry Woodburn Chase Place: Chapel HillSearch the index · NCpedia: Royster, James Finch (A. C. Howell, Dictionary of North Carolina Biography)
4. 1922 Graduate dean James Finch Royster builds a house on East Franklin Street James Finch Royster, dean of the UNC graduate school in the later 1920s, built the two-story house at 619 East Franklin Street in 1922. People: James Finch Royster Place: 619 East Franklin Street, Chapel HillSearch the index · NC Digital Collections: Chapel Hill Historic Sites Survey: Final Report (1992), p. 39
5. 1922 James Finch Royster becomes dean of the College of Liberal Arts Royster became dean of the College of Liberal Arts in 1922 and introduced the major-minor system, sectioning of students by ability, and an advisory system that later grew into the General College. Place: Chapel HillSearch the index · NCpedia: Royster, James Finch (A. C. Howell, Dictionary of North Carolina Biography)
6. by October 25, 1923 A postal inspector approves house-to-house mail delivery for Chapel Hill A post office inspector sent from Washington gave final approval in October 1923 for carrier delivery of mail to every house and business in Chapel Hill, with two carriers making morning and afternoon rounds and banks of lock boxes on the ground floor of each university building. The change followed visits to the Post Office Department by Republican state chairman Bramham, alumni president Murphy and Dean J. F. Royster, and the News expected delivery to begin about November 1. People: James Finch Royster Place: Chapel Hill post office and townSearch the index · The News (Chapel Hill), October 25, 1923, p. 1
7. Spring 1925 Dean James F. Royster refuses Shaw University debaters seats in the gallery When the debate team of Shaw University, a Black college in Raleigh, asked only to sit in the gallery and watch Carolina's debaters meet Washington and Lee, Royster, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said no, fearing it would reflect poorly on the university. People: James Finch Royster Place: UNC, Chapel HillSearch the index · Howard E. Covington Jr., Fire and Stone: The Making of the University of North Carolina under Presidents Edward Kidder Graham and Harry Woodburn Chase (2018), pp. 360-361
8. April 28, 1925 The cornerstone of the new Chapel Hill Methodist church is laid Presiding elder M. Bradshaw set the stone at a Tuesday service with speakers for the joint commission, the architect's firm, the university and its students. The church was finished and accepted from the builders a year later. People: James Finch Royster Place: Franklin Street, Chapel Hill · Also named: M. BradshawSearch the index · The Chapel Hill Methodist Church: A Centennial History, 1853-1953 (1954), scan p. 43 · Also: Chapel Hill Weekly, April 30, 1925, p. 8
9. by April 16, 1925 James F. Royster is appointed to succeed Edwin Greenlaw James F. Royster was appointed to succeed Edwin Greenlaw, who was leaving for Johns Hopkins, the Weekly reported in quoting a Durham Herald editorial praising the choice. Place: UNC, Chapel Hill · Also named: Edwin GreenlawSearch the index · The Chapel Hill Weekly, April 16, 1925, p. 2
10. June 1925 Edwin Greenlaw leaves the Graduate School deanship for Johns Hopkins Greenlaw left after five years as dean, during which graduate enrollment had tripled to 346 students in eighteen departments. The Alumni Review said he was being driven from the state by tight budgets. James F. Royster followed him as dean. People: Edwin Greenlaw, James Finch Royster Place: Graduate School, UNC, Chapel HillSearch the index · Howard E. Covington Jr., Fire and Stone: The Making of the University of North Carolina under Presidents Edward Kidder Graham and Harry Woodburn Chase (2018), p. 315 · Also: Chapel Hill Weekly, March 5, 1925, p. 1; Chapel Hill Weekly, September 25, 1925, p. 1
11. by September 25, 1925 C. A. Hibbard becomes acting dean of liberal arts as James F. Royster moves to the graduate school C. A. Hibbard of the English department was made acting dean of the college of liberal arts, succeeding James F. Royster, who became acting dean of the graduate school and head of the English department in place of Edwin Greenlaw, gone to Johns Hopkins. Royster reported 145 graduate students at the start of the year. Place: UNC campus, Chapel Hill · Also named: C. A. Hibbard, Edwin GreenlawSearch the index · The Chapel Hill Weekly, September 25, 1925, p. 1
12. June 1, 1926 University trustees make James F. Royster and Addison Hibbard permanent deans At their meeting on June 1, 1926, the University trustees dropped the word 'acting' from the titles of James F. Royster, dean of the graduate school, and Addison Hibbard, dean of the college of liberal arts. The trustees also raised President H. W. Chase's salary from $8,500 to $10,000. People: Harry Woodburn Chase, Addison Hibbard Place: University of North Carolina, Chapel HillSearch the index · The Chapel Hill Weekly, June 4, 1926, p. 2

After their death in 1930

Later events: estates and burials, and the buildings, honors and histories that remember them.

1. 1933 State senator John Umstead buys the Royster house on East Franklin Street In 1933 state senator John Umstead bought the house at 619 East Franklin Street, and it has carried his name since. People: James Finch Royster Place: 619 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill · Also named: John UmsteadSearch the index · NC Digital Collections: Chapel Hill Historic Sites Survey: Final Report (1992), p. 39