Margo Gray

Before diving into this episode, make sure to listen to UNC Parts 1 and 2. This one picks up right where we left off. The email took me by surprise. It landed in my inbox just as we were wrapping up the UNC story. The sender was Holden Thorpe, the former chancellor of UNC. He was the guy in charge when the university faced one of the worst athletic scandals in the history of college sports.

To refresh your memory, the scandal involved hundreds of fake classes created to keep athletes eligible. I'd reached out to Thorpe for an interview, expecting to hear nothing back. But then, there it was in my inbox. Does this come with free Xanax? He joked. Then he said, JK, when would you like to do this?

To refresh your memory, the scandal involved hundreds of fake classes created to keep athletes eligible. I'd reached out to Thorpe for an interview, expecting to hear nothing back. But then, there it was in my inbox. Does this come with free Xanax? He joked. Then he said, JK, when would you like to do this?

To refresh your memory, the scandal involved hundreds of fake classes created to keep athletes eligible. I'd reached out to Thorpe for an interview, expecting to hear nothing back. But then, there it was in my inbox. Does this come with free Xanax? He joked. Then he said, JK, when would you like to do this?

I'm Margo Gray. This week on Campus Files, we explore what it was like to navigate one of the most tumultuous periods in UNC's history. What did Holden Thorpe really know? What would he do differently if given the chance? And can any university president manage the monstrosity that college athletics have become?

I'm Margo Gray. This week on Campus Files, we explore what it was like to navigate one of the most tumultuous periods in UNC's history. What did Holden Thorpe really know? What would he do differently if given the chance? And can any university president manage the monstrosity that college athletics have become?

I'm Margo Gray. This week on Campus Files, we explore what it was like to navigate one of the most tumultuous periods in UNC's history. What did Holden Thorpe really know? What would he do differently if given the chance? And can any university president manage the monstrosity that college athletics have become?

Before we dive into Holden Thorpe's tenure as UNC chancellor, I wanna give you a little background because Thorpe isn't just the former head of UNC, he's a lifelong fan and his connection to the university runs deep.

Before we dive into Holden Thorpe's tenure as UNC chancellor, I wanna give you a little background because Thorpe isn't just the former head of UNC, he's a lifelong fan and his connection to the university runs deep.

Before we dive into Holden Thorpe's tenure as UNC chancellor, I wanna give you a little background because Thorpe isn't just the former head of UNC, he's a lifelong fan and his connection to the university runs deep.

When Thorpe couldn't sleep as a kid, his dad would try to lull him to rest by singing Hark the Sound, UNC's alma mater.

When Thorpe couldn't sleep as a kid, his dad would try to lull him to rest by singing Hark the Sound, UNC's alma mater.

When Thorpe couldn't sleep as a kid, his dad would try to lull him to rest by singing Hark the Sound, UNC's alma mater.

So when it came time for college, it was only fitting that he applied to just one university, UNC.

So when it came time for college, it was only fitting that he applied to just one university, UNC.

So when it came time for college, it was only fitting that he applied to just one university, UNC.

When Thorpe wasn't busy cheering on the Tar Heels, he was likely either playing jazz or working in the chemistry lab.

When Thorpe wasn't busy cheering on the Tar Heels, he was likely either playing jazz or working in the chemistry lab.

When Thorpe wasn't busy cheering on the Tar Heels, he was likely either playing jazz or working in the chemistry lab.

And so began Thorpe's lifetime in academia. He earned a doctorate in chemistry from Caltech and completed his postdoctoral work at Yale. His first teaching position was at NC State University, but it didn't take long before he was back at his alma mater. In 1993, Thorpe returned to UNC, where he quickly rose from visiting assistant professor to tenured professor.