The president of a historically Black college in North Carolina has died three months after starting his tenure, the school said.
Saint Augustine’s University announced Irving Pressley McPhail's death Thursday night in a post on their Facebook page. A cause of death was not released.
“In the short time he was the university’s chief executive officer, he made a memorable and positive impact in moving the University in the direction of being a ‘Learning Centered’ campus,” the post said.
McPhail started his role with the university, which is located in Raleigh, on July 15. He was the 12th president in the university’s history.
Before becoming president at Saint Augustine’s, McPhail was the founding chancellor of the Community College of Baltimore County, the president of St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley and the president of Lemoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee. A native of New York City, he was also the founder of McPhail Group LLC. He held degrees from Harvard, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania.
Vice President Maria Lumpkin will serve as interim president effective immediately. She has previously served as interim president before McPhail was appointed.