Samuel Reid Spencer Jr.
Samuel Reid Spencer Jr. was the 14th president of Davidson College. Originally from South Carolina, Spencer graduated from Davidson in 1940, then serving in the US Army during World War II. After the war, he matriculated at Harvard University to receive a Ph.D. Afterward, Spencer returned to his alma mater to serve as an assistant to then-President John Rood Cunningham, while also becoming a professor of history. Spencer left Davidson to become president of Mary Baldwin College, returning as president in 1968.
As president, Spencer led Davidson's successful attempt to become a co-educational institution. He also focused on minority student recruitment and retention and expanded the endowment. Spencer was also appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the Board of Foreign Scholarships, which oversees the Fulbright Program.
After leaving Davidson, Spencer became the president of the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges.
