William Jenkins
About this Interview
William Jenkins was appointed as the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s chancellor in 1980. He was the second person to hold the title of chancellor UM-Dearborn and the first African American to lead a University of Michigan campus. Prior to his appointment at UM-Dearborn, Jenkins served in administrative roles at institutions such as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Chancellor Jenkins retired from his position at the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 1988.
In his five-part interview with Professor Elton Higgs, Chancellor Jenkins discussed many topics, including his experience with connections made within the school and broader community. He recounts the challenges of running a university with a lower budget and how that impacted his relationship with other administrators at the larger UM campus at Ann Arbor.
Chancellor Jenkins with Mayor O'Reilly presenting a City of Dearborn citation in front of the Mardigian Library
William Jenkins, pictured left, with Mayor O'Reilly.
