Carol Harter

Carol Harter

Women in Nevada History: A Legacy Digital Project

Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN)

First woman appointed President of UNLV, founder of Black Mountain Institute

June 1, 1941

1995

April 20, 2007

Carol C. Harter was born in Geneseo, New York. She earned a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in English and American literature from the University of New York at Binghamton. She began a career in academia at Ohio University as a faculty member, and published well-regarded books and articles in the field of literature studies. During her time at Ohio University, she began to move into higher education administration, first as dean and then vice president of the university. From there, she became president of the State University of New York at Geneseo. In 1995, she moved to Las Vegas to begin her tenure as UNLV’s president. She was UNLV’s first woman president and remains its longest-serving president.

During her 11 year tenure, Harter oversaw unprecedented growth at the university, spearheading the construction of 17 new buildings, including Lied Library. She guided the creation of over 100 new degree programs, most notably the School of Dental Medicine and the William S. Boyd School of Law. As the university’s first female president, Harter’s administration increased the number of women in administrative and faculty positions. She took an active role in promoting gender equality on campus and in the community, supporting the creation of the Women’s Research Institute of Nevada and other programs. Harter consistently advocated for the university to become more student-oriented and searched for ways for UNLV to improve its service to the community. In 2006 she stepped down as president to become the executive director of the Black Mountain Institute at UNLV, an international literary center that strives to create cultural dialogue and understanding on current issues.

Eugene P. Moehring, UNLV: The University of Nevada, Las Vegas: A History (Reno: University of Nevada Press, 2007).

Carol Harter, “An Interview with Carol Harter, an Oral History Conducted by Suzanne Becker” [transcript], The UNLV @ Fifty Oral History Project (2007), Special Collections and Archives, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.