| In the conclusion to Biographical Conversations, William Friday begins by reminiscing about his retirement from the presidency of the university. He then discusses the several opportunities he had to run for public office--and why he ultimately decided not to pursue them. As a result, he presided over the William R. Kenan fund, after chairing a statewide commission on literacy. Because of his involvement in literacy and education, he reorganized the Trust to help people, especially single mothers, gain their high school equivalency and qualify for a job that will pay for their living expenses. Friday was very concerned about poverty in North Carolina. He remarked in one instance that North Carolina should not tolerate having children live in poverty. He and his wife visited a homeless shelter one night, an experience that Friday says will live with him forever and one that reminded him of his own childhood circumstance of poverty during the Depression.
The direction of college sports is another issue dear to Friday's heart, and he says that some of the trends have concerned him. Recollecting his own decision to withdraw from the Dixie Classic after the scandal of point shaving, he feels that the university is a place for students to develop a sense of moral accountability as well as an education in theories and facts. He talks about the efforts of the Knight Commission to restructure the NCAA, and cites examples of universities that play sports with honor. However, he expresses concern that several universities have relaxed some of their standards based on the amount of money they feel they can draw in.
As a public figure, Friday has come to know several of the political representatives of the last 50 years. Terry Sanford and Jesse Helms were his classmates, and Friday talks about his relationship with both men, as well as his working relationship with Governor Jim Hunt. On the national front, Friday reveals his opinions of Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton, focusing his assessment on their leadership in education as well as their character.
Friday also talks about his relationship with his wife and children and the lessons he learned while dealing with his daughters' education. Out of his love to educate and his desire to give all North Carolinians an equal opportunity at education, Friday pioneered North Carolina public television, UNC-TV. He reveals some of the early challenges of broadcasting from a small television station that had no ability to tape programs or show then in color and his search for quality educational programming. Out of his search grew the idea for North Carolina People. Friday lists some of his more celebrated guests on that show and his experience with the first show.
After revealing his personal regimen of exercise and relaxation, Friday discusses his opinion about what the university should do for its students, his vision for the future of North Carolina, and what he hopes have been his own contributions to North Carolina and to people in general.
Issues:
Friday once persuaded the ACC to stop broadcasting basketball games on Sunday mornings. He has strong opinions about ethics in sports. In fact, Friday was part of the Knight Commission that proposed a series of recommendations to restructure the NCAA. He believes that students are first and everything else about sports should follow. However, he sees that college sports seem to be driven by the amount of money for which a team can sign a contract. He talks about his views on the trend of college athletics.
Toward the end of the interview, Bason asks Friday what the mission of a university should be. Friday answers that a university should always be changing and growing and helping the students grow their minds and improve their well-being. Friday then speaks about the importance of freedom in a university.
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