Born in 1933 at Bryson City, North Carolina, Monteith received a B.S. and an M.S. in electrical engineering from North Carolina State College in 1960 and 1962, respectively. He obtained a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Duke University in 1965.
In 1966 Monteith returned to NC State (now a university) to join the faculty as a professor of electrical engineering, and from 1974 to 1978 he headed the Department of Electrical Engineering. He later served as dean of the College of Engineering from 1978 to 1989.
In 1989 Monteith became interim chancellor, and in 1990 the UNC Board of Governors selected him as permanent chancellor, a position he held until 1998. During his tenure, the Division of Undergraduate Studies and the First Year Experience Program began and the College of Management was established. The university gained a chapter of the elite Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Centennial Campus saw explosive growth during this time. Monteith also helped create the Park Scholars program and the William R. Kenan Jr. Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science.
Portrait
of Larry King Monteith
Monteith
meeting with students
Portrait
of a young Monteith