A memorial service for former UNC Chancellor William Aycock, who died Saturday at the age of 99, will be held Friday at University United Methodist Church on Franklin Street.

Aycock served as chancellor from 1957 to 1964.

During that turbulent time in U.S. history, he stood up, in the name of free speech, against the N.C. General Assembly’s efforts to ban communist speakers on campus.

Jim Heavner, owner and CEO of WCHL’s parent company Vilcom Inc., remembers Aycock as a leader of great stature, who accomplished much in his service to UNC.

Former UNC Board of Trustees Chair Wade Hargrove was a student at UNC during Chancellor Aycock’s tenure.

“He was respected by the General Assembly, by the faculty, and by students,” Hargrove recalled. “He had these great communication skills. And he was genuine. You knew it was from the heart. And of course, he cared deeply for the university.”

Friday’s memorial at University United Methodist Church, located at 150 East Franklin Street, begins at 2 p.m.

Related Stories
‹
Remembering Chancellor William Aycock
A memorial was held on Friday afternoon for William B. Aycock. Aycock served as Chancellor at UNC from 1957 – 1964 and was a faculty member at the School of Law before and after his time as Chancellor. Overall, Aycock served the University of North Carolina for nearly 40 years, from his first faculty appointment […]
Historic Power Surge Helps UNC Baseball Beat Pittsburgh in Series Opener
The Diamond Heels hit seven home runs – tied for the team’s second-most in a single game since 2000 – en route to a 15-5 win at Pittsburgh in the first game of a three-game series with the Panthers Friday night. UNC has now won six consecutive series-opening games. The Bosh Bombers 💣 go nuclear! […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse Beats Clemson, Advances to ACC Championship
Three Tar Heels each scored hat tricks to help No. 1 UNC beat Clemson 17-7 in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Charlotte Friday and advance to Sunday’s championship game. To the final 💥 #GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/PjVgHPEagw — UNC Women's Lacrosse (@uncwlax) April 25, 2025 Goals from Chloe Humphrey, Marissa White and others staked UNC […]
Jill Hamm Named Dean of UNC School of Education
Jill Hamm, who has been serving as the interim dean of the UNC School of Education since last May, was named the school’s permanent dean Friday by chancellor Lee Roberts and provost Chris Clemens. “During her interim tenure, Jill has been an exceptional leader,” read an email to the UNC community from Roberts and Clemens, […]
Virginia Tech Transfer Jaydon Young Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Jaydon Young, who spent the first two seasons of his career at Virginia Tech, committed to head coach Hubert Davis and UNC out of the transfer portal Friday. He will have two years of eligibility in Chapel Hill. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jaydon Young (@jaaaydonn3) A six-foot-four guard from Goldsboro, […]
Chansky's Notebook: Quiet Runner
UNC's Omarion Hampton is going to Los Angeles to play for the Chargers under run-oriented head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Here's a List of Every Transfer to Join the UNC Men's Basketball Program This Offseason (2025)
Several transfers have announced their intentions to join head coach Hubert Davis and UNC next season. Here’s a list of those incoming players: Jaydon Young – Virginia Tech Young comes to the Tar Heels following two seasons at Virginia Tech in which he appeared in 58 games and started 10. His best run of play […]
UNC RB Omarion Hampton Selected by Los Angeles Chargers in NFL Draft
One of the best running backs in UNC history is league-bound. Omarion Hampton was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft Thursday night. He is the first Tar Heel selected in this year’s draft. let’s cook, O pic.twitter.com/rB5pcczCgb — Los Angeles […]
UNC Football 2025 Spring Transfer Portal Window Tracker: Departures
The spring window of the college football transfer portal opened Wednesday, April 16 and will close Friday, April 25. Players who intend to transfer must enter their names into the portal before the window closes, but do not need to have selected their next school by then. Here is a summary of which UNC players […]
Chansky's Notebook: Rolling the Dice
Like some UNC players who have tinkered with the NBA Draft in recent years, Drake Powell is far from a sure thing as a pro.
›