North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University announced the passing of Chancellor Emeritus Dr. Edward B. Fort, a visionary higher education leader who served as the university’s eighth chancellor and helped shape the institution’s trajectory for more than four decades. Dr. Fort passed away Sunday, Aug. 9, at the age of 94. Over his remarkable 42-year career at A&T—as chancellor, chancellor emeritus, and professor of educational leadership he built a legacy defined by vision, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to institutional excellence.
Under his leadership, the university expanded academic offerings, awarded its first doctoral degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering, increased enrollment, strengthened research capacity, and invested in campus infrastructure that continues to serve students today.
His leadership reflected a broader truth about HBCUs: transformational institutions are built through the vision and persistence of leaders willing to imagine what is possible before others can see it.
“Dr. Fort played an invaluable role in the development of North Carolina A&T, laying our essential foundation as a research university and making possible so much of who and what we are today,” said Chancellor James R. Martin II. “Dr. Fort’s shoulders were broad, and from them we saw a future that he first envisioned and that we now work daily to make reality.”
Beyond the campus of North Carolina A&T, Dr. Fort’s influence extended nationally. He was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to the first President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and became the first Black member of NASA’s Advisory Council. He also served on the HBCU Capital Financing Advisory Board, the NCAA Division I Board, and numerous national organizations focused on education, science, and opportunity.
His commitment to HBCUs extended beyond his presidency. In 2013, he edited Survival of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, contributing to the ongoing national conversation about the resilience, challenges, and future of these institutions.
Dr. Fort represented a generation of HBCU leaders who understood that institutional excellence requires more than maintaining tradition, it requires attention, investment, and the courage to lead change.