news-record.com

Greensboro College President Craven Williams could lead by the sheer force of his personality.

That was his gift and maybe, in the end, it was his undoing.

He was funny and charismatic and relentlessly upbeat. Why not dream big dreams at the little Methodist liberal arts school on the doorstep of downtown?

Williams retired Tuesday amid severe financial problems at the college.

When I talked with him last week he had sounded resolute, even optimistic.

GC had received an extended line of credit from Bank of America, he said. Enrollment was looking steady for the fall. A recovery plan was in place.

The school wasn’t going anywhere, he said then, and neither was he.

Now he is gone.

He had been at the school for 16 years, more than twice as long as the typical tenure for a college president.

He had led with confidence, maybe even a hint of swagger.

On his watch the school added a football program (a clever way to increase enrollment and to enhance campus social life).

It bought the old Central YMCA and converted it into student center.

It acquired the old Price School property and planned to convert it into a sports complex (a move that earned Williams scorn from some in the Warnersville community but ultimately seemed like a good idea to me, for the community and the college.)

It announced plans for an outdoor Terrace Theater across the street from the campus.

But Williams may have overreached. His vision may have outstripped the resources of his institution.

When tough times hit, the school had no cushion and was forced to resort to layoffs and almost unheard-of 20 percent salary cuts.

There was fear and anger among a number of faculty, at Williams’ salary, which was greater not only than Linda Brady’s at UNCG and Harold Martin’s at A&T, but Barack Obama’s as well.

Faculty also complained that they weren’t being told all they needed to know and that they were afraid to speak out for fear of losing their jobs.

Williams vigorously denied this during last week’s interview. But morale was clearly low when the campus most needed to rally as a community.

Give Williams credit for his confidence and his courage to think bold thoughts and reach beyond his grasp.

But sometimes you can reach too far.

Or in the case of his disaffected faculty, reach out too little.