Former UNC Wilmington chancellor James Leutze, who led the school through a transformative period from 1990 to 2003, died at 90 on Friday. He leaves a legacy of increased enrollment, a beautified campus, a broadened mission and a modernized university.
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Leutze’s was a hallowed name in North Carolina higher education. Before arriving at UNC Wilmington, he earned his doctorate in history from Duke University and taught at UNC-Chapel Hill.
He focused on foreign affairs and national security, leading him to interview world leaders like Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev. He created the public television program “Globe Watch,” which aired for 15 years. He produced several documentaries about societal impact on North Carolina’s waterways and coastline.
Leutze also served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force.
During his time at UNC Wilmington, enrollment increased by 3,600 students. It launched the Center for Marine Science, now a hallmark of the school. The university’s endowment grew from less than $5 million to nearly $21 million. Its men’s basketball team went to the NCAA tournament for the first time. Its operating budget increased from $59 million to more than $134 million. Leutze “helped shape the UNCW we know today,” said current chancellor Aswani Volety in a statement following Leutze’s death.
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A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Leutze led Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia before his tenure at UNC Wilmington. His wife of many years, Kathleen, died in 2022. They have three children.
“Through dynamic leadership, strategic guidance and an unwavering belief in our potential, Dr. Leutze launched UNCW’s extraordinary growth while preserving the student-centered Seahawk spirit that continues to define our campus,” Volety said. “His legacy will inspire generations of Seahawks to keep soaring far into the future.”
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