During my lifetime, I have had the opportunity to meet unique people who are transformative in how they think about what is possible. They go beyond the ordinary and mundane to imagine greatness.
Dr. Carol C. Harter was one of those people. The former UNLV president died Sept. 14 at age 82.
Her contributions to UNLV cannot be overstated. As president for 11 years, Carol oversaw tremendous change and growth. She worked tirelessly so this university could realize its potential, and she was the first to have both a vision and a plan for how UNLV could rise as a major public research university.
In a 2005 campus address, she said, "Over and over the potential to create a truly first-class university in Las Vegas has been underestimated, misunderstood, or simply left as a dream as yet unfulfilled.”
Thanks in large part to Carol’s hard work, it’s no longer a far off dream. In 2018, UNLV became a Carnegie R1 “very high research” university, placing us among the top 3 percent of research universities nationally. And we continue to progress in our promise to help students achieve individual success, to support economic diversification, and to advance the well-being of our community.
Carol was a role model for many. As the first female president at UNLV — indeed, the first woman to serve in many of her positions — she was a fierce proponent for gender equality. As a culture pioneer, she was instrumental in founding UNLV’s Black Mountain Institute, in partnership with philanthropist Beverly Rogers. It is now an internationally known organization for literary activism.
But more than anything else, Carol was an advocate for the needs of our students. She understood that UNLV offered our students a chance to dream big, explore careers, and improve their quality of life. She was a leader ahead of her time, and all the Rebels who’ve come since owe some part of their success to the programs she built or strengthened.
There were many who had the good fortune to know Carol much better than I did, but in the three years I’ve been here, she became a trusted advisor. Carol would reach out periodically and ask how I was doing, share her thoughts on issues, or offer counsel when I needed a different perspective. An ardent sports fan, she would also text me about UNLV football games.
Soon after I joined UNLV, I shared my thoughts for what the community immediately surrounding the Maryland Parkway campus could become if we forge partnerships with developers and city planners. She chuckled and then reminded me of the importance of knowing my history. “There are a lot of complexities,” she said, “but you’ll save time by building on the progress of those who came before you.”
She was honest and critical at times, but always supportive. And she had a way, in just a few seconds, of sharing a piece of wisdom that I would apply immediately in my next meeting. She always wanted what was best for this university, and she always wanted the leaders who followed her to succeed.
I know the entire UNLV community joins me in extending our condolences to her husband, Mike, the Harter family, and her countless friends in our community. We have lost an incredible colleague, a caring mentor, and a friend.
Keith E. Whitfield
UNLV President
