James Danieley

James Earl Danieley (July 28, 1924 – November 29, 2016) was the sixth president of Elon College (1957–1973), a private college in Elon, North Carolina and has contributed over 60 years of service to the school.

Early life

Danieley grew up in Alamance County, North Carolina. He attended Elon College for his undergraduate education from 1941 to 1946. He then received his graduate degrees in organic chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and conducted post-doctoral research at Johns Hopkins University.

Career

Danieley was first offered a job as freshman chemistry teacher at Elon College which he gladly accepted. Danieley noted, “There was no question. I loved being at Elon. It was a no-brainer, you don't even have to think about that. I just came right on back." Danieley served as Dean of the college from 1953 to 1956. On July 1, 1957 the Board of Trustees elected Danieley the sixth president of Elon College, succeeding Leon Edgar Smith who served from 1931 to 1957.

Accomplishments

During his tenure as president of Elon College, one of Danieley’s biggest impacts was in athletics. He was known for his innovative ideas in athletics and played a major role in the expansion of women’s athletics at Elon College. In 1972, Danieley hired a high school coach from Gibsonville, North Carolina, Kay Yow, to coach the first women's basketball team at Elon. Yow also helped to organize both the first volleyball and softball teams at Elon. Yow became the all time leader in winning percentage at Elon in both women's basketball and volleyball. Before passing away due to cancer, Yow served as the head coach of the women's basketball team at North Carolina State University. Danieley created a solid foundation for soccer, cross country, and every women’s sport. Danieley was also well known for creating a supportive, well rounded athletic program. Academically, Danieley made the College Board’s SAT test a requirement for admission. He also expanded the library, built seven new buildings on campus and admitted Elon’s first black students. In 1972 he completed a 3 million dollar fund drive, and implemented Elon’s 4-1-4 semester system which still runs today. Danieley left the presidency post in 1973 to return to his roots as a chemistry teacher at Elon. Danieley says, “I quit being president after 16 years for primarily three reasons. One, I had accomplished basically what I has set out to do and number two, I was tired, and number three, I wanted to teach." In 1987, Danieley reduced his teaching hours to serve as Elon’s director of planned giving in the development office, which he served until 1992. Today, Danieley remains an active faculty member of the Elon University community.

Awards

Danieley has been the Thomas E. Powell Jr. Professor of Chemistry since 1982. Danieley was elected to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors in 1983 and served for 12 years. In 1992, Danieley was named president emeritus and remains only one of two presidents in Elon’s history along with Leon Edgar Smith (1931–1957) to have received that honor.

Traditions

In 2005, at a men’s home basketball game, with 10 minutes remaining in the game, all the students began chanting, “Dr. Danieley.” The first time he acknowledged the crowd by standing and waving but the second time he brought a towel just in case they were to chant his name again. So now it has become a tradition of Elon home men’s basketball games to chant his name with Dr. Danieley waving a white towel with around 10 minutes to go in the game.