Charles Edward Young (December 30, 1931 – October 22, 2023), nicknamed Chuck Young, was an American university administrator and professor. A native of California, Young led the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for 29 years as chancellor and the University of Florida for more than four years as president.
Early life and education Young was born in Highland, California, on December 30, 1931. As a youth he worked in the local orange groves.Dundjerski, Marina. UCLA: The First Century. London Los Angeles, CA: Third Millennium Pub. UCLA History Project/UCLA Alumni Association (2011). . P. 171 He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. After completing his military service, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, in political science from the University of California, Riverside in 1955. While he was at UCR, he was the campus's first student body president. He received his Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in political science from UCLA in 1957 and 1960, respectively. His dissertation is titled "The politics of political boundary making".Young, Charles E. The politics of political boundary making. Listed in the UCLA Library Catalog, call number LD791.9.P7 Y84 He worked for University of California President Clark Kerr in 1959 and 1960 on the California Master Plan for Higher Education.
Career
University of California, Los Angeles Young began his UCLA career in a series of executive posts in the administration of Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy: assistant to the chancellor (1960–62), assistant chancellor (1962–63), and vice chancellor for administration (1963–68). He also became a full professor in the political science department. Following Chancellor Murphy's resignation, Young was named his successor by the UC Regents on July 12, 1968. At 36, he was the nation's youngest head of a major university."Universities: Young in Heart". Time. September 20, 1968. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
Under his leadership as chancellor from 1968 to 1997, UCLA became one of the top 10 research universities in the country, student enrollment increased from almost 29,000 to more than 35,000,UCLA Enrollment History, 1919 – present. Fall 1968 and Fall 1997 figures. http://www.aim.ucla.edu/tables/enrollment_history.aspx ) Retrieved May 13, 2016 and the number of faculty doubled. The operating budget grew from $170 million to $2 billion. Private gifts grew from $6.2 million in 1968 to $190.8 million in 1995–1996, at that point the highest total ever reached by a UC campus.Mary Beth Marklein (June 30, 1997), Leaving a legacy of diversity UCLA chancellor looks back with pride, USA Today Info Box. Near the end of his time in office, Young led a $1.2 billion fund-raising drive for UCLA, at the time the most ambitious ever attempted by a public university.Kenneth R. Weiss (May 16, 1997), Regents Approve UCLA's $1.2-Billion Fund Drive (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-05-16-me-59460-story.html) Los Angeles Times
Academic milestones during Young's tenure include UCLA's admission to membership in the Association of American Universities (1974), a top five ranking of graduate programs from the Conference Board of the Associated Research Councils (1982),(July 8, 1984), UCLA vs. the Rivals: USC and UC Berkeley, Los Angeles Times. Dundjerski, UCLA: The First Century, p. 194 and a number three ranking among university research libraries (1994–95).(June 22, 2001) Holdings of University Research Libraries in U.S. and Canada, 1999–2000 (http://chronicle.com/article/Holdings-of-University/20443) Retrieved April 5, 2016, table references 1994–95 rank in far right column The Library grew from 2.8 million volumes in 1968 to 6.8 million in 1996–1997. Faculty recognition included a Nobel Prize in Chemistry (Donald Cram, 1987), six National Medal of Science recipients (1970, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1996), and four MacArthur Foundation Fellows (1985, 1986, 1994, 1995).UCLA Faculty Awards and Honors (http://www.ucla.edu/about/awards-and-honors/faculty-honors) Retrieved March 5, 2016
Twice in his UCLA career Young led major academic restructuring efforts. In 1988, his proposal created the School of Theater, Film and Television and the School of the Arts, replacing the College of Fine Arts.(January 26, 1988) UCLA Gets 'Less Ambitious' Plan for Arts Studies Revision (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-26-me-38483-story.html), Los Angeles Times In 1994, his professional school restructuring effort resulted in the disestablishment of three schools: the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, the Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning, and the School of Social Welfare. Library science became part of the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Architecture became part of the School of the Arts and Architecture. Urban planning and social welfare, along with a new public policy unit, became departments in the new School of Public Policy and Social Research (now the Luskin School of Public Affairs).Thomas H. Maugh II (March 18, 1994) UCLA's School of Public Health to Remain Intact in Restructuring (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-03-18-me-35739-story.html), Los Angeles Times(March 2016) UC Regents Academic Units and Functions, Affiliated Institutions and Related Activities of the University (http://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/_documents/pdf/110.pdf) Retrieved May 20, 2016
UCLA also became known for the ethnic diversity of its student body during Young's tenure. The year before Young took office, the percentage of minority students at UCLA was estimated at 12%.William Trombley (November 22, 1967), 12% From Minorities, First UCLA Racial Census Shows, Los Angeles Times. The year after he retired, the percentage of minority students was 54%.Enrollment demographics, Fall 1998, UCLA Academic Planning and Budget (http://www.aim.ucla.edu/tables/enrollment_demographics_fall.aspx ) Retrieved April 28, 2016, percentage calculated from Ethnicity Total Campus divided by Total Domestic. Young was a vocal supporter of affirmative action, the development and recruitment of minority faculty, and the establishment of ethnic studies centers for African American, Chicano, Asian American and American Indian cultures.Collison, Craig, "The Fight to Legitimize Blackness: How Black Students Changed the University", 2008. Dissertation, University of Washington. pp. 125–127, 190, 215 In 1978, he announced a joint program with Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science to train physicians to work in the inner city.Harry Nelson (July 17, 1978), "Plan to Train Physicians for Inner City Set", Los Angeles Times.
Young was active in a wide range of issues involving intercollegiate athletics. In an era when the NCAA called Title IX requirements for women's athletics "Extreme",Title IX Regulations Extreme (August 15, 1974 (http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/NCAANewsArchive/1974/19740815.pdf , NCAA News, p. 2 Young voluntarily expanded UCLA women's athletics even before the requirements went into effect, adding 11 varsity programs for women in 1974."Women Get Big Boost at UCLA" (August 15, 1974) (http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/NCAANewsArchive/1974/19740815.pdf , NCAA News, p. 3 During Young's time at UCLA (fall 1968 through spring 1997) UCLA women won 14 NCAA team championships. Men's teams won another 47 trophies for a total of 61. As chair of the Pac-8's President and Chancellors group, Young led the effort to add the University of Arizona and Arizona State University to the conference.(May 26, 1976) Arizona Expansion Studied by Pac-8, Los Angeles Times. He announced the new Pac-10 in 1978.(December 13, 1976) Pac-8 Invites 2 Arizona Teams to Join League, Los Angeles Times. In 1988, Young helped to negotiate a lucrative ABC television contract for the Rose Bowl game.Jack French (June 27, 2012). Beyond My Wildest Dreams: An Anecdotal Autobiography (Kindle Locations 1341–1349). Xlibris. Kindle Edition.Skip Myslenski (July 1, 1988) Abc Hits Pay Dirt, Lands Rose Bowl (), Chicago Tribune Young was also a vocal leader of reform efforts as a member of the American Council on Education (ACE), the NCAA Presidents CommissionBill Dwyre (January 8, 1991), Analysis: NCAA Fighting to Avoid Extinction (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-01-08-sp-7884-story.html), Los Angeles Times and the Knight Commission. His ACE committee recommended limitations on recruiting and stronger satisfactory-progress legislation.(October 6, 1986) Commission to Consider Calling Special Convention (http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/NCAANewsArchive/1986/19861004.pdf , The NCAA News
In 1992, Young announced that UCLA would manage the Hammer Museum. "It has been the long-term goal of UCLA to build the finest arts program of any major research university in the country", Young said. "I think we are well on our way with this proposed agreement with the Hammer Museum." The arrangement was finalized in 1994.Suzanne Muchnic (April 1, 1994), UCLA Merger With Hammer Museum OK'd (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-01-ca-41161-story.html) Los Angeles Times That year Young hosted President Bill Clinton at a convocation celebrating UCLA's 75th anniversary.
At his departure in 1997, Young was the longest-serving college leader in American higher education.Rebecca Trounson (April 24, 2004), Ex-UCLA Chancellor Takes on Another Post (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-apr-24-me-young24-story.html) Los Angeles Times. For his service, the Young Research Library at UCLA bears his name, as well as Charles E. Young Drive, an important loop road inside campus. He was also a former chairman of the Association of American Universities (1983), and served on several commissions including those of the International Association of Universities, American Council on Education, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, the Business Higher Education Forum, and the Mansfield Center for Pacific Affairs.
Young was a strong supporter and adviser to the arts, business, education, finance, technology and health care industries. He was selected to a number of boards of directors for companies in the finance, technology, and healthcare industries. These boards include Intel Corp., Nicholas-Applegate Capital Management, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation, and the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee for the 1984 Summer Olympics.Official report of the Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad, Los Angeles, 1984. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, 1985. (http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1984/1984v1pt1.pdf) 3.02.7 Members of the Board and their selection
University of Florida On November 1, 1999, Young became the tenth president of the University of Florida.University of Florida, Past Presidents, Charles E. Young (1999–2003) . Retrieved October 24, 2012. He initially served on an interim basis, but his popularity with the faculty and University of Florida Trustees led to a permanent appointment. He served until 2004.Powers, Scott (May 17, 2000), Uf Faculty Wants to Remove "Interim" from President's Title () Orlando Sentinel
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