Forty years after assuming the office of president of Campbell University, Dr. Norman Adrian Wiggins, now chancellor, still plays a vital role in university life. Wiggins will deliver Campbell’s 120th commencement address, Monday, May 14, at 9 a.m. on the Academic Circle in front of the D. Rich Memorial building.A native of Burlington, N.C., Wiggins is a World War II veteran who served in the Marine Corps. He earned an Associate of Arts from Campbell Jr. College, a Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude) and Bachelor of Laws (cum laude) from the Wake Forest College School of Law and a Master of Law and Doctor of the Science of Law from Columbia University School of Law.Following a brief career with Planters Bank and Trust, Wiggins taught law and served as general counsel at Wake Forest College. On June 6, 1967, he assumed the presidency of Campbell College, leading the school to university status in 1979 and establishing nationally acclaimed trust management and ROTC programs. Wiggins’ tenure as president also saw the establishment of five professional schools—the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, the Lundy-Fetterman School of Business, the School of Education, the School of Pharmacy and the Divinity School.An acclaimed legal scholar, Wiggins has written three definitive books on wills and trusts and is one of only two Baptist college presidents to serve as president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.His impact on Christian higher education and North Carolina Baptist life has been frequently acknowledged. Wiggins is the recipient of numerous awards, including the The Newcomen Society of America’s Distinguished Service Award, the National Automobile Dealers Association’s International Freedom of Mobility Award and the North Carolina Bar Association’s highest honor, the John J. Parker Award.In 2000, Wiggins’ profile as one of the top educational leaders in the state was included in the book “The North Carolina Century: Tar Heels Who Made a Difference, 1900-2000,” and he was named one of the most influential Baptist leaders of the 20th century by the “Biblical Recorder,” the journal of the Baptist State Convention.Over 800 degrees are expected to be conferred at the commencement ceremony on Monday. Dr. Albert Meiburg, Senior Professor of Pastoral Care for the Campbell Divinity School, will deliver the baccalaureate sermon on Sunday, May 13, at 10 a.m. in the D. Rich Memorial building.
Wiggins to deliver Campbell’s commencement address