Carolina alumni work to establish distinguished professorship in literature to honor revered professor

A group of passionate University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni has launched a fundraising campaign to establish the Dr. J. Kimball King Distinguished Professorship in honor of the late Kimball King, professor emeritus of English. Known for his charismatic teaching style and dedication to cultivating a love for literature among students, King left an indelible mark on generations of Tar Heels. 

The Dr. J. Kimball King Distinguished Professorship in the Department of English and Comparative Literature will support a faculty member whose teaching and scholarship cultivate an appreciation of and deeper connection with literature. The campaign’s goal is to fully fund the professorship with $2.5 million in private gifts.  

From the late 1960s to the 2000s, spots in King’s classes were highly coveted during course registration.  

For current UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees chair John P. Preyer ’90, it was a friend who shared the “take the class” advice. Preyer initially resisted, protesting that he was a political science major with no use for 20th-century British theater. 

“My friend said, ‘Just trust me, you’re going to love him.’ The class was full by the time I registered, but Kimball ended up making a spot for me — and that changed my life,” Preyer recalled. 

Characterized by lively discussions, where personal responses to literature were valued above all, King’s teaching style emphasized cultivating enjoyment and personal connections with the material, earning him the admiration and affection of countless students over the years. 

Perrin Jones, a former student of King’s and now a member of the UNC Board of Trustees, expressed the significance of preserving King’s memory and legacy.  

“Dr. King was a true UNC treasure,” said Jones. “The impact he had on students over such a long period of time is remarkable. This is meaningful for me because I want to preserve his memory and his legacy, and I want to honor everything he did to help me.” 

In addition to his classroom teaching, King led summer trips to London for 25 years, introducing more than a thousand students to the world of theater. His literary circle reached luminaries of modern theater, including the award-winning British playwright Sir David Hare, who noted in his autobiography that King knew “as much about modern theatre as anyone alive.” 

“Dr. King was so invested in his students’ lives and helping us succeed,” added Mustafa Shah-Khan, a former student. “He went above and beyond to be available and to show how much he cared about every student. He was truly a gem for what he provided to the university and to all of us.”  

King’s son, Scott, adds that the endowment of a distinguished professorship would be a fitting honor for his father. 

“We would love to see his name live on in association with the University he devoted his life to, and he would be proud of that as well,” he said. “He was very committed to teaching and his hope was always that he could help people appreciate the range of great writing and drama and art out there in the world.”