Dear NCCU Community:
I regret to share the news that Dr. Beverly Washington Jones, former provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs for North Carolina Central University (NCCU), passed away on July 19, 2020.
A devoted alumna of NCCU, Dr. Jones served her alma mater in numerous academic roles, from assistant professor and full professor in the department of history to dean of University College. She was also named interim chancellor, a role she served in from June 2007 to July 2007. Dr. Jones was a Durham native and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the university; she was a member of this year’s Golden Eagles Class of 1970. Dr. Jones was the first African American female to receive a Ph.D. in American History from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Jones was an accomplished educator, author and historian. She was elected to the Durham City Schools Board of Education and Durham Public Schools Board of Education and served as chair of Durham’s Committee on Racial Understanding. She was bestowed with several awards and recognitions throughout her career for her leadership and community achievements, including the Martin Luther King Leadership Award in 1998 and the News & Observer’s “Tar Heel of the Week” in September 2006.
Please keep her husband, Mr. C. Ray Jones, and her children, Michelle, Ingrid and Gary, in your thoughts and prayers. The Burthey Funeral Home is in charge of funeral arrangements. The service will be held at 12 p.m., on Friday, July 24, 2020, at First Calvary Baptist Church, 1311 Morehead Avenue. Interment will follow in Beechwood Cemetery. Dr. Jones’ family will receive guests on Friday from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. at the church one hour before the service. There will be a public viewing on Thursday, July 23, 2020, from 1 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at Burthey Funeral Chapel, 1510 Fayetteville St. Social distancing will be practiced and masks are required for viewing and services.
Gifts can be made to the Beverly Washington Jones Endowed Scholarship Fund at https://www.nccu.edu/institutional-advancement/ways-give.
In Truth and Service,
Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., Chancellor
