For decades in Room 111 of Murphey Hall, the seats were too close together, the lighting and acoustics were terrible, and the steeply banked rows of seats were a hazard for anyone walking among them. But that didn’t stop thousands of students from crowding in the lecture hall over the years to take courses in archaeology, mythology and ancient art with Professor James Penrose Harland.
While his classroom may have been stuffy and dark, J.P. Harland, who died in 1973, was anything but. Armed with a legendary combination of wit and knowledge of classical archaeology, he was one of the most popular and well-loved professors at UNC for many years.
Harland, who taught UNC’s first course in classical archaeology, served on the classics faculty continuously from 1927 to 1963, teaching an estimated 25,000 students over his 36 years in the classroom. Among those students were North Carolina icons such as Terry Sanford and Andy Griffith.
Bill Williamson ’53 of Charlotte says that although he majored in business administration, his best memories of his education were the liberal arts courses he took, especially Harland’s class.
“Through his course in classical archaeology, Professor Harland instilled in me a love of art and material culture that I have been able to enjoy throughout my life,” Williamson said. “It was one of the greatest and most valuable lessons I learned from my liberal arts education at Carolina.”
Harland made such an impact on his life that in 1993 Williamson memorialized the legendary professor by establishing the J.P. Harland Endowment Fund in Classical Archaeology. The fund supports classical archaeology at UNC by helping graduate students — the next generation of professors — participate in archaeological fieldwork throughout the world.
“Through my gifts to the Harland Fund, I hope to ensure that the experience I had as a student is available to future generations of UNC students,” Williamson said.
In the classroom, Harland’s lectures were laced with illustrated slides and witty comments. By all accounts he was engaging, lively, funny and genuinely interested in his students.
Georgia Carroll Kyser ’70 of Chapel Hill, widow of big band leader Kay Kyser, took several classes with Harland. She was so inspired by Harland’s classes that she later traveled to the Greek Islands to see firsthand what she learned in the classroom.
“I looked forward to his class because his sense of humor was a relief from the heaviness of some of the other classes,” Kyser said. “People enjoyed his class because instead of just learning, he made everybody laugh.”
Harland was internationally known for his archaeological explorations in Greece and the Middle East. It is fitting, then, that the fund in his name supports field experiences abroad for graduate students in the department of classics.
Donald Haggis, professor of classical archaeology and the Nicholas A. Cassas Term Professor of Greek Studies, said the Harland Fund supports one classical archaeology graduate student each summer. He wishes to expand the fund to support more student field experiences.
“The Harland Fund has been essential in supporting the teaching of students in the field, and providing them with experiences that are not only critical to their practical training, but also vital for their ultimate professional success and impact in the discipline of classical archaeology,” Haggis said.
Professor Harland wouldn’t recognize the highly polished classrooms of Murphey Hall today, thanks to a massive and historically sensitive renovation, made possible by revenues from the N.C. State Bond Referendum. But he would recognize the need to do more to support future classical archaeologists. •
To support the Harland Fund, contact Margaret Costley, Arts and Sciences Foundation, (919) 843-0345, or margaret. costley@unc.edu. You may also give online and note “Harland Fund” in the designation box.
