Harvie Branscomb

Bennett Harvie Branscomb (December 25, 1894 – July 23, 1998) served as the fourth chancellor of Vanderbilt University from 1946 to 1963. He served as president of the American Academy of Religion in 1940.

Early life

Branscomb was born on December 25, 1894 in Huntsville, Alabama. He earned a B.A. from Birmingham-Southern College and an M.A. as a Rhodes Scholar in Bible studies at the Wadham College, Oxford. After serving in the army, he taught at Southern Methodist University. He later earned a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University.

Career

After working as the Dean of the Divinity School at Duke University, he became the fourth chancellor of Vanderbilt University in 1945. As chancellor, he oversaw the racial integration of the university, drawing harsh criticism from alumni. In 1960, at the insistence of trustees, he expelled James Lawson, an African-American divinity student and Congress of Racial Equality leader who organized sit-ins in defiance of Nashville's segregation laws. A dozen faculty members resigned in protest.