Former UNT President Pohl Dies

By: Matt Goodman

Posted: 6/9/09

Former NT president Norval Pohl died last night in his home in Arizona from pancreatic cancer, according to former co-worker and NT alum Dustee Tucker. Pohl was NT's 13th president, serving from Oct. 15, 2000 until August of 2006.

Under Pohl's presidency, the students voted to approve a $75 per semester fee that paid for the construction of the Pohl Recreation Center, which was named after him in his final semester as president. He also established the university's first College of Engineering and was integral to the building of its home, Discovery Park, which was then named Research Park. Also under his presidency, the university built a new 105,000 square-foot Chemistry Building.

After NT, Pohl traveled to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz., which is about two hours from Phoenix, where he served as University Chancellor, according to the Embry-Riddle Web site.

"He made it a point to meet with students on a regular basis," Tucker said. "He wanted to make sure students knew he had an open-door policy."