President’s Biography
Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough is the 12th president of Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas. As the first college president from the hip-hop generation, he is one of the youngest college presidents in the nation. Prior to Philander Smith College, he served in administrative capacities at Albany State University, Old Dominion University, Georgia State University and Emory University.
After graduating from the Benjamin E. Mays High School and Academy of Math and Science in Atlanta as the Salutatorian and Student Body President, Dr. Kimbrough earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Degree in biology from the University of Georgia in 1989. He continued his education at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, completing a Master of Science Degree in College Student Personnel Services in 1991, and in 1996 he earned the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Higher Education from Georgia State University.
Dr. Kimbrough has maintained active memberships in several higher education organizations, including the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), Association of Fraternity Advisors (AFA) and Brothers of the Academy (BOTA). He has served as a reviewer for the NASPA Journal, an associate editor for the College Student Affairs Journal, and a 2001 Senior Scholar for AFA.
Based on a strong fraternity experience, Dr. Kimbrough has forged a national reputation as an expert on historically Black fraternities and sororities. He has conducted interviews with national publications including the Washington Post and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He has also been a guest on the National Public Radio show, “Talk of the Nation.” Dr. Kimbrough has given over 350 presentations on Black Greek life at numerous campuses and conferences. He is the author of the book, “Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs and Challenges of Black Fraternities and Sororities.” After five months, the book was an Essence Magazine top 10 best seller, and is currently in its eighth printing.
Dr. Kimbrough was the Alpha Phi Alpha College Brother of the Year for the Southern Region during the 1987-88 school year. He was named the 1994 New Professional of the Year for the Association of Fraternity Advisors, and the 1998 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Dissertation of the Year award runner-up. He was selected as a 2001 Nissan-ETS HBCU Fellow, and a 2002 participant in the Millennium Leadership Initiative sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. In 2009, he was named by Diverse Issues in Higher Education as one of 25 To Watch.
Locally, he is a member of the board of directors for the Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Heart of Arkansas United Way. He was named one of the people who made a difference in Arkansas in 2005 by the Arkansas Times newspaper, and named by Powerplay Magazine in 2006 as one of the 25 influential African Americans in Arkansas.
Dr. Kimbrough and his wife Adria Nobles Kimbrough, associate general counsel with the University of Arkansas System, are the proud parents of two children: Lydia Nicole, 4, and Benjamin Barack, 1. He is the son of Rev. Walter L. Kimbrough, pastor emeritus of Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta, and Marjorie L. Kimbrough, author and lecturer. He has one brother, Wayne.