Benjamin Ladner

He attended Murphy High School in Mobile followed by undergraduate study at Baylor University, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 1963.

Ladner began his academic career as a professor of philosophy and religion at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where he taught for more than a decade.

In 2003, Ladner fired Susan Clampitt as the head of university-owned radio station, WAMU, due to donor and staff outrage[3] at fiscal mismanagement of the NPR affiliate.

Ladner helped secure the release of individuals jailed for human rights protests and activities in the Palestinian Territories (West Bank) and Burma (Myanmar).

In 2001, Ladner negotiated with the Chinese government for the release of Gao Zhan,[6] after she was held while being charged as a spy for the United States.

[10] Ladner came under increasing criticism for his high salary, lavish lifestyle, and his frequent travels to visit partnering universities throughout the world.

[13] In August 2005, The Washington Post reported on the opening of an investigation by the American University Board of Trustees into Ladner's expenses.

Following his ouster, the Washington Post noted that friends described him "as an honorable, charismatic leader" while a growing number of critics viewed him as "unethical, manipulative and imperious", citing the university investigation that found that Ladners and his wife spent university funds "on foie gras, limousines, French wine and family parties.