Chapel Hill, N.C. — The UNC Board of Governors honored President Emeritus C.D. Spangler Jr. and his wife Friday by renaming the UNC General Administration office facilities for them.

The adjoining buildings housing the administrative offices, at 910 Raleigh Road, have been renamed the Spangler Center to honor the man who led the university from 1986-1997, and his wife, Meredith.

The main building, formerly known as the General Administration Building, has been renamed the C.D. Spangler Jr. Building, while the connecting facility has been renamed the Meredith Riggs Spangler Building.

The UNC General Administration Building opened in May 1971 as the headquarters for what was then the six-campus University of North Carolina.

When the state legislature expanded the University the following year to include all 16 public universities in North Carolina, the building’s basement was renovated to accommodate the larger administrative staff as well as the work of the newly created UNC Board of Governors.

The adjoining building was constructed in 1981.

The UNC Board of Governors helped unveil the new signage Friday during a ceremony held in conjunction with the board’s regular March meeting.

Throughout his 11 years as UNC president, Spangler fought to keep tuition low and was equally vocal about the university’s role as a powerful engine for the state’s economy, the system said in announcing the honor.

Also during his tenure, the university’s annual state operating budget nearly doubled, and UNC campuses received more than $1 billion from the Legislature for capital construction and renovation.

Spangler and the Spangler family foundation have given generously to the University over the years, school officials said.

They have funded and helped to complete distinguished professorships on every UNC campus.

Most recently, in May 2007, Spangler announced two new challenge-grant programs that together will make $26.9 million available to support the creation of up to 96 distinguished professorships across the 16 campuses.