• Dr. Edward Bernard Fort passed away Sunday, August 9, 2026. The funeral service will be held Saturday, August 22, 2026. Visitation will begin at 11:00 am, and the service will begin at 12:00 pm at Providence Baptist Church, 1106 Tuscaloosa Street, Greensboro, North Carolina. Entombment will follow at Westminster Gardens Cemetery, 3601 Whitehurst Road, Greensboro, North Carolina.

Dr. Edward B. Fort, devoted husband, father, and the transformative Chancellor Emeritus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, transitioned from this life on the early morning of August 9, 2026. The beloved husband of the late Lessie Covington Fort and loving father to son, Edward Clarke II, and daughter, Lezlie, Dr. Fort spent his 94 years breaking racial barriers, shaping national education, abiding in a deep faith, and fiercely loving his family.

Early Life, Military Service, and a Lifetime Love

Dr. Fort was born to Rev. Edward Clark Fort I and Inez Corinne Baker Fort on April 14, 1932, in Detroit, MI. The family ethic emphasized the fear of the Lord, hard work, and proper decorum. Edward was the oldest of 3 sons, including his brothers Herschel W. Fort, and Newland C. Fort. He often reminisced fondly about “The 3 Boys” and their many adventures growing up as African American youngsters during The Great Depression.

Always accompanied by his strong Christian faith and an unhindered ability to dream big, Dr. Fort never regarded his status as a young Black male in 1950’s America as a millstone. Rather, he wore it as a badge of honor, and chased those big dreams with alacrity.

He began his higher education at the University of Michigan in 1950, later transferring to Wayne State University to help save family funds when his younger brother entered college. After graduating, and against the backdrop of a potential war involving modern-day Taiwan, Edward heard the call of his country and volunteered for the Army Draft alongside his best friend, the late Roy LaMar. Following basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and advanced infantry training at Fort Ord in California—where he first fell in love with the landscape of the University of California at Berkeley—he shipped out to Berlin, Germany, serving honorably for 21 months. Unexpectedly, it was during his time in the military that he was first introduced to the art of photography, which he learned from an instructor while in Berlin. It was a passion he would maintain for the remainder of his life.

Upon his early release, Edward used the GI Bill to pursue his Master’s Degree in educational administration while teaching 4th-grade social studies at Duane Doty Elementary School in Detroit. While there, he demanded excellence from his students, instilling in them the importance of hard work and discipline, while providing them with living proof that they could achieve their goals no matter how high they aimed. Decades later, upon learning of his passing, one of his students remarked that Dr. Fort “represented everything I ever wanted to be”.

While taking a post-graduate class at Wayne State, destiny stepped in. A demure yet effervescent woman named Lessie Covington walked into the room wearing a beautiful blue dress. Edward was instantly smitten. and often remarked afterward that if anyone ever doubted the existence of love at first sight, he could dispel their skepticism. On the way home from school that day, Edward called his mother, telling her confidently, “Mom, I’ve found the one”. Unfortunately, confident proclamations did not translate into immediate action, and young Edward’s shy nature prevented him from acting on his newfound love and actually speaking with Lessie. Finally, on the last day of class, Edward worked up the courage to request a date before the opportunity was gone forever. Six months later, with his father officiating, Edward and Lessie were married in a gorgeous all-white ceremony at Grace Church in Detroit, MI, launching a 52-year love story.

A Rising Leader in American Education

The young couple packed their belongings and moved to California to chase their advanced degrees at UC Berkeley: a Doctorate in Education for Edward, and a Master’s in Psychology for Lessie. Both taught in the California Public Schools in order to fund their education. Three years into their studies, their son, Clarke, was born, inspiring a return home to family in Detroit once their degrees were conferred in 1964.

Dr. Fort’s career took off like a rocket. After serving as a curriculum coordinator for the Detroit Public Schools, he made history in 1967 when he was tapped as the Superintendent of the Inkster School District, becoming one of the few Black superintendents in the country. Geographically, Inkster is a smaller city in Wayne County, not far from Dearborn. Leading a burgeoning district during an era of racial unrest, Dr. Fort fought fiercely for fair funding – sometimes amidst the threat of “payless paydays” caused by political gridlock and shifting tax bases. Many prayed for him during this period, and the way was opened within the Michigan Legislature to provide additional funding for the district. It was during these tumultuous days that Edward and Lessie welcomed a daughter, Lezlie, into the world. By this time, Lessie was dedicated to raising her children as a stay-at-home Mom, while Edward continued to provide for his family through the growth of his career.

In 1971 after four successful years at Inkster, Dr. Fort accepted the role of Deputy Superintendent, and later Superintendent, of the Sacramento City Unified School District in California. He excelled at navigating complex political landscapes to close the inequitable funding gaps between wealthy and poor neighborhoods. His success caught national attention, and in 1974, he was chosen to lead the University of Wisconsin Center System, a decentralized network of 14 two-year campuses.

During Dr. Fort’s time at the Center System, his family continued to thrive, becoming devoted members at St. Paul A.M.E. Church, where Edward took up a role as the Sunday School Superintendent, while Lessie taught one of the Adult Sunday School classes. Many friends came alongside the family during those years, and Dr. Fort continued his legacy of fighting for the overlooked.

When state politicians pushed to close several rural and minority-heavy campuses to cut costs, Dr. Fort traveled across Wisconsin in a Cessna twin-engine plane to defend them, famously declaring, “I did not come here to preside over the demise or deterioration of the Center System.” And indeed, he did not. During his tenure, he continued criss-crossing the state, ensuring that credits earned at the two year colleges would transfer to their four year counterparts, and working to balance budgets – promoting fair funding.

The A&T Odyssey: A Legacy of Transformation

By 1981, Dr. Fort was known nationally as an institutional “turnaround specialist.” This reputation caught the eye of a search committee at North Carolina A&T State University. The committee was looking for a new Chancellor to permanently helm the University following the departure of its long-serving Chancellor, Lewis C. Dowdy. Prior to engaging in serious dialog in response to the committee’s recruitment, Dr. Fort first consulted with his family, who encouraged him to pursue the position (or as he would later recount, “they told me to go for it!”). He duly submitted his application and was selected for the position, marking the beginning of a historic 42-year relationship with the campus.

On September 1, 1981, Dr. Edward Fort began his tenure at North Carolina A&T State University, and was officially installed as chancellor on April 24, 1982. Lessie immediately stepped into her duties as a gracious, creative, and confident First Lady. As part of their new life, the family also sought out a new church home to fill the void that had gaped when they left their beloved St. Paul. They found it in Providence Baptist Church, a vibrant congregation thriving under the leadership of then-pastor Howard A. Chubbs. Both Dr. and Mrs. Fort applied their talents and service to their new church family – with Mrs. Fort initially teaching the Adult Sunday School class, and Dr. Fort taking the reins some years later.

With his family now established in their new North Carolina home, Dr. Fort immediately rolled up his sleeves to tackle A&T’s pressing financial difficulties – concentrating first on unraveling tangled accounting books that had been deemed un-auditable. Additionally, he worked to relieve the School of Nursing’s financial strain – which was threatening their accreditation and limiting their supply of cutting-edge lab equipment. He also ensured that students were properly prepared and trained to pass rigorous new national licensing exam requirements, eventually boosting the passing rate from 28% to 100%.

Surrounding himself with an administrative "dream team," Dr. Fort completed $30 million dollars in campus renovations and launched a $50 million building boom that modernized the campus with, among others, the construction of the F.D. Bluford Library, Ronald E. McNair Hall (the new home of Engineering), and the Edward B. Fort Interdisciplinary Research Center. He initiated over 30 new graduate and undergraduate programs, pivoting A&T into a premier high-tech research institution. His crowning achievement came in 1994, when the university received approval to offer doctoral degrees for the first time in the school’s history. In 1998, he presided over the graduation of A&T's very first doctoral Ph.D. candidates in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.

Final Years and Return to the Ages

Knowing that his major work would be complete with the conferring of those first doctoral degrees, Dr. Fort announced his retirement in April 1998 and officially passed the torch on June 30, 1999.

But Dr. Fort’s "love affair" (as he often termed it) with A&T never truly ended. He stepped back into the classroom as an endowed professor, spent 24 years guiding doctoral students, and maintained an office in the library he had built.

He took a brief sabbatical in 2012 to deeply mourn the passing of his beloved Lessie, whose incalculable support and prayers had sustained him for 52 years. Though he missed her terribly, tearing up whenever her name was whispered on the wind, he returned to teaching with renewed vigor – mentoring students and working in an advisory capacity until his second, final retirement on June 27, 2023, at the age of 91.

Throughout his life, Dr. Fort’s extraordinary achievements earned him landmark appointments, including:

• •       The Order of the Long Leaf Pine (North Carolina’s highest civilian gubernatorial honor)
  •       Doctor of Humane Letters from North Carolina A&T State University
  •       Doctor of Laws from Wayne State University
  •       Charter Member of President George H.W. Bush’s HBCU Advisory Board
  •       Appointed by President Bill Clinton to the NASA Blue Ribbon Commission to redesign the international
  •       space station
  •       Appointed as the first African American member of the NASA Advisory Council
  •       Chairman of the White House Science Advisory Committee (1986–1987)
  •       Member of the NCAA Division I Board and the NCAA President's Commission
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Above all his titles, Dr. Edward B. Fort had a fierce, deep, and abiding love for his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He didn't just have faith; he lived it, and it resonated in every administrative, familial, and spiritual decision he made.

On Sunday, August 9, 2026, surrounded closely by the family he adored, Dr. Fort departed this life. He is now reunited with his beautiful Lessie, nearly 14 years to the day after she left, wrapped once again in an embrace that must have been a sight to see. As Dr. Fort always said of the great leaders who went before him, “He now belongs to the ages.”

Edward Fort is survived by his two children, Clarke and Lezlie and countless nieces, nephews, and cousins. He will be greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers for Dr. Fort's Homegoing, tax deductible donations can be sent by mail to: Dr. Ronald E. McNair Educational Science Literacy Foundation, Post Office Box 580568 Houston, Texas 77258. Checks may be made to DREME Science Literacy Foundation. Electronic donations can be sent via Zelle at: info@dremefoundation.org. Contributions via wire please contact: info@dremefoundation.org to receive wire information.

The service will be livestreamed to Providence's YouTube Channel@PBCGSO and linked to the church's website's home page at https://pbcbiglove.org and FaceBook page listed as "Providence Baptist Church of Greensboro."