James A. "Dolph" Norton, Ph.D, was a veteran educator who served as an interim president or chancellor for several colleges and universities. Dr. Norton was Bryant College's interim president from November 1995 to September 1996, when Ronald K. Machtley, was installed as Bryant's President.
Norton earned bachelor's and master's degrees in government from Louisiana State University and and master's and doctoral degrees in government from Harvard University. He served as a radio operator in the Army Air Forces during World War II, and then worked at the University of Texas, Harvard, LSU, and Florida State University.
In 1963, he launched the Greater Cleveland Associated Foundation to tackle urban problems. In 1967, Norton's group merged with the Cleveland Foundation, and he became the overall director, with net assets of about $150 million. He helped allocate $6.5 million per year to hospitals, scout troops, housing projects, settlement centers and more. He led the state Board of Regents until 1978, boosting and broadening higher education. He oversaw more than 60 independent and 64 public campuses.
In 1978, Norton became the first visiting chancellor at Case Western Reserve University.The next year, he was an urban scholar in residence at the College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. He later traveled the country consulting for government panels and universities. He also led the Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.
After officially retiring in 1988, Norton was interim president or chancellor of Hiram College, the University of Maryland system, Lamar University system in Texas, Bryant College, Adelphi University in New York and Central Washington University. He was also president of the American Society for Public Administration. He chaired the State Higher Education Executive Officers Federal Regulations Committee and the 1978 White House Conference on Balanced Growth and Economic Development.