The President of the University of Memphis Announces Her Retirement

Shirley C. Raines, president of the University of Memphis, has announced that she will step down from her post on June 30. She was named the 11th president of the university in 2001. She is the only woman to have held the position.

Prior to becoming president of the University of Memphis, Dr. Raines was vice chancellor for academic services and dean of the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. She is the author of 14 book on teacher education and early childhood education.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the University of Memphis as president. These have been 12 of the most enjoyable, challenging and professionally fulfilling years of my life,” Dr. Raines said. “The university has a strong foundation for the future, and I am confident in its academic and administrative leadership.”

Dr. Raines is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin. She holds a master’s degree and a doctorate from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.