Arkansas Online April 7, 2011 Kimbrough pulls out of running for Southern position By Gavin Lesnick LITTLE ROCK - The president of Philander Smith College in Little Rock has withdrawn from consideration as the next chancellor for Southern University. Search committee co-chairman Pat Magee told the Associated Press that Walter Kimbrough withdrew to pursue other job opportunities. But Kimbrough - who became Philander's president in 2004 - on Thursday told ArkansasOnline that the Southern position wasn't a good fit for him and his decision was not based on another job. He said some other institutions had contacted him about future openings, but that there had been no "major conversations" and that he has no imminent plans to leave. Kimbrough declined to name any of the other institutions and said he is disappointed that people seem to believe he is trying to leave. "People have to think more highly of what's going on in state of Arkansas," he said. "I'm going to have opportunities, I understand that. But this is a good place, it really is. That's why I've turned down - people wouldn't even believe the number of opportunities I've turned down, because this is really good. It's got to be something that really moves me for me to consider leaving." Kimbrough, 43, said he is pleased with his current position leading Philander Smith, a Historically Black College with about 670 students. "Everything is going exceptionally well," Kimbrough said. "I'm in a great position. I can be picky." SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.