Frank Klinberg

Frank Klingberg has a soft spoken, genteel nature and an amazing sense of humor that speaks of his time spent in the South. Frank obtained his Ph.D. in American Intellectual History from UCLA, which he then went on to teach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for over 35 years.

While there he witnessed first-hand the integration of blacks and women into the university, which deeply affected him, and helped to shape his teaching career. One former student was so inspired by Frank’s teaching that he later left a multi-million dollar grant in Frank’s name for undergraduate opportunities. Frank has written four books, including a work on the Southern Claims Commission which handled the disposition of property after the Civil War. Frank was 18 when he first met Katherine, whose parents had bought the house next door. They quickly became inseparable and were married 5 years later. Frank fondly recalls, “Katherine was a very intelligent woman. I think the only dumb thing she ever did was to marry me.” Today, Frank is 91 with a quick wit and flirtatious personality that makes him a hit with his fellow residents.

      -Composed by: Mike Green, Hilltop's Marketing Coordinator

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