If you want to know the secret to a long life, Dr. Charles Vail might be the perfect person to ask. On April 29, Dr. Vail celebrates his 100th birthday. He has spent his century on earth trying to make the world a better place. 

A 1945 graduate of Birmingham-Southern College, Dr. Vail is a native of Bessemer. From BSC he received a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and then got a master’s and doctorate in chemistry from Emory University.  

At BSC, a mentor told him that he had the “teaching bug.” After serving with the United States Naval Reserve, Dr. Vail began his career in academia. He taught chemistry at Coker College and at Agnes Scott College while doing contract research in the chemical industry. Later he served as academic dean at Hampden-Sydney College and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Georgia State University.  

From 1973 to 1981, Dr. Vail served as president of Winthrop College, now Winthrop University. During his tenure, he helped transform a once declining school into a successful institution.  

Throughout his career and even in retirement, Dr. Vail has found ways to be involved in his community. He was president of several chambers of commerce and president of the Banner Elk North Carolina Kiwanis Club. He also had the honor of being appointed by the United States Secretary of Education to serve on the Advisory Council for the National Center for Research in Vocational Education.  

Dr. Vail has worked with universities as far away as Liberia and Taiwan, but his commitment to his alma mater has never wavered. Thanks to Dr. Vail’s generous support, the Vail College Fellows Program was established in 1993. This program fosters joint faculty/student research projects, offering students mentorship and scholarships and as opportunities to present and publish their research. To date, there have been over 300 Vail projects.  

In 2000, Dr. Vail received the Birmingham-Southern College Medal of Service for his contributions to higher education and continued support of BSC. In 2020, he donated his papers to the BSC Library Archives. 

Dr. Vail has two daughters — Dr. Julie Vail Brown, PhD and Dr. Lise Vail, Ph.D. He has two granddaughters — Nicola Le and Hana Brown — and several great-grandchildren.

Before moving to a retirement community in Greensboro, North Carolina, Dr. Vail enjoyed living in his mountain retreat in Banner Elk, NC, for many years and spent his free time crafting hand-made furniture in his woodshop. Four years ago, he published a book of poetry: College President Offline, A Poetry Collection. He has also penned two memoirs about his life and travels.

In an interview during his time at Winthrop, Dr. Vail stated, “You can’t be all things to all people.” And while he was speaking about the tough task of serving as a college president, this advice could be applied to any area of life. And it could be the secret to a long life, well lived.