Reid's path to the presidency of Wayne State University began in a one-room school on Pawley's Island, South Carolina. He graduated from high school in Charleston, then earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Howard University, and a master's and doctorate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. After teaching at Howard University and a stint on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Reid became a tenured professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and dean of the School of Business Administration in 1983.
Reid was appointed president of Montclair State College in 1989. Within five years, he greatly enhanced the college's reputation and led Montclair State to full university status. When the Wayne State University Board of Governors searched for David Adamany's replacement, they were most impressed with Reid and his accomplishments.
As president of Wayne State University, Reid has put forward his own vision of the university's future. He has focused upon continuing and enhancing the university's long-standing relationships with surrounding communities, and most important, Reid is committed to developing a national reputation for Wayne State University, one worthy of its accomplishments.
