On May 29, 1928, the Davidson College Board of Trustees created the position of Dean of Instruction and appointed history and economics professor J. Moore MacConnell (Class of 1899) as the first Dean. MacConnell served as Dean from 1928 to 1935. The second Dean was not appointed until 1940. The choice was another economics professor and Davidson College graduate, C. K. Brown (Class of 1921), who held the position until 1952. Clarence J. Pietenpol, a member of the Physics Department, was appointed Dean in 1953 and served until 1958. Frontis W. Johnston (Class of 1930), a member of the History Department, succeeded him and held the position until 1969. The office was renamed Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty in 1970. John Morgan Bevan, a Davidson faculty member in the 1940s and 1950s, returned to the College in 1970 to fill the position. Upon Bevan's resignation in 1974, Frontis Johnston returned to administrative duties and served until 1977. T. C. Price Zimmerman served as Vice President of Academic Affairs and professor of history from 1977 to 1986. In 1986, Robert C. Williams became Vice President and Dean. The Vice President for Academic Affairs is responsible for supporting the faculty of the College in their teaching, professional acticvity, and service to the community and for maintaining the centrality of academic affairs in the strategic and budget planning processes of the College. The office administers programs and allocates resources in the form of departmental budgets, library materials, office and teaching space, computing, travel and research funding, international study programs, grants and contracts assistance, and equipment.