HISTORICAL STATEMENT

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University was established as the A. and M. College for the “Colored Race” by an act of the General Assembly of North Carolina ratified March 9, 1891. The act read in part: That the leading object of the institution shall be to teach practical agriculture and the mechanic arts and such branches of learning as relate thereto, not excluding academical and classical instruction.

The College began operation during the school year of 1890-91, before the passage of the state law creating it. This curious circumstance arose out of the fact that the Morrill Act passed by Congress in 1890 earmarked the proportionate funds to be allocated in bi-racial school systems to the two races. The A. and M. College for the White Race was established by the State Legislature in 1889 and was ready to receive its share of funds provided by the Morrill Act in the fall of 1890. Before the college could receive these funds, however, it was necessary to make provisions for Colored students. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees of the A. and M. College in Raleigh was empowered to make temporary arrangements for these students. A plan was worked out with Shaw University in Raleigh where the College operated as an annex to Shaw University during the years 1890-1891, 1891-1892, and 1892-1893.  

The law of 1891 also provided that the College would be located in such city or town in the state as would make to the Board of Trustees a suitable proposition that would serve as an inducement for said location. A group of interested citizens in the city of Greensboro donated fourteen acres of land for a site and $11,000 to aid in constructing buildings. This amount was supplemented by an appropriation of $2,500 from the General Assembly. The first building was completed in 1893, and the College opened in Greensboro during the fall of that year.

In 1915 the name of the institution was changed to The Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina by an Act of the State Legislature.

The scope of the college program has been enlarged to meet new demands. The General Assembly authorized the institution to grant the Master of Science degree in education and certain other fields in 1939. The first Master’s degree was awarded in 1941. The School of Nursing was established by an Act of the State Legislature in 1953 and the first class was graduated in 1957.

The General Assembly repealed previous acts describing the purpose of the College in 1957, and redefined its purpose as follows: “The primary purpose of the College shall be to teach the Agricultural and Technical Arts and Sciences and such branches of learning as related thereto, the training of teachers, supervisors, and administrators for the public schools of the State, including the preparation of such teachers, supervisors and administrators for the Master’s degree. Such other programs of a professional or occupational nature may be offered as shall be approved by the North Carolina Board of Higher Education, consistent with the appropriations made therefore.”

The General Assembly of North Carolina voted to elevate the College to the status of a Regional University effective July 1, 1967.

On October 30, 1971, the General Assembly ratified an Act to consolidate the Institutions of Higher Learning in North Carolina. Under the provisions of this Act, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University became a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina effective July 1, 1972.

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