North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University - History

History

The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University was established as a "mechanical 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 objective of the college shall be to teach practical agriculture and the mechanic arts and such learning as related thereto, not excluding academic and classical instruction." This college was established along with North Carolina Agricultural and Mechanical College, now known as North Carolina State University; due to segregation laws, whites and blacks could not attend college together. The college operated in Raleigh at the private Shaw University until 1893, when donations from Dr. Dewitt, C. Benbow and Charles H. Moore totaling $11,000 and 14 acres (57,000 m²) of land allowed the establishment of a campus in Greensboro. The original course of study of A&T included languages and literature, mathematics, business, agriculture and military science. Female students enrolled from 1893 until 1901, but not again until 1928. In 1915, the name of the College became The Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina by act of the NC General Assembly.

On February 1, 1960, four A&T freshmen helped spark the civil rights movement in the South. Ezell Blair (Jibreel Khazan), Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, and David Richmond "sat-in" at an all white eating establishment (Woolworth's) and demanded equal service at the lunch counter. Because of their great desire for change and equality they inspired many other students of the university to join them in their non-violent protest to desegregate Woolworth's lunch counter. By the end of July 1960, their mission was accomplished and they became the A&T Four and their campaign became known as the Greensboro sit-ins. Seven years later, the college gained university status and became North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. The school was centrally involved in the 1969 Greensboro uprising when it was stormed by the National Guard in what was described at the time as "the most massive armed assault ever made against an American university".

On February 25, 2009, Chancellor Stanley Battle announced his resignation, effective June 30, 2009, citing family and personal issues. The following month, on May 22, 2009, Dr. Harold L. Martin Sr. was elected as the 12th chancellor of the university by UNC System Board of Governors.