On March 7, 1887, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the act that authorized the establishment of the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. The Watauga Club of Raleigh and the statewide farmers’ movement had convinced the legislature of the need to transfer the funds received by the state under the provisions of the federal Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862 from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill to a new land-grant college in Raleigh. The cornerstone of A & M College was laid in August 1888, and its doors were officially opened on October 3, 1889.

Alexander Q. Holladay, the college’s first president (1889-1899), and a faculty of five offered courses in agriculture, horticulture, pure and agricultural chemistry, English, bookkeeping, history, mathematics, physics, practical mechanics and military science. The first freshman class numbered about 50 students. By the end of the institution’s first decade, the resident enrollment had reached 300.

During the administration of George T. Winston (1899-1908), a new curriculum in textiles was developed and courses were offered in the summer for public school teachers, both men and women. The Agricultural Extension Service was established during the administration of Daniel H. Hill (1908-1916), and enrollment grew to more than 700. In 1917, during the administration of Wallace C. Riddick (1916-1923), the institution’s name was changed to North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering. The introduction of the word “engineering” was intended to reflect the increasing emphasis on the professional and theoretical, as well as the practical aspects of technical education.

In 1923 a major reorganization of the administration of the college was begun, and President Riddick resigned to become the first dean of the new School of Engineering.
Eugene Clyde Brooks (1923-1934), the fifth president of State College, continued the reorganization with the creation of the School of Agriculture (later renamed the
School of Agriculture and Forestry), the School of Science and Business, the School of Education, the School of Textiles and the Graduate School. Resident enrollment rose to nearly 2,000 in 1929 before the Depression caused a drop to approximately 1,500 in 1933. The first women graduates of State College received their degrees in 1927.

In the midst of the Depression, the General Assembly of 1931 attempted to promote economy and to prevent unnecessary duplication among the three leading state institutions of higher education by establishing a single consolidated administration for the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering, and North Carolina College for Women in Greensboro. Dr. Frank Porter Graham, president of the University of North Carolina, was elected president of the consolidated university, and Dr. Brooks, with the title of vice president, continued as chief administrative officer at State College. Among the consequences of consolidation were the phasing out of the School of Engineering at Chapel Hill and the School of Science and Business at Raleigh. A general college, later called the Basic Division, was established to provide two years of basic courses in humanities, social sciences and natural sciences as a foundation for students in the various degree-granting technical and professional schools.

Colonel John W. Harrelson (1934-1953), Class of 1909, was the first alumnus to become administrative head of State College. Under the consolidated organization his title was Dean of Administration; later it was changed to chancellor. During Harrelson’s administration the institution experienced the beginning of extraordinary growth in the aftermath of World War II. Two new schools were established: the School of Design and the School of Forestry. A multimillion dollar expansion program was completed during the administration of Carey H. Bostian (1953-1959), and the program of student activities was greatly enlarged, as the enrollment passed 5,000.

The faculty and student population more than doubled during the administration of John T. Caldwell (1959-1975), and another new school was organized: the School of Physical Sciences and Applied Mathematics (now the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences). The School of General Studies, the successor to the Basic Division, was renamed the School of Liberal Arts and was authorized to offer a full range of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in the humanities and social sciences. The name of the institution itself was changed in 1965 to North Carolina State University, signifying its new role as a comprehensive university.

NC State’s enrollment passed 20,000 during the administration of Chancellor Joab L. Thomas (1976-1981). The School of Veterinary Medicine was established, the name of the School of Liberal Arts was changed to School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and North Carolina State University was recognized as one of two major research universities within the statewide University of North Carolina.

Bruce R. Poulton (1982-1990) became chancellor in the fall of 1982. A major expansion of the university’s research budget, the establishment of a substantial endowment to provide enlarged resources for research equipment and endowed professorships, and the addition of the 1,000-acre Centennial Campus occurred during this administration. All of the schools were renamed colleges except for the School of Design and the Graduate School. In addition, the School of Education became the College of Education and Psychology.

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