UNCG: Chronology of Important Events

1891
The State Normal and Industrial School was established by the Act of the General Assembly February 18, 1891.
1892
The first students entered October 5, 1892. Main Building (now Foust), Old Brick dormitory, the McIver home, Old Guilford dormitory, the laundry and barn were all in use by the close of the year. There were 15 faculty members headed by Dr. Charles Duncan McIver, founder and first president, and courses were offered in Normal (teacher training), Commercial and Domestic Science.
1897
The name was changed from State Normal and Industrial School to State Normal and Industrial College. The first class graduated after completing four years of study. Walter Hines Page delivered his now-famous "Forgotten Man" speech attacking illiteracy in the state at their commencement.
1899-1900
A typhoid fever epidemic killed 13 and closed the school for over two months. The state changed dormitory furnishings from double to single beds, and a new plumbing and filtering system was installed to improve sanitation.
1904
On an early winter morning, the ringing of the bell and shouts of "Fire!" awakened the students. Flames destroyed Brick Dormitory and classes were suspended for three weeks. No students were injured, but most lost all their possessions in the blaze. Spencer Hall, the new dormitory, was constructed with only 2 floors to avoid a fire hazard; it was ready for use the following Fall.
1906
President McIver died suddenly on William Jennings Bryan's campaign train returning from Durham on September 17, 1906.
1912
The first Old English Pageant (May Day celebration) was presented. The McIver statue was unveiled.
1914
The Student Government Association was organized with two divisions, executive and legislative.
1918
For the war effort, a group of students remained in Greensboro during the summer to work on a farm the school had rented. Called the Farmerettes, they raised beans, tomatoes and corn. Another group, called the Carpenterettes, cleared land at the north end of College Ave. and built the YWCA Hut.
1919
The school's name was changed to North Carolina College for Women. Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, a women's suffrage advocate, spoke at commencement (the following Fall, a new residence hall was named in her honor). The student publications, Carolinian, Coraddi and Pine Needles were given their current names.
1920
The Southern Association accredited the school as a standard college. The School of Music, the School of Education, and the Graduate School were formed.
1932
The school's name changed to Woman's College of the University of North Carolina. The first men were admitted as day students because many from Greensboro could not afford to attend college away from home during the Depression.
1941-1942
The college celebrated its fiftieth anniversary with reunions, speeches, dinners, and an original dramatic production: We, the Women. The War Service League coordinated defense and war activities on campus. Formally-gowned students boarded buses to Ft. Bragg where they danced with soldiers.
1944
The first annual Arts Forum - a festival that would bring to campus giants in writing, visual art, dance, and music - was held. Mrs. Charles D. McIver, wife of the founder and first president, died.
1953
Elliott Hall, the student union building named for Harriet Elliott, was opened.
1956
The first two African-American students, Elizabeth JoAnne Smart and Bettye Tillman, enrolled at the Woman's College(JoAnne Smart Drane later became a member of the Board of Trustees; Bettye Tillman is now deceased.)
1963-1964
The first doctor of philosophy degree was awarded to Nancy White '46 in home economics. The name of the institution was changed to The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. During summer school, the first men were admitted to the resident undergraduate program.
1970
The students elected the first male Student Government Association President, Lindsay Lamson. The Residential College, a program devoted to unifying social and academic life, was begun.
1982
The soccer team won the national NCAA Division III championship, the first men's title ever won for UNCG.
1991
The intercollegiate athletics program moved to NCAA Division I.
1991
UNCG celebrates its 100th Anniversary.
2017
UNCG celebrates its 125th Anniversary.