North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center.

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Kannapolis, North Carolina, was once home to Cannon Mills, at one time the largest manufacturer of sheets and towels in the world. James William Cannon founded Cannon mills in 1906; his son expanded the company between 1920 and 1970. In 1982, the Pacific Holding Company, owned by David Murdock, purchased Cannon Mills. In 1984, the citizens of Kannapolis voted to officially incorporate the city of Kannapolis. In 1986, the Pacific Holding Company sold Cannon Mills to Fieldcrest Mills, becoming Fieldcrest Cannon, Inc. Then, in 1997, the Pillowtex Corporation acquired the Fieldcrest Cannon Company. In 2003, the Pillowtex Corporation, the last owner of the textile company, closed its doors, laying off 7,650 people. Four thousand three hundred and forty of that number lived in Kannapolis or the counties surrounding the city. In December of 2004, David Murdock purchased the former Cannon Mills Plant One at auction and in 2005, in partnership with the University of North Carolina system, announced plans for a 1.5 billion dollar scientific and economic revitalization project.

This collection of interviews was conducted by Special Collections Research Center staff in an attempt to capture the social aspect of the transformation of Kannapolis, North Carolina, from textile mill based economy to an information-research based economy.

From the guide to the Kannapolis Oral Histories, 2008, (Special Collections Research Center)

North Carolina State University was established in 1887 as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (A&M College). The College opened in 1889 with one building - the current Holladay Hall - six faculty, and courses in the agricultural and mechanical arts, adding a curriculum in applied science in 1893. By the turn of the century the College had grown to some half dozen buildings, about 300 students, and had begun to diversify its curricula. In 1917, the institution's name was changed to North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (State College). In 1931 the College greatly reworked its curricula as it underwent consolidation. Along with North Carolina College for Women and the University of North Carolina, it became a part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina,. North Carolina State is now one of the constituent institutions of the multi-campus University of North Carolina system, having received university status, and, after some controversy, assumed its current name in 1965. As of 2007, N.C. State had a student body of nearly 30,000, nearly two thousand faculty, and research and program expenditures of over $440 million.

From the guide to the North Carolina State University, University Archives Reference Collection, Biographical Files, 1889-2012, (Special Collections Research Center)

The Greenways Archive is a collaborative collecting program of the North Carolina State University Libraries and the College of Design. The archive was conceived in 1991 to bring together materials that document the grass roots greenway movement. The Charles E. Little Papers of information and materials describing greenway projects across the United States forms the core of the Greenways Archive. Little wished to make his papers available to researchers and other greenway activists in an effort to increase awareness of greenways and raise environmental consciousness.

The International Greenways Resource Records builds on Little's idea by bringing together publications, pamphlets, maps, planning guides, newsletters, and other materials received from greenways organizations in North America. Materials have been sent to the North Carolina State University Libraries' Special Collection Research Center in response to records surveys sent to organizations in 1999 and 2000. Locally published greenway information was solicited from greenway advocates, planners, designers and local, state, and federal government with the intent of assembling material in a central location so that it might be available for research. New greenway-related material will be accessioned as it is received.

From the guide to the International Greenways Resource Collection, 1991-2011, (Special Collections Research Center)

In 1887 the North Carolina General Assembly created the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts as the state's land-grant institution to provide teaching, research and extension services to the people of the state. The College officially opened its doors in 1889, with Alexander Holladay as the first President. Classes began that fall with seventy-two students, six faculty, and one building - Main Building, now Holladay Hall. Two general fields of study were available, agriculture and mechanics, with a third in applied science added in 1893. Coursework in military science was added in 1894.

By the turn of the century, the College had grown to 300 students and six buildings, and had begun to diversify its curricula with more specialization offered in agricultural and mechanical coursework. By 1917, the school's teaching, research, and extension activities were broad enough that the Board of Trustees agreed to a name change: North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering, thereby officially adopting the "State College" colloquialism that had been in use for years. In 1931 the College greatly reworked its curricula as it underwent consolidation. Along with North Carolina College for Women and the University of North Carolina, it became a part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina.

During the second half of the century, the College received university status and as of 2007 was one of the constituent institutions of the multi-campus University of North Carolina system. After some controversy, the university assumed its current name in 1965. The University's full and official name is North Carolina State University at Raleigh. Use of the full name is generally avoided in order to avoid the implication that there are other branches of North Carolina State in other cities. In 2007, the North Carolina State University nearly 30,000 students and nearly two thousand faculty, and its research and program expenditures totalled over $440 million. For more information on the University's history, please see the online Brief History of North Carolina State University .

From the guide to the University Archives Photograph Collection, People Photographs, 1890-1999, (Special Collections Research Center)

North Carolina State University was established in 1887 as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (A&M College). The College opened in 1889 with one building - the current Holladay Hall - six faculty, and courses in the agricultural and mechanical arts, adding a curriculum in applied science in 1893. By the turn of the century the College had grown to some half dozen buildings, about 300 students, and had begun to diversify its curricula. In 1917, the institution's name was changed to North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (State College). In 1931 the College greatly reworked its curricula as it underwent consolidation. Along with North Carolina College for Women and the University of North Carolina, it became a part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina,. North Carolina State is now one of the constituent institutions of the multi-campus University of North Carolina system, having received university status, and, after some controversy, assumed its current name in 1965. As of 2007, N.C. State had a student body of nearly 30,000, nearly two thousand faculty, and research and program expenditures of over $440 million.

From the guide to the North Carolina State University, University Archives Reference Collection, University Buildings, Sites, Landmarks Files, 1888-2009, (Special Collections Research Center)

North Carolina State University was established in 1887 as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (A&M College). The College opened in 1889 with one building - the current Holladay Hall - six faculty, and courses in the agricultural and mechanical arts, adding a curriculum in applied science in 1893. By the turn of the century the College had grown to some half dozen buildings, about 300 students, and had begun to diversify its curricula. In 1917, the institution's name was changed to North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (State College). In 1931 the College greatly reworked its curricula as it underwent consolidation. Along with North Carolina College for Women and the University of North Carolina, it became a part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina,. North Carolina State is now one of the constituent institutions of the multi-campus University of North Carolina system, having received university status, and, after some controversy, assumed its current name in 1965. As of 2007, N.C. State had a student body of nearly 30,000, nearly two thousand faculty, and research and program expenditures of over $440 million.

From the guide to the North Carolina State University, University Archives Reference Collection, Student Research Projects, 1969 - 2007, (Special Collections Research Center)

The North Carolina State University Alumni and Student Collection was created in 1996 by the Special Collections Research Center to centralize future material relating to activities of University students. It was intended for this collection to have the value of a representative sample of student activities. In addition, it was designed to focus on future acquisitions, so no attempt was made to reorganize similar existing collections into the NCSU Alumni and Student Collection.

From the guide to the North Carolina State University Alumni and Student Collection, 1889-2010, (Special Collections Research Center)

In 1887, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation creating the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, a land-grant institution to provide education, research, and extension services to the state. When the College opened in 1889, it consisted of a 62-acres site in west Raleigh with one building. This building, the original Main Building (later renamed Holladay Hall), housed all of the college’s activities during its first year: kitchen, dining-hall, shop, and gym in the basement; offices, classrooms, and library on the first floor; and dormitory facilities on the second and third floors. In the following decade, a number of new buildings were built, including a Mechanical Building, Watauga Hall, Primrose Hall, four dormitories, an infirmary, and several farm and dairy buildings.

As the university’s enrollment continued to grow throughout the 20th century, more land was acquired and more buildings and facilities were constructed. By the 1980s, however, the main campus was running out of space. In 1984 and 1985, Governors James B. Hunt and James G. Martin transferred parcels of undeveloped land from the Dorthea Dix hospital property to North Carolina State University, forming the basis for NCSU’s Centennial Campus. With later land acquisitions, this area totals approximately 1,000 acres of land and is larger than the main campus.

As of 2007, the University’s Raleigh campus consists of approximately 2,100 acres of land. Its hundreds of buildings house more than eight million square feet of built space and accommodate a community of over 31,000 students and faculty.

Raleigh, North Carolina, was established in 1792 to serve as the state capitol of North Carolina. It was created on land owned by Joel Lane. In 1794 the state General Assembly met for the first time in the new capital. The current State Capitol was completed in 1840 and in 1853 the first State Fair was held just outside the city limits.

Raleigh is home to five institutions of higher learning, Peace College, Shaw University, St. Augustine's College, Meredith College, and the largest of the five, North Carolina State University. All five were established in the 1800s following the Civil War. It is also home to St. Mary’s School, an all girls preparatory school built in 1842.

During the 20th century Raleigh saw a huge growth in population, particularly after World War II. The current population of the city is estimated at over 350,000 people. In the first eight years of the 21st century alone, the city grew by 100,000 people.

From the guide to the University Archives Photograph Collection, Postcards, 1900 - 1996, (Special Collections Research Center)

The NCSU Libraries established the Department of Special Collections in 1993; at the same time, the University Archives - established in the 1960s but with origins dating back to 1939 - was transferred from the Provost's Office to the administrative jurisdiction of the Libraries and - together with the Rare Books and Manuscripts - formed the new program.

In 2004, the Department of Special Collections was renamed the Special Collections Research Center to emphasize the role it plays in support of the university's land-grant mission and how it supplements the research collections held in the general collections of the NCSU Libraries.

From the guide to the North Carolina State University, Libraries, Special Collections Research Center Records, 1940-2013, (Special Collections Research Center)

The Triangle area is composed of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, three cities located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The Research Triangle Park or RTP, established in 1959, is where the region’s nickname the Triangle comes from. RTP was built to encourage high tech and research companies to establish headquarters in North Carolina to help build the economy of the state, which had been primarily based on agriculture. The park sits between Durham and Raleigh and is home to companies such as IBM and GlaxoSmithKline.

Raleigh, North Carolina was established in 1792 to serve as the state capitol of North Carolina. It was created on land owned by Joel Lane. In 1794 the state General Assembly met for the first time in the new capital. The current State Capitol was completed in 1840 and in 1853 the first State Fair was held just outside the city limits.

Raleigh is home to five institutions of higher learning, Peace College, Shaw University, St. Augustine's College, Meredith College, and North Carolina State University. All five were established in the 1800s following the Civil War.

During the 20th century Raleigh saw a huge growth in population, particularly after World War II. The current population of the city is estimated at over 350,000 people. In the first eight years of the 21st century alone, the city grew by 100,000 people.

Durham, established in 1853 as a railroad depot between Raleigh and Hillsborough, is home to Duke University and North Carolina Central University. It grew rapidly following the Civil War due to the tobacco industry. Two large tobacco companies, Bull Durham Tobacco Company, and Washington Duke and Sons Tobacco Company were based out of Durham. The city also became known for having a vibrant African-American community and was home to many black businesses, including North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company and Mechanics and Farmers Bank.

The city started to decline in the 1950s as manufacturing slowed down. However, with the establishment of RTP, the city began to rebuild and in the 1980s started to revitalize the downtown area. Durham’s population is currently over 200,000 people.

From the guide to the University Archives Photograph Collection, Raleigh (N.C.) and the Triangle Area, 1884-1997, (Special Collections Research Center)

The North Carolina Agricultural and Mechanical College (now NCSU) established the library during the first year of classes in 1889. Daniel Harvey Hill, Jr., a professor of English and bookkeeping, was named college librarian. The original library was located in Holladay Hall and was a single reading room. The early collection was dominated by Hill’s scholarly interests, the humanities and history, despite the fact the school’s curriculum had an agricultural and engineering focus.

In 1903, the library moved to the first floor of Pullen Hall, which has since been destroyed by a fire. In 1925, the library moved again, this time to its own building, D.H. Hill (now Brooks Hall). The building was dedicated on June 7, 1926. In 1934, William Porter Kellam became head librarian. During his tenure, he rearranged the library into departments by function: circulation, reference, ordering, cataloging, and periodicals. He also centralized the acquisition of books and periodical subscriptions, a function that had been distributed among academic departments.

In 1939, as the fiftieth anniversary of the college approached, materials on the institution’s history began to be collected in the library. This formed the basis of what later became the University Archives. In 1941, the Architecture Library opened as the first branch library. In 1968, it was renamed the Harrye B. Lyons Design Library. The second branch library to open was the Textiles Library in 1944. It was renamed the Burlington Textiles Library after Burlington Industries funded the library's expansion in 1954. In 1970 the School of Forest Resources Library opened in Biltmore Hall. It was later renamed the Natural Resources Library. The newest branch library is the Veterinary Medicine Library, which opened in 1981 when the School of Veterinary Medicine opened.

The new D.H. Hill Library (the east wing of the current library) opened in 1954 and formally dedicated on March 12, 1955. In 1971, the original eleven story bookstack tower was completed at D.H. Hill Library and dedicated on October 3, 1972. Following the completion of the stacks, they were opened to all users. Previously, there had only been closed bookstacks at the NCSU libraries. In 1975 the library began computerized cataloging of material. Retrospective conversion of the card catalog began the following year. In 1986, the library’s online catalog went live. It was originally called the Bibliographic Information System (BIS). The following year, the library staff stopped filing cards into the card catalog.

In 1990 the South Tower addition to D.H. Hill opened, adding bookstack space, a special facilities room, and the Class of 1989 Reading room. In 1994, the NCSU Libraries was selected by ARL as one of six “Research Libraries of the Future,” and in 2000 the libraries won the first ever “Excellence in Academic Libraries Award” in the university library category. This award was sponsored by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).

Since the new century began, NCSU Libraries have continued to be on forefront of library technology and innovation. In January 2006 the libraries implemented a new online catalog leveraging the advanced search and faceted navigation capabilities of the Endeca software platform. In 2007, a major renovation of the east wing of D.H. Library was completed, featuring the Learning Commons, the Conservatory, the Special Collections Reading Room, and the Exhibit Gallery.

From the guide to the University Archives Photograph Collection, North Carolina State University Libraries Photographs, 1941-2004, (Special Collections Research Center)

North Carolina State University was established in 1887 as the North Carolina College for Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. The College opened in 1889 with one building-the current Holladay Hall-six faculty, and courses in the agricultural and mechanical arts, adding a curriculum in applied science in 1893. By the turn of the century the College had grown to some half dozen buildings, about 300 students, and had begun to diversify its curricula. In 1917, the institution's name was changed to North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (State College). In 1931 the College greatly reworked its curricula as it underwent consolidation. Along with North Carolina College for Women and the University of North Carolina, it became a part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina. North Carolina State is now one of the constituent institutions of the multi-campus University of North Carolina system, having received university status, and, after some controversy, assumed its current name in 1965. As of 2007, N.C. State had a student body of nearly 30,000, nearly two thousand faculty, and research and program expenditures of over $440 million.

From the guide to the North Carolina State University, University Archives Reference Collection, General Records, 1862-2012, (Special Collections Research Center)

North Carolina State University was established in 1887 as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (A&M College). The College opened in 1889 with one building - the current Holladay Hall - six faculty, and courses in the agricultural and mechanical arts, adding a curriculum in applied science in 1893. By the turn of the century the College had grown to some half dozen buildings, about 300 students, and had begun to diversify its curricula. In 1917, the institution's name was changed to North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (State College). In 1931 the College greatly reworked its curricula as it underwent consolidation. Along with North Carolina College for Women and the University of North Carolina, it became a part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina,. North Carolina State is now one of the constituent institutions of the multi-campus University of North Carolina system, having received university status, and, after some controversy, assumed its current name in 1965. As of 2007, N.C. State had a student body of nearly 30,000, nearly two thousand faculty, and research and program expenditures of over $440 million.

From the guide to the North Carolina State University, University Archives Reference Collection, Institutional Histories, 1877-2012, (Special Collections Research Center)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf North Carolina State University, University Archives Reference Collection, General Records, 1862-2012 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf University Archives Photograph Collection, Raleigh (N.C.) and the Triangle Area, 1884-1997 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Kannapolis Oral Histories, 2008 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf University Archives Photograph Collection, People Photographs, 1890-1999 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Greenways Survey Records, 1999-2000 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Student Leaders Oral Histories, 2010-2012 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf North Carolina State University, University Archives Reference Collection, Institutional Histories, 1877-2012 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf International Greenways Resource Collection, 1991-2011 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf University Archives Photograph Collection, Postcards, 1900 - 1996 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Centennial Campus Oral Histories, 2006 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf North Carolina State University Alumni and Student Collection, 1889-2010 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf North Carolina State University, Libraries, Special Collections Research Center Records, 1940-2013 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf North Carolina State University, University Archives Reference Collection, Biographical Files, 1889-2012 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf North Carolina State University, University Archives Reference Collection, Student Research Projects, 1969 - 2007 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Oral Histories about Bertram Whittier Wells, 2007 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf University Archives Photograph Collection, North Carolina State University Libraries Photographs, 1941-2004 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf North Carolina State University, University Archives Reference Collection, University Buildings, Sites, Landmarks Files, 1888-2009 North Carolina State University. Special Collections Research Center
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Place Name Admin Code Country
Raleigh (N.C.)
Raleigh (N.C.)
Durham (N.C.)
Research Triangle Park (N.C.)
Kannapolis (N.C.)
North Carolina
Subject
Academic libraries
African Americans
African American students
Agricultural biotechnology
Architecture
City planning
City planning
College buildings
College campuses
Occupation
Activity

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