The University of North Carolina at Pembroke was established on 7 Mar. 1887 as Croatan Normal School by the General Assembly at the request of the Lumbee Indians and other Native Americans in the state. Its purpose was to train Native American public school teachers. The school enrolled 15 students in the first year. In 1911 the legislature renamed the school the Indian Normal School of Robeson County, then changed it in 1913 to the Cherokee Indian Normal School of Robeson County. This name remained until 1941, when it was changed to Pembroke State College. Until 1953 the school was the only state-supported, four-year college for Native Americans in the nation.
In 1969 the General Assembly granted the institution regional university status as Pembroke State University. Three years later it became part of the 16-campus University of North Carolina System. Effective 1 July 1996 the school officially became the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
