Page 10 Fayetteville State University Homecoming ‘96 Edition
XI. CfiesnuU, a>-jvimder
cmdlhistee
1{p6ert ^Hanis, co-founder andTrincipat
of the ^Hoivard Scfoof1865-77.
!First 9{prma[ Scfioo[^rinciva[1877-80
Jatfier ofCharLes W. Chesnutt
Cicero ^Harris
CO- Tounder of \
9(oward ScfiooL
'Bisfiop in
^^T,Zion
Cfiurch
founder of I
LizHtystom
Co[[ege
!J,C
Sndtfi
signed note
to-purcHase
Murcfdson
^adsite
(Dr. (P.9{. MeCcfior
signedrwteiopujdme
QemmlO.0. ^Hbzixm
THrectorof
J^reednjen's bureau
%
‘Bisflop James
Wal^!^od
^bert
Simmons
Trusteefor
^h[ozvard
ScfiooC
Thisteefor
0{ozvard
ScRooC
The ttilliams
family aad
#raduaUs of the
Itate lormal
Ichool in the
tBSD's; on the right
is ieorge 1-
IBilUams, Class of
1879 andfrlncipal
from 1888-1895.
Mpiuafd Ichool, 1867
i 1867 Seven visionary Black citizens of FayeUeviUe, North GaroUna pay $\40.00 for two lots
on Gillespie Street and form among themselves a self-perpetuating board of trustees to maintain
the property for the education of Black youth. The seven founders are David A. Biyant, Nelson
Carter, Andrew J. Chesnutt, George Grainger, Matthew Leary, Thomas Lomax and Robert
Simmons. Robert Harris is named the first principal of the Howard School.
1877 An act of the legislature provides
for the establishment of a teacher training
institution for Black North Carolinians. The
Howard School in Fayetteville is selected to
become the State Colored Normal School, and
thus becomes the second-oldest public
institution of higher education and the first
and oldest state-supported institution of its
kind in North Carolina.
1880 Charles W. Chesnutt is appointed
principal of the State Colored Normal School
upon the death of Robert Harris. After three
years in office, Chesnutt resigns to move to
Cleveland, Ohio where he passes the Ohio Bar
and begins a law practice. His literary career
begins in earnest in 1889 when The Conjure
Woman, a collection of his stories, is published.
It is followed, by The Life of Frederick Douglass, The House Behind the Cedars, and many other
novels and short stories. In 1928 he is awarded the coveted Springam Medal, at that time given
annually by the NAACP for distinguished
achievement.
I
draduating Class of t9D7
mm
1883 Dr. Ezekiel Ezra Smith, 31 years of
age and a graduate of Shaw Collegiate Institute
in Raleigh, is appointed principal upon the
resignation of Charles W. Chesnutt.
1888 President Grover Cleveland appoints
Dr. E.E. Smith as minister resident and consul
general of the Unfted States to Liberia, in which
capacity he serves for two years. George H.
Williams assumes the duties of principal of the
State Colored Normal School.
1898 Dr. Smith obtains a leave of absence
for the purpose of serving as regimental adjutant
of the Third North Carolina Volunteer Infanti^
during the Spanish-American War. During his
absence his work is carrield on by the Reverend
L.E. Fairly. Dr. Smith returns to his duties in
1899. During Dr. Smith’s long and
distinguished tenure, the institution moves to its permanent site on Murchison Road in 1907.
Later, Dr. Smith and his wife deed additional land to the state to bring the institution’s holdings to
92 acres. The campus grows to eight buildings and several cottages. All high school work is
discontinued in 1929 and the title of principal is changed to president. Dr. E.E. Smith retires on
June 30, 1933 and is elected president emeritus.
1933 Dr. J. Ward Seabrook is elected president. Under his leadership the institution becomes
a four-year college, is renamed Fayetteville State Teachers College in 1939, and earns both state
and regional accreditation. Dr. Seabrook retires in 1956 and is elected president emeritus.
1956 Dr. Rudolph Jones succeeds Dr. Seabrook as president. Advances made during his
tenure include the revision of the charter in 1959 authorizing the expansion of the curriculum to
include programs leading to degrees outside the teaching field; adoption of the name Fayetteville
State College in 1963; and significant additions to the physical plant to accommodate growing
enrollment. Dr. Jones retires and is elected president emeritus in 1969.
1969 Dr. Charles “A” Lyons Jr., becomes president, the college is named Fayetteville State
University, and it is designated a regional university by an act of the legislature. Dr. Lyons
(becomes the first chancellor when Fayetteville State University is made a constituent institution of
the University of North Carolina by legislative act in 1972.
The University develops into a
comprehensive level I institution
offering a variety of baccalaureate
and master’s degree programs,
and the continuing education
program and the Ft. Bragg -
Pope APB Education Center are
established. Dr. Lyons retires in
1987.
1988 Dr. Lloyd V. Hackley. is
named the eighth chief executive
officer of the University.
He actively pursues initiatives to
further expand program
offerings and improve the campus
environment in response to the needs and interests of students and the community. FSU
master’s level program offerings expand to 15; FSU’s first doctoral program in educational
leadership is established; and baccalaureate program offerings increase to 36 disciplines in the
arts and sciences, business and economics,
and education. The addition of the $6.3
million ultra-modern Business and
Economics Building, the new $10.9 million
Health and Physical Education Building,
and over $6 million in residence hall
renovations underscores Dr. Hackley’s
commitment to FSU’s continued growth.
He also strengthens FSU’s outreach to at-
risk children in the public schools,
establishing scholarship and tutoring/
mentoring programs to encourage more
young people to aspire to academic
excellence and a college education. FSU’s
first major public capital campaign is
completed during Dr. Hackley’s tenure, and
enables FSU to increase the number of
privately funded scholarships available to
students. On December 31, 1994, Dr.
Hackley leaves his post at FSU to become president of the North Carolina Department of
Community Colleges, the first African-American to lead the state’s 59 community colleges.
Dr. Donna J. Benson, associate vice president for academic affairs of the University of
North Carolina, assumes the helm of
Fayetteville State University on January 1,
1995 as interim chancellor and serves until
November 14, 1995.
1995 Dr. Willis B. McLeod, FSU Class of
1964, is elected as the ninth leader and first
alumnus chancellor of FSU by the University
of North Carolina Board of Governors
effective November 15, 1995. Dr. McLeod’s
major initiatives include a new “Freshman
Year Initiative, or “F.Y.I.” program designed
to enhance students’ educational outcomes;
new outreach efforts aimed at strengthening
community ties and involving the community
in university life; campus improvements such
as expansion of the Rudolph Jones Student
Center and planning for a new $12 million
Fine Arts Building; and forming a regional
partnership of public school, community
college and university leaders to focus on enhancing the educational pipeline from preschool
to postgraduate studies.
Copking Class taught by Mrs.
I.l. l^illiams, 19D2.
Br. fflcleod addresses audience at
Instailatioti in nei0 felton J. Capel Irena.
- ■ ..
Byeock Building, the first brick building
on campus, built in t90B.
faculty of 1927
rouf, seated: Br.J.B.
leabrook, second from
left; Ir. I.l. .^mith in the
center uiith u^ife lannie I.
^mithtohis right and |rof.
iunnie R. Bryant on the
far right for ufhom Bryant
Hall is named.