University Of Nc At Wilmington history

1949: Fourteen students received their diplomas during the first Wilmington College graduation ceremony.

In 1958, Wilmington College was placed under the Community College Act of North Carolina, passing control from the New Hanover County Board of Education to a board of trustees as a state-supported college under the supervision of the North Carolina Board of Higher Education.

1961 – Civil rights activist and local physician Hubert A. Eaton enters into a handshake agreement with then Wilmington College President John Hoggard to integrate the college the following year.

In 1962, Marshall Collins and Ernest Fullwood become the first Black students to enroll.

Wilmington College became a four-year liberal arts college on July 1, 1963, when the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation allowing the school to award bachelor's degrees.

1966-67 – Ernest Fullwood, who would become senior resident Superior Court judge, is the first Black student to graduate from Wilmington College on June 12, 1966.

Lela Pierce Thompson becomes the first Black female graduate on July 11, 1967.

On August 22, 1977, UNCW was authorized to offer its first graduate programs at the master's level.

1979 - The university reorganized into the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business Administration and the School of Education.

1980 - UNCW opened the Graduate School.

1981 – Doctor Hubert A. Eaton becomes the first Black chairman of the UNCW Board of Trustees.

1983 – The Office of Minority Affairs is founded under the leadership of Ralph Parker, its first director.

Planning for the facility began in 1990.

1992 - UNCW received its first patent, for a streamlined bacterial test developed by biology and marine biology professor Ronald Sizemore and Jerra Caldwell ’86.

1995 - The UNCW Onslow Extension Site, now known as UNCW@Onslow, was established as a partnership involving UNCW, Coastal Carolina Community College, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and the Onslow County Public School System.

The 50-foot clock tower was dedicated and sounded for the first time at the senior celebration on May 12, 2000.

2002 - UNCW established its first doctoral program, marine biology.

2005 - Centro Hispano opens to serve UNCW’s growing Latino and Hispanic student population.

2006 - The first Ph.D. in marine biology was awarded.

In 2009, the Student Government Association unveiled the “Teal Declaration” to officially recognize teal as the university’s primary color. “Teal Tuesday” has since become a tradition on campus when students, faculty and staff proudly display their school color.

2010 - The College of Health and Human Services opened in what is now McNeill Hall.

“UNC Wilmington History and Traditions.” University of North Carolina at Wilmington website. http://uncw.edu/aboutuncw/aboutHistory.html, (accessed January 31, 2012).

2013 - The 69,000-square-foot interdisciplinary MARBIONC research facility opened its doors at UNCW’s Myrtle Grove campus.

2016 - North Carolina voters supported the $2 billion NC Connect bond issue, which included $66 million for a new allied health building at UNCW, to be named Veterans Hall.

2017-18 - With UNCW enrollment approaching 17,000, the university celebrated its 70th anniversary year.

2018 – UNCW was elevated to the category “Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity” in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

In 2020, the office was renamed the Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA Resource Office, in honor of a major gift commitment from alumnus John Scholz ’84 and his spouse, Doctor Anil Mohin.

Doctor Jennifer Le Zotte was a guest on BYUradios's Top of Mind to discuss thrift reselling (May 12, 2021)