Department of Foreign Lanuages and Literatures

Historical State Timelines
Department of Foreign Lanuages and Literatures

1890s

1896 First foreign language courses

1900s

1902 Department of Modern Languages established

1920s

1925 Department of Modern Languages renamed

The Department of Modern Languages is renamed the Department of Modern Languages and Translation Services

1940s

1942 Women faculty increases

Three women join the faculty at NC State. Ruth Couch Allen and Louise K. Cell become instructors in English, and Ruth Badger Hall becomes an instructor in Modern Languages.

Mrs. Ruth B. Hall portraitMrs. Ruth B. Hall portrait
1945 Department of Modern Languages

The Department of Modern Languages and Translation Services is renamed the Department of Modern Languages.

1949 Female faculty increases

Twenty-two women are listed on the faculty, most at the instructor or laboratory technician level. Departments with more than one female member include English (six), Statistics (three), Textiles (three), and Modern Languages (two). Women are also on the faculty in Architecture, Agricultural Economics, Mathematics, Physics, Social Studies, Chemistry, Engineering, Research, and Agronomy.

1950s

10/20/1953 Russian course

The Extension Division of NC State College begins offering a night class in Elementary Russian.

Students learning Russian languageStudents learning Russian language

1960s

1965 First Summer Institute for International Students offered

1970s

1978 Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures

The Department of Modern Languages is renamed the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

2000s

2002 Foreign Languages and Literature History

Dudley Marchi wrote Brief History of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at North Carolina State University. A version of this history exists on the departmental website.

2010s

2016 First Asian-American Culture and Literature Course

NC State University offers its's first Asian-American culture and literature course (FL 394) in Spring 2016. The class was taught by Nathaniel Isaacson from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Former assistant director of the GLBT Center, Nathan Nguyen, contacted Isaacson to develop this course due to increasing student interest.