Student Life

Jose Fabio Santo Trigo of Cuba became the first international student to enroll at A&M College.

Military science and tactics were first taught at NC State. Students, all men at this time, were designated cadets and required to attend drill.

A chapter of Sigma Nu was created as the first fraternity established at NC State.

A majority of students chose red and white as colors for the sports teams. The colors changed a couple different times during the early years of the college. The faculty agreed to the adoption of red and white and stated that they could not be changed again without a vote of two-thirds of the student body. The colors have remained the same since.

The Thalerian German Club hosted its first dance in old Pullen Hall.

The bachelor instructors of the college hosted a Halloween party in the Pullen Hall auditorium.

In fall of 1901, a small number of students formed the Biological Club to further promote their interests in the topic.

Professor Massey and his wife hosted a Valentine's party for the agricultural students.

The infirmary at St. Mary's College caught fire and A&M students rushed over to help put it out.

The A&M College Dramatic Club presented the play, "She Stoops to Conquer."

Freshman were required to wear a red cap with a white "F" while on campus to distinguish their status as underclassmen.

The monogram showing the letter "S" in block style with the letters "N" and "C" nestled within the spaces first appeared in the Agromeck.

The first issue of the Technician, the student newspaper, was published.

The Technician was mailed by the Registrar's office to 100 high schools across North Carolina to inform students about activities at NC State.

The Athletics Council made a decision to award sweaters to athletes who receive monograms ("letters") for their athletic accomplishments. The first letter sweaters appeared on campus shortly thereafter.

After a slight decline since 1918, enrollment at State College increased to 1,000 students.

In fall 1921, student government, formally known as student council, was established to handle student conduct issues.

The cornerstone was laid for the Memorial Bell Tower, a monument to honor State College alumni who were killed during World War I.

Student council required all first-year students to wear freshman caps on campus, citing a need to boost school spirit and reduce hazing. The Court of Customs, a branch of student council, punished students who did not comply. Freshmen started a tradition by burning their caps before spring final exams.

The Gymnacrobatic Club was founded to put on "startling exhibitions" such as walking on telephone lines.

The Technician began a beauty contest to find the prettiest girl in Raleigh and the most handsome boy at State College.

Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company installed the first telephone exchange at State College.

The State College Apple Judging Team won third place at the Intercollegiate Apple Judging Contest in Atlantic City, NJ.

Class of 1923 alumni Alvin M. Fountain and Bonnie Frank Norris composed the Alma Mater song. They were both in the university's ROTC program. The alma mater used more recently was an abridged version, arranged by former music department chair Dr. Robert A. Barnes in the early 1960s.

The new cafeteria opened in the old Pullen Hall. Students could receive a month of meals for $25.

The Agriculture Club of State College hosted a "Barn-warming" for visiting farmers at Thompson Gym.

The State College Poultry Judging Team competed for the tenth consecutive year at the National Inter-Collegiate Poultry Judging Contest at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

A professor and six students from the economic geology class took a field trip to Carolina Coal Mine and became trapped in the mine for four hours.

The Athletics Committee created academic guidelines and declared students must maintain a passing grade of 60% in their classes to play in collegiate athletic events.

Jane S. McKimmon became the first woman inducted into NC State's chapter of Phi Kappa Phi.

The Southern Bell Telephone Company removed the free telephone from the campus YMCA and replaced it with a pay phone. This was in response to students abusing use of the free phone for "social visits."

Students in the Agronomy 135 course, Farm Terracing, spent the day outside doing lab work, including surveying the land in preparation for planning tile drains.

The first degrees were conferred to women at NC State. The recipients were Jane McKimmon, BS in business administration; Charlotte Nelson, BS in education; and Mary Elizabeth Yarbrough, MS in chemistry. Yarbrough was the first woman to graduate who completed all coursework while at NC State, and she was the first woman to earn a master's degree at NC State.

The marching band began to wear red and white uniforms when performing at athletic events.

An aviator was forced to make an emergency landing in a field west of Thompson Gymnasium after being unable to locate the airport. State college offered him use of the woodshop to make repairs to the airplane.

During the 1929-1930 academic year, "senior blazers" were worn for the first time and required a $2 deposit prior to purchase.

The Court of Customs sentenced a freshman football player to wear a dress for every day he didn't wear his freshman cap. The incident set off a wave of protests from the freshman class and a campus-wide debate over continuance of the freshman cap custom.

Nearly 1,000 students, or about half the student body, voted on retaining the freshman cap custom. By 15 votes, they elected to keep the caps. Freshmen accepted the decision and continued to wear the caps throughout the spring 1930 semester.

Phi Epsilon was the first local sorority established at State College.

The first telephones were installed in the dormitories. Previously, telephones were only available for student use in the YMCA building.

Quiet Hour went into effect in all dormitories beginning at 8pm.

Students returned to campus to learn that the freshman cap custom was abolished by the Board of Trustees at the June 1930 meeting. Though they no longer wore the caps, freshmen were still required to carry matches to light upperclassmen's cigarettes.

The Order of Thirty and Three was founded by members of the sophomore class. There were 11 charter members.

Presidential candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt made a campaign stop in Raleigh. State College suspended classes for the day so that students may attend the speech.

A system of allowing students to work as janitors in the dorms to cover some of their expenses was instituted.

An announcement was made inviting students to be employed on Civil Works Administration (CWA) projects to improve the campus.

The women's student government first appeared as an organization in the university handbook and Agromeck. Christine Shepherd was the president.

The senior class passed a resolution that faculty who participated in commencement exercises must wear caps and gowns.

A faculty vote officially abolished the honor system at State College, so teachers were required to remain in the classroom during all quizzes and exams.

After a power outage caused lights in the 1911 Dormitory to go off, students built a fire in front of the building to provide light inside. The Raleigh Fire Department sent two trucks to extinguish the blaze, and organized student cheering sections encouraged the firemen while they worked.

The faculty denied a proposal to exempt the senior class from all examinations.

A combined army of the Fifth and Sixth Dorms battled South Dormitory to a draw in a snowball fight. The Fifth-Sixth army was particularly efficient at throwing snowballs through open windows in South Dormitory.

Jimmy Dorsey's orchestra performed at a dance sponsored by the Interfraternity Council.

The Raleigh Junior Chamber of Commerce distributed free tickets to NC State's Homecoming football game against Furman by releasing balloons with instructions for the finders on how to claim their free tickets.

Chinese delegates addressed State College students and Raleigh citizens in an event sponsored by the YMCA and YWCA.

The student body gathered in Thompson Gymnasium to protest proposed tuition fee increases. The increases were $85 to $125 for North Carolina residents and $180 to $225 for out-of-state students.

The Student Welfare Committee approved a plan that allowed juniors and seniors with a "B" cumulative grade point average to have ten unexcused absences per term and twenty per year. No more than sixty unexcused absences were permitted during their four-year academic careers.

Freshman and sophomores battled in the annual Pushball contest, consisting of pushing a ball 6 feet in diameter and weighing 75 pounds into the opponent's goal.

"College Days," a film starring Art Rooney and Carolyn Tucker, premiered and portrayed typical events in an NC State student's life.

The Technician produced a special 58-page edition to commemorate NC State's 50th anniversary.

The first annual High School Day brought 6,000 seniors to visit NC State's campus. Many stayed to attend the State-Duquesne football game.

Dr. Campbell completed 20 years of service to NC State as the college doctor.

Fred Waring, prominent national band leader, agreed to write a new fight song for NC State. He aired it during his March 8, 1940, radio program.

State College's first work study program began for engineering students with approximately 20 students employed.

In 1941, twenty women were enrolled at State College alongside 2,406 men.

Students learned that State College acquired the bell and bronze tablet in the Memorial Bell Tower from the U.S. cruiser Charlotte, which was a ship that fought for the navy in WWI and was retired after 17 years of service on November 11, 1935. The bell was rung once when a group of students celebrating a basketball defeat over UNC broke into the tower and rang the bell.

The faculty approved a plan to allow seniors who were taking jobs in essential industries or joining the military to graduate early.

The faculty approved a plan to hold fall engineering classes in the summer as part of a nationwide war effort to accelerate graduation at technical schools.

Urgent appeals were made to increase women enrollment numbers in engineering courses as male students left to fight in World War II.

Students gathered over 150,000 pounds of scrap metal in 3 hours for the war effort. A banner over the collection pile read "To Hitler & Co. from NC State College."

La Casa Latino Americana was formed by student Leonardo Valderrama of Peru and Dr. Sanford Winston of NC State's sociology department. The club aimed to "form friendly relations among the Americas" and was open to any interested Raleigh residents.

Plans were announced for up to 2,000 military trainees to enroll at State College and take specialized defense classes through the U.S. War Department. The college operated as two separate units: one for the military and one civilians.

Enrollment hit the lowest mark in 20 years due to the number of students leaving to join the military.

Eighteen women won a fellowship award of $1,425 from Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, which offered to employ them as engineering aides after completing a 48-week course offered by State College.

Over 5,000 NC State alumni reported to be in the armed services, six of whom obtained the rank of general.

WNCS, the campus radio station, began broadcasting three nights a week.

Fifty-eight women were enrolled at NC State, many taking advantage of special scholarships to provide engineering training to women so they could work in industry during World War II.

A Comic Strip Banquet, addressing the creation and impact of comic strips, was held in the private dining room of the cafeteria.

The 1945 Agromeck was printed and released late due to wartime restrictions.

The whistle indicated class changes and mealtimes, and it was also used to warn students of campus fires.

More than 75 trailers, forming what was known as the "City of Trailers" or "Trailwood," were constructed. These structures were built so married World War II veterans and their families could attend NC State on the GI Bill. In 1949, Trailwood was relocated, and Williams Hall was built in its place.

A football game against Duke was the first appearance of the marching band following the conclusion of World War II.

The campus radio station WNCS began broadcasting campus-wide Monday through Friday from 7:30pm and 11:30pm.

Drummer Lois Madden became one of the first women to join the NC State marching band.

The influx of World War II veterans, who attended NC State on the GI Bill, caused student enrollment to more than double from pre-war numbers.

The men's basketball team forfeited a game against UNC after a Raleigh fire chief declared that the Thompson Gymnasium was too crowded and students refuse to leave the building.

Vetville opened as another location to house married veterans attending NC State after World War II. Later, Korean War veterans lived there. At the end of the 1950s, Bragaw dormitory was built on the site.

Four new intramural sports began at NC State: football, volleyball, boxing, and tennis.

The Agromeck announced it was adding a Beauty Section to "offer the average Joe College a chance to show his beauty-getting ability." Men were asked to send in snapshots of their girlfriends to be judged, and the top 10 would appear in the yearbook.

A pyrotechnic display consisting of sparklers spelling out "Beat Wake Forest" was planned for the day's pep rally.

President Truman reviewed techniques of State College ROTC cadets during a parade. Crowds gathered on Hillsborough Street to see the president pass by.

More than 1,000 students graduated from State College for the first time.

Head Cheerleader Scott Eubanks organized the Pep Club, a group designed to improve school spirit and increase participation at pep rallies and games.

A banquet ended the first annual Greek Week sponsored by the Inter-Fraternity Council.

The Coca-Cola Company threatened to remove their machines from campus if students didn't start returning empty bottles to the racks instead of discarding them around campus.

The Consolidated University of North Carolina declared that African American students were eligible for admission into graduate programs.

State College Debate Team members all won votes for national individual ranking during a competition at Columbia University.

In spring 1951, the College Union organization was assembled to plan for the following academic year. This group was comprised of the Board of Directors (later called the Student Centers Board of Directors) and a Board of Chairman (later called the Union Activities Board).

Betty Ann Cline became the first woman editor of the Agromeck.

State College admitted two African American graduate students into the School of Engineering: Robert Clemons and Hardy Liston. Clemons became the college's first black graduate. Liston withdrew and didn't complete his degree.

The Board of Trustees agreed to transition the academic calendar from a quarter system to a semester system by a vote of 46-28. NC State switched over in the fall semester of 1953.

A popular myth that there was a "high academic mortality rate" for School of Design students was debunked by the Technician. Of the 629 students enrolled in the School of Design, only 12 received flunking grades at a 2% mortality rate. This was much less than the rumored rate of 10%.

The Sailing Club was one of NC State's oldest club organizations originally founded in 1954.

The College Union Building was officially opened. The building later became the Erdahl-Cloyd Wing of the D. H. Hill Jr. Library in the 1970s. It was built by T.A. Loving and Co.

When the College Union opened, the Hobby Shop on the second floor offered workshops and demonstrations on ceramics, woodworking, metalworking, poster-making, and other crafts. The Hobby Shop later became the Craft Shop.

In Frazier v. the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina, the court determined that undergraduate colleges and universities should be open to African Americans.

Dr. Arthur Kelman, professor of plant pathology, received an award after being voted the most outstanding professor in the School of Agriculture at the first annual Agronomy Club Banquet.

The first four African American undergraduates enrolled at North Carolina State College: Ed Carson (electrical engineering), and Manuel Crockett (electrical engineering) enrolled in summer. Irwin Holmes (electrical engineering), and Walter Holmes (mechanical engineering, aerospace option) enrolled in fall.

Jim Stewart, former president of the YMCA, was the first person to get married in State College's Danforth Chapel.

The Technician began printing multiple issues each week for the first time.

Robert Clemons received a professional degree in electrical engineering (PREE) and became the first African American to graduate from NC State.

Influential jazz figure Louis Armstrong performed at Reynolds Coliseum.

The 1957 president-elect for student government failed to meet academic requirements to return to campus and take office. Vice-president elect, Jim Hunt, became student body president for the year. Hunt served as president again the following year. He later became governor of North Carolina.

A newly-established scholarship and student award honored the first student enrolled at State, W. J. Matthews. The award was known as the Matthews Medal.

The campus radio station changed its call letters from WVWP to WKNC.

Construction of Bragaw Hall began to draw attention. The "new modernistic dormitory" was a "familiar landmark on the campus."

According to data collected by the College Traffic Committee, there were approximately 5,600 cars on campus and only 4,070 parking spaces. The committee conducted a study of the parking problem and recommended the construction of new parking areas and special zones for university personnel.

The April Fool's Day edition of the Technician proclaimed that the College Union building was destroyed by fire. The front page included headlines about dropping the ROTC program and introducing home economics courses into the curriculum.

In an unprecedented landslide, Jim Hunt was elected to a second term as student body president. Hunt would go on to be a four-term governor of North Carolina.

Bragaw Hall was dedicated to Henry Churchill Bragaw, a well-known NC State alumnus who died during World War II. Bragaw was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star for his heroic actions during the war.

Fire damaged a half-block of buildings across from the NC State campus along Hillsborough and Horne Streets.

The Gamma Phi chapter of the Sigma Kappa sorority was established. This was the first active chapter of a national sorority at NC State. They held their first pledge dance at the Carolina Hotel on March 14, 1960.

Student government passed a resolution calling for racial integration of public facilities in Raleigh and formed the Human Relations Committee to write letters to area merchants. This movement was followed by a similar resolution from Faculty Senate.

Named for former chancellor John William Harrelson, Harrelson Hall opened to the public for the first time as part of the School of Agriculture's Open House. At the time, the building seated 3,429 people.

A Mercury space capsule, on loan from NASA, was one of the exhibits displayed at the annual Engineers' Fair.

171 students waited in line in front of the Student Housing Office to get rooms in Bragaw Hall for the following year.

Students discovered that the correct pronunciation of Syme Dormitory is "sim." Over half of the students surveyed thought the pronunciation was "sime." The dorm was named after George Frederick Syme, a civil engineer who served as the first president of the Raleigh Engineers Club.

Governor Sanford was booed after an NC State-Wake Forest basketball game in Reynolds Coliseum by students protesting the possible name change of the college from North Carolina State College to the University of North Carolina at Raleigh.

Cora Kemp was appointed the first woman editor of the Technician.

Two NC State students challenged UNC students to a 55-mile walk-a-thon. If accepted, the students planned to leave at 2pm on March 2nd and hike throughout the night to the agreed location. The winning team must have the most walkers present throughout the race and complete it in under 20 hours.

A pig which escaped from the Animal Disease Lab was captured in the ladies' restroom in Winston Hall.

A group of NC State students joined with students from Shaw University to protest racial segregation policies in effect at the State Theater on Salisbury Street.

The Craft Shop outgrew its facilities in the College Union and moved its operation to the Frank Thompson Gym, which became Frank Thompson Theatre.

A Technician article cited the recent discontinuation of cigarette ads placed in university publications, a result of efforts to reduce exposure of young persons to cigarettes.

All chemistry lab students were required to wear protective eyewear, as voted on by the chemistry department, regardless of whether that student wore glasses.

The new head of the physics department, Dr. Dudley Williams, warned students that sleeping in class merited a piece of chalk being thrown directly at them.

Jazz saxophonist Stan Getz performed at Reynolds Coliseum.

Campus Pride Week was created in an effort to urge students to walk on the sidewalks through campus and not on the grass. Some students were caught ignoring these efforts put forth by student government.

Fraternity Court opened with new buildings to house Greek organizations on campus.

Mary Ann Weathers became the first woman elected to the Honor Code Board for students.

The inaugural issue of the Windhover, NC State's annual literary and art magazine, was released.

Dorm '62 was dedicated and opened to residents for the first time. The building was renamed Lee Dormitory the following year.

Two women engineering students from NC State attended a conference at MIT that discussed the opportunities and difficulties facing women in science and engineering.

Faculty Senate voted to abolish compulsory ROTC. Prior to this date, all male students were required to take military training.

The Rolling Stones performed at Reynolds Coliseum and were joined by Patti LaBelle for the show.

When Raleigh landlords refused to rent to African American students, student leaders formed Direct Action for Racial Equality (DARE) to advocate for equal housing opportunities for African American students.

Milton Bliss organized "State Men." This was a versatile group that could sing acapella, be accompanied by a piano or guitar, and sing classical or semiclassical music. "State Men" was changed to "Grains of Time" in 1968.

NC State student Wayne Mayfield was chosen as the most outstanding cadet of the AFROTC Field Training Unit at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

70 NC State students took 70 children from the Governor Morehead School and Garner Road School, both schools for the blind, trick-or-treating, and then to the YMCA for hot chocolate afterward. For many of these children, this was their first chance to participate in Halloween traditions.

D. H. Hill Jr. Library extended the closing hour from 11pm to 1am.

After thefts of valuable volumes, a security system was installed in the D. H. Hill Jr. Library, and all doors were locked after service hours.

The Apollo VIII spacecraft launched and became the first human spaceflight mission to escape Earth's gravitational field. Many NC State alumni and faculty played a role in both the development and launch of the spacecraft.

Eric Moore became the first African American student senate president.

Twenty-six NC State alumni, all employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), played a key role in the voyage of the Apollo 11 space mission, which was successful in placing the first men on the moon.

A group of students held a rally to support better wages and working conditions for physical plant workers on campus. The protest was organized by the Society of Afro-American Culture and an offshoot of Students for a Democratic Society known as "The Group."

David Mark Brown became one of 22 semi-finalists competing for the position of Homecoming Queen. Sponsored by Kappa Alpha fraternity, Brown ran to promote higher campus interest in Homecoming.

Student government passed a bill stating that students may place referendums on Student Senate election ballots by collecting signatures of at least 5% of the student body in favor of the referendum.

Students formed NC State's first African American Cultural Center, which was given space in the YMCA building.

NC State students held a convocation on the Brickyard in the aftermath of U.S. expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia, and the death of four Kent State University students in Ohio. The following day, nearly 6,000 students from NC State and other colleges protested by marching on the State Capitol.

Augustus M. Witherspoon became the second African American to earn a PhD at NC State. He received a PhD in botany and was the first African American to receive a doctoral degree from NC State and then join the faculty.

The Eta Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha was chartered. Its early history was summarized and seven founding members were listed in a 1975 Technician article

The Division of Student Affairs hired an African American counselor, made financial aid available to African American students, and encouraged the development of African American cultural programs.

A group of students donated over 3,000 books to Raleigh Central Prison. The drive was organized to collect books to provide prisoners with study materials for high school equivalency tests.

Harris Cafeteria offered new $0.99 dinners and $0.89 breakfasts, each of which included an entree, vegetables, rolls, pieces of oleo, and a beverage.

Consolidated University of North Carolina President William C. Friday announced that NC State may need to put a cap on enrollment unless more funding could be appropriated.

The Technician received its third consecutive "All-American" rating from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP).

The first annual Pan Afrikan Festival began and continued until April 2, 1971. The festival featured lectures by C. T. Vivian and other speakers as well as musical performances.

A snowstorm hit NC State and buried the campus in snow drifts.

Technician editors explained what nematodes were, ending a 2-month series of nematode jokes that ran in the paper.

The Inter-Residence Council approved the construction of cooking spaces in all dorms, hoping to alleviate problems with students cooking illegally in their dorm rooms.

Jane Carol Pickard was the first woman honored for graduating with the highest grade point average. Every year at commencement, NC State honored the student graduating with this achievement.

Free beer was offered during the first annual Student Government Coffee House party with no reported incidents.

NC State published "In a Black Perspective." This pamphlet totaled the university's black community at nine professors and 222 students (out of a total 13,809). The publication listed courses focusing on black history and culture: two in political Science and one on race relations in sociology.

The UNC System was created with NC State as one of the constituent campuses. A Board of Governors was established at the system level, and a new Board of Trustees was instituted at NC State to oversee matters specific to the university.

Delta Sigma Theta was chartered as the first African American sorority chapter on campus. In 1975, the Mu Omicron chapter gained enough members to be officially recognized by the national Delta Sigma Theta organization.

Dean of Student Affairs Banks Talley was issued parking sticker A0007. When asked if he had any connection to James Bond (Agent 007), Talley replied that he was not a spy, although many students believed his office had spies everywhere.

The Technician was named the best newspaper in the southeast during the 8th annual Southeastern College Newspaper Competition.

The NC State Forestry Team took home the championship at the annual Conclave, an event based around forestry skills such as logging, timer estimation, sawing, and log rolling.

The college radio station WKNC announced it will go off the air for the remainder of the school year due to an air conditioner failure in the studio.

Over 1,000 students marched down Hillsborough Street from campus to the State Capitol to protest the Vietnam War. The students staged a rally on the capitol steps in response to the U.S. bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong in North Vietnam.

The Talley Student Center opened in June 1972 (shown here before the installation of the fountain and courtyard). It replaced the Erdahl-Cloyd building, now the west wing of D.H. Hill Jr. Library, as the campus student center.

A fire originating from a fan caused $2,500 in damage to Bowen Residence Hall. The room the fire originated from was unusable for the rest of the semester.

A massive student housing shortage left 260 students without housing as classes began.

A fundraiser was held on campus selling off men to the service of women for one day, and raising $175 for the Morehead School of the Blind.

Nannette Smith Henderson was the first African American woman awarded a PhD at NC State with a degree in plant pathology.

Kathy Bounds, Deb Webb, and Genie Jordan organized a basketball club for women.

The two buildings were dedicated during a ceremony at which the NC State University Symphony Orchestra and Choir presented a concert. The 816-seat theater opened during the fall 1972 semester. It was named for James Jackson Stewart Jr., who was dean of Student Affairs from 1954 to 1969.

The controversial film "Birth of a Nation" was shown in Stewart Theatre.

An International Fair was held in the Student Center and introduced students to cultures and customs from around the world.

Student body presidents from NC State, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC-Greensboro published a joint statement urging the impeachment of President Nixon. The statement included 12 reasons why the proceedings should begin.

In 1974, African American students called for a new cultural center. Student body president Terry Carroll presented a four-point request to Chancellor Caldwell, which included a request for the first floor of the Print Shop to be turned over to the Society of Afro-American Culture for an African American Cultural Center. Banks C. Talley, dean of Student Affairs, complied with this request.

NC State's campus was plunged into a complete power failure for an hour and forty minutes, starting at 11:10pm. The failure was caused by faulty equipment.

University administration reversed their stance on streaking and banned the "sport" on campus due to the very high number of streakers running around campus.

The Craft Shop in the basement of the Frank Thompson Theatre was listed as the Craft Center in university directories.

A group of students formed the New Horizons Choir to sing gospel music. Eleania B. Ward was the group's original director. For a number of years, New Horizons sang services for the Black Student Fellowship.

According to data from the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, NC State had 54 enrolled students who identified as Asian out of a student body of 16,903. The data did not distinguish U.S. nationals or international students within the Asian enrollment data.

Laundry detergent was dumped into the Student Center fountain, causing a mass of bubbles and a great deal of work for the maintenance crew.

Gay and lesbian students at NC State celebrated National Gay Blue Jeans Day. Signs in the Free Expression Tunnel advertising the event were defaced.

Student government's "The Day" and the Inter-Residence Council's "Zoo Day" were combined (retaining the latter name), as a day for students to relax and take a break from the pressures of the end of the academic year. Zoo Day was held along Cates Avenue, offering a day of free beer, field games, and concerts.

Worth T. Blackwood retired after twenty years as Security Chief at NC State. During Blackwood's tenure, the security force grew from seven to twenty-two officers.

This was due to the success of Grains of Time and to provide the women's chorus the same musical education as the men in Grains of Time.

A ceremony marked the beginning of the new Wolfline bus service on campus. The service initially included only one route and was intended to serve students who lived off-campus.

First-year head football coach Monte Kiffin arrived at the first pep rally of the season in a helicopter.

A van called the "Meal Mobile" began dispensing food around campus. The mobile snackbar was run by Food Services.

WKNC broadcasted silence for ten minutes as a tribute to John Lennon who was murdered the previous week.

Mr. Wolf and Ms. Wolf were married in a mock wedding ceremony by the Wake Forest Demon Deacon mascot during halftime of a Men's Basketball game at Reynolds Coliseum. The two were joined in "canis matrimonium," and Chancellor Joab Thomas gave the bride away.

Iranian students protested the execution of 50 people by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The students asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing their rights in Iran.

Chancellor Bruce Poulton instituted the first annual Brotherhood Dinner to honor African Americans who made important contributions to the nation and the world. The annual dinner continued for more than 25 years, and honorees included John Hope Franklin, Gwendolyn Brooks, C. T. Vivian, Julian Bond, and John Lewis. In 1978, there may have been an earlier brotherhood dinner honoring Samual Nesbritt.

Approximately 8,000 women were enrolled in a student body of 22,632. More than one third of the undergraduates were women, which at the time was the highest percentage of women enrolled at NC State.

The air conditioning system in Harrelson Hall broke down, sending temperatures in some classrooms up to 90°F.

The Union Activities Board began offering a class on windsurfing.

Technician entertainment writer Lee Johnson was unable to interview rock band Hüsker Dü following their show at the Brewery because his tape recorder was damaged during the show.

In the fall of 1986, women made up 38% of the student body, which was at the time was the highest percentage of women enrolled at NC State.

Kevin Howell was the first African American to serve as student body president from 1987 to 1988. He was a political science major. After graduation, he was hired as the university's primary liaison with state and local governments.

Student Government organized a march to protest NC State's financial involvement in South Africa. The anti-apartheid march began outside the African American Cultural Center and ended at the Memorial Tower. Approximately 75 students participated in the march.

African American student leaders gathered at the Student Center to discuss campus issues. The low graduation rate for African American students, the lack of African American faculty members and athletic administrators, and the discriminatory discipline practices within the athletics department were problems cited by leaders during this meeting.

The first Friends of the Library (FOL) booksale was held in 1988. Proceeds from the sale went to supporting the formal preservation program for the Libraries' collection.

The NC State College Bowl Team competed in the "Varsity Sport of the Mind," and won the national championship.

NC State's first annual "Take Back the Night" march and rally was held to protest violence against women.

The Women's Studies program was established with Barbara Risman as the first director.

The Women's Resource Coalition was established from the Women Students Advisory Board, which was organized in the fall of 1988.

Enrollment of African American students passed 2,000, Latinx students passed 200, and international students passed 1,000.

The Lesbian and Gay Student Union was a student group, and it was also known as the Lesbian/Gay Student Union. It came into existence in 1989 and was active until 1996. It may have been the first gay and lesbian student group to receive appropriations from Student Government.

Dwuan June was the first African American editor of the Technician student newspaper.

The Information Technologies Teaching Center (ITTC) was established in the D. H. Hill Jr. Library, initially funded through a gift from the Class of 1990.

A new addition to the D. H. Hill Jr. Library, the South Tower, opened. Besides adding bookstack space, this addition featured a special facilities room and the Class of 1989 Reading Room.

The first campus-wide newsletter on women's issues, The Newsstand, was published.

The Native American Student Association sponsored NC State's first annual Pow Wow. The event featured Native American culture, including food, dress, and especially dance.

The African American Cultural Center opened in the new Student Center Annex, later renamed the Witherspoon Student Center. In 1992, following months of student and faculty protests, NC State administrators granted the African American Cultural Center an operating budget.

The Women's Center opened with Jan Rogers as its coordinator. Rogers began the Women's Leadership Education and Action Program (LEAP), which aimed to enhance the experience of women in fields such as math, science, and engineering.

The new Student Center Annex included meeting space, a library, and a multipurpose room. It was later renamed the Witherspoon Student Center.

The Public Safety office began a new bicycle patrol. Officers felt that the bicycles had advantages over patrol cars, including "mobility, stealth, and speed."

The Sista 2 Sistuh Network was established to support African American women at NC State.

Students welcomed the addition of Taco Bell and Li'l Dino Subs to the University Student Commons.

Several student groups organized an anti-hate rally in Harris Field in response to recent rapes on campus, sexual harassment in classrooms, racist remarks from professors, and anti-gay messages in the Free Expression Tunnel.

African American students were elected to six top leadership positions. They were Bobby Johnson, Student Body President; Tasha Youngblood, Student Body Treasurer; Kanton Reynolds, Student Body Chief Justice; Tracy Avery, Student Center/UAB President; Christine Verleger, Senior Class President; and Tiffany Price, Senior Class Vice-President;

Taiwanese students at NC State held a protest and sit-in demonstration in response to sociopolitical events involving Taiwan, China, and the United States.

The Libraries began twenty-four hour service on Sunday through Thursday. The increase was funded by revenue from a university-wide tuition increase, and faculty advocated for the funds to be allocated to the Libraries.

Chancellor Marye Anne Fox issued a statement on "Supporting Diversity and Building the Campus Community through Tolerance of Difference." The statement included sexual orientation as one of several factors in making NC State a diverse student body.

The Society of Native American Culture (SNAC) published the Native American "10 Commandments" in the Technician.

Students organized a chapter of Alpha Pi Omega, the first Native American sorority at NC State.

Raj Mirchandani was elected as student body president from 1999 to 2000.

The Technician became a daily publication during academic semesters for the first time.

After an overtime football victory over Georgia Tech at Carter-Finley Stadium, NC State students tore down a goalpost and carried it down Hillsborough Street towards campus. The goalpost cost $5,000 to replace.

The Technician reported that the Native American Symposium offered information for incoming freshmen, including information on navigating campus.

The African American Student Advisory Council issued report cards grading the university on enrollment, retention, and graduation of African American students. The report card gave NC State an "F" in recruiting Black students.

Mi Familia ("My Family") was formed to promote the Latinx community and discuss important events and issues.

The Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program was established. Fifty-six freshman women with majors in PAMS and the College of Engineering joined the program in its first year. As of 2009, the "living and learning village" included 256 women majoring in five colleges across campus, and a high school chapter was established at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.

African American students participated in a sit-in at a Student Senate meeting to express concern for the lack of funding for African American organizations. Out of $40,000 of appropriations, African American organizations received a mere $755. The Student Senate agreed to send the bill back to committee for re-evaluation.

This association formed from the merger of three other student organizations on campus: the Undergraduate Student Social Work Association, the Student Association of Black Social Workers, and the Student Association of Christian Social Workers.

Native American Culture Night became an annual event sponsored by the Native American Student Association.

Ice cream produced at the dairy processing facilities on campus by the Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences became known as "Howling Cow" after NC State applied for trademark status in June 2009. NC State ice cream has been a State Fair tradition for visitors since the 1970s.

Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. officially became a registered student organization in fall 2011. Kappa Phi Lambda was the first Asian-American interest sorority on campus.

The first "Respect the Pack" event was held at the Free Expression Tunnel and became an annual event to promote diversity and inclusion on campus.

Greek Village reopened with the newly constructed Kappa Delta house. Redevelopment of Greek Village began in 2008 when the aging buildings were demolished.

The first annual Packapalooza was held as an all-day block party and street festival. Packapalooza was created to mark the end of NC State's Wolfpack Welcome Week and the start of the academic year.

Students and alumni marched from the Bell Tower to the capital district to protest an upcoming amendment to North Carolina's constitution, which proposed legally banning gay marriage in the state. The event was called "Ides of March."

The Feed the Pack pantry opened in Harrelson Hall. Initial funding for shelving came from Rodgers Construction, the company that built Talley Student Union.

The donation provided additional funding for the Park Scholars program.

With new construction and remodeling, Phase I of the new Talley Student Union opened with four new dining options and the Talley Market.

Chancellor Randy Woodson announced this scholarship endowment in memory of three NC State alumni, Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu-Salha, who were killed on February 10, 2015.

Native Space, a Living and Learning village for first-year Native American students, opened in Wood Hall.

The Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity chapter officially became a registered student organization on November 19th, 2016. Lambda Phi Epsilon was an Asian-interest, but not Asian exclusive, fraternity with over sixty established chapters in North America.

The First Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) meeting was held on January 31, 2017. The purpose of BGSA was to create a network of support for black graduate and professional students and to provide an environment that promoted positive cultural awareness and professional growth. The Association for the Concerns of African American Graduate Students preceded and gave formation to BGSA.

The Office of Institutional Research and Planning reported that NC State had 2,282 enrolled students who identified as Asian out of a student body of 35,479. The data did not distinguish U.S. nationals or international students within the Asian enrollment data.

The NC State chapter of Runway of Dreams was created. The organization was created to empower people with disabilities to have confidence and self-expression through fashion and beauty inclusion, including through the design of fashionable adaptive apparel.

A chapter of Best Buddies was founded at NC State. Best Buddies was established to create opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through volunteer efforts.

The Special Smiles student organization was formed to promote awareness and knowledge of developmental, intellectual, and social disabilities.

The Filipino American Student Association (FASA) officially became a registered student organization in fall 2018. The student group unofficially formed in Fall 2017.

The Nine Star Lion Dance Troupe officially became a registered student organization in fall 2019. The student group unofficially formed in October of 2018 and was originally named the Lion Dance Troupe.

The CRANE Collective is the forefront of the Asian community at NCSU. This student group is committed to promoting crucial Asian narratives by means of education, action, and engagement by uplifting the on-campus and local communities.

The NC State Board of Trustees approved removing the word “Dixie” from the NC State Alma Mater and adding the word “Southern.”

The Pack disAbility Advocacy Club (PAAC) was established to promote a supportive community for people with all types of disabilities at NC State, visible and invisible, including mental health challenges.