Women

Margaret Burke became the first woman to take a course at A&M College. She enrolled in a physics course.

Eula Louisa Dixon took a course in dairying and became the second woman to enroll in a course at A&M College.

Adeline Stevens, the wife of Frank Lincoln Stevens, became the first woman faculty member as an instructor in biology during the 1902-1903 academic year.

Caroline Sherman was the first woman hired as librarian at NC State. During Sherman’s tenure as librarian from 1903 to 1906, library holdings moved from the third floor of Main Building (later Holladay Hall) to the first floor of old Pullen Hall. With input from D. H. Hill Jr., she tried to make the library comfortable for extracurricular reading and subscribed to popular periodicals and newspapers from all North Carolina counties.

Women's enrollment continued to increase during the 1903-1904 academic year. Evelyn Byrd Lawrence of Raleigh took a course in architecture, Ivey Roberts of Raleigh took a course in drawing, and Frances Claire Stainback took courses in chemistry and English. This was also the first year that women were listed as summer school students, and more than 200 women attended.

Ellen McGuire was an African American woman who began working at NC State in 1908. According to a 1939 Technician article, McGuire was born into slavery on a North Carolina plantation. Although McGuire maintained many responsibilities, she spent many years working in the infirmary on campus.

Jane S. McKimmon became the first woman to serve as a state home demonstration agent through the Agricultural Extension program at A&M College.

North Carolina Home Demonstration clubs joined to create the North Carolina Federation of Home Bureaus. It was decided and announced at the Farm Men and Farm Women's Convention in Raleigh.

Lucille Thomson of Wilmington, NC, became the first woman to fully enroll at NC State University. She studied electrical engineering from 1921 to 1923.

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

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.

Lillian P. Wallace became the first woman to earn a master's degree in education. She later published several historical works on politics in Europe.

Virginia F. Harris became the first woman to earn a master's degree in rural sociology.

Twenty-one woman enrolled at State College for the 1928-29 academic year, which was twice as many as the previous year.

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

Ada Curtis Spencer became the first woman to enroll as a freshman and complete a four-year degree from NC State. She majored in social science.

Lillian Tyler Jones was the first woman to earn a graduate degree from the School of Textiles. Her thesis was on "the effect of some wet and dry cleaning and stripping and spotting reagents on the relative tensile strength of some acetate and viscose yarns."

Elizabeth Lee Lawrence became the first woman to earn a BS in landscape architecture.

Katherine W. Sams became the first woman to earn a MS in economics.

Maud K. Schaub became the first woman to earn a MS in biology.

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

Women were prohibited from entering freshmen and sophomore classes to boost enrollment at the Women's College in Greensboro. The restriction lasted until 1940.

The first women undergraduates in textiles were Eleanor Mae Greene and Virginia Lee Reinheimer, who received Bachelor of Science degrees in weaving and designing.

Katharine Stinson, personal friend of Amelia Earhart, was the first woman to enroll in mechanical engineering.

Woman chemist J. C. Richmond of State College was awarded a grant to study the Vitamin C content in goat's milk and the presence of nicotinic acid in cow's milk.

Ethel C. Sheridan became the first woman to earn a MS in occupational information and guidance.

Margaret Kramer and Martha S. Richmond became the first women to receive MS degrees in agricultural chemistry.

Myrtha M. Wilson became the first woman to earn a MS degree in animal ecology.

Gertrude Cox was hired as professor of statistics and head of the Department of Experimental Statistics. She was the first woman at State College hired as full professor and department head at the same time.

The Architecture Library opened as the first branch library with Grace Sims Dalton as the first librarian. This was part of Library Director Harlan Brown’s goal to eliminate autonomous departmental libraries in favor of centrally-controlled branch libraries. The Architecture Library was renamed the Harrye B. Lyons Design Library in 1968.

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

Margery Belle Garriss was the first woman to graduate in architectural engineering.

Reference librarian Reba Clevenger became the acting college librarian during World War II when the men on staff left for military service.

Three women joined the faculty at NC State. Ruth Couch Allen and Louise K. Cell became instructors in English, and Ruth Badger Hall became an instructor in modern languages.

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

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.

The Textiles Library was established, and Rachel Penn Lane was the first librarian. The library was originally located in the main library but relocated to Nelson Hall the following year in 1945. The library was renamed the Burlington Textiles Library in 1954 when Burlington Industries funded its expansion.

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.

Jeanne Freeman became the first woman and the first person to earn a MS degree in experimental statistics.

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

Lois Madden became the first woman to graduate with a degree in chemical engineering.

Twenty-two women were listed on the faculty, most at the instructor or laboratory technician level. Departments with more than one woman employee included English (six), statistics (three), textiles (three), and modern languages (two). Women were also on the faculty in architecture, agricultural economics, mathematics, physics, social studies, chemistry, engineering, research, and agronomy.

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

Elizabeth B. Lee graduated from the College of Design. She is the earliest known woman to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in architecture at NC State.

Emily Catherine Brown Blount of Fayetteville, NC, became the first woman to receive a BS in civil engineering from NC State in 1953. She received a professional degree in civil engineering in 1954. Blount went on to become the first woman licensed as a professional engineer in North Carolina in 1960, and she was inducted into the North Carolina Transportation Hall of Fame in 2007.

Eloise Johansen was first woman to earn a MS degree in botany.

Hedwig Hirschmann, born in Fuerth, Germany, was the first woman instructor of plant pathology and the fourth woman hired as a professor at NC State. She was hired as a instructor in 1954, and advanced to full professor in 1967. Hirschmann married fellow plant pathology faculty member Anastasios Triantaphyllou in 1960 and taught at NC State until 1992. She is widely recognized for her research in nematode taxonomy.

Patricia Ann Sarvella became the first woman to receive a PhD degree at State College from the Department of Genetics.

The first African American woman hired as an academic staff member, Justina Williams, worked in the Department of Genetics's drosophila research lab. Many African Americans worked at State prior to Williams's appointment, however, they primarily worked in custodial or food service positions.

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.

Hazel Virginia Clark received a master's degree in occupational information and guidance. She was the first African American woman to receive a master's degree from NC State.

Women's enrollment reached 308, and the Erdahl-Cloyd Student Center created a special coed lounge for students.

Anna Clyde Fraker, a native of Greenville, TN, graduated with a BS in chemistry from Furman University in 1957. She became the first woman to receive an advanced degree in engineering at NC State when she received a master's degree in metallurgical engineering in the Department of Mineral Industries.

Clyda Weeks was the first woman elected president of the College Union and the first woman student body leader.

As the number of women enrolled at NC State increased, the physical education department provided women-only classes for students.

Twenty-three years after Gertrude Cox's appointment, Eloise Cofer, Extension Professor of Food Science and Assistant Director of the Agricultural Extension Service, became the second woman appointed as a full professor at NC State. In 1980, Cofer was named "Home Economist of the Year" by the NC Home Economics Association.

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

Francess Massey became an instructor in textile technology. She was the first woman listed as faculty member at the instructor level in the School of Textiles.

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

Doretha Blalock was hired as a "Typist II" for the library in 1964. She was later the first African American woman employed above the clerk level in a technical position processing books and was promoted to supervisor of the Collections Management Department. She also worked on the Affirmative Action Committee which oversaw hiring of African Americans in the 1970s.

The university published, for the first time, a "Report on the Status of Women Students."

Watauga Hall opened as NC State's first women-only dorm. It was the first time women were able to live on campus at NC State. All undergraduate single women were required to live there.

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

Dorothy Williams became the first African American instructor with faculty ranking in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

NC State cheerleader Diane Ramsey joined the varsity fencing program in 1965, which at the time was all male. Karen Costarisan and Cathey Jehle joined the team in 1967 and Barbara Walters, Gladys Mason and Barbara Grice joined in 1969.

Alma Williams of Covington, VA, and Pam Lias of High Point, NC, earned spots on the Wolfpack co-ed rifle team.

Doris King became the third woman to serve as a full professor and taught courses in history and education.

Norma Wright Garcia became the first African American woman to receive an undergraduate degree after earning a BA in history.

Carroll Hall was named for Susan Catherine Colwell Carroll, a nurse who became the resident matron of the college infirmary.

The fourth and fifth women hired as full professors at NC State were appointed. Hedwig Hirschmann Triantaphyllou advanced to full professor of plant pathology and Emily Quinn Pugh became a full professor of adult education.

Tomoko Ohta graduated in 1967 with a PhD in genetics and was the first Japanese woman to receive a doctorate at NC State. Her dissertation chair was Professor Ken-ichi Kojima. Ohta previously obtained her master's degree in genetics in 1965.

Yoon Kim was the first woman to earn a PhD degree in botany (phycology).

Ann B. Goodnight graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science. She later became a businesswoman, philanthropist, and member of the UNC System Board of Governors.

The School of Design Library was named in honor of Harrye B. Lyons, librarian at the school for 20 years.

Jane Green McNeary was the first woman to earn an undergraduate degree in botany.

Sarah Sheffield became the first woman to edit Agri-Life, the student publication of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Sheffield majored in wildlife biology and received a BS in 1970 and a MS in 1977.

Samiha Mourad became the first woman to receive a PhD in nuclear engineering.

Deanne Beckwith is the earliest known woman to graduate with a degree in product design.

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.

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.

Samia Galal Abdel Hamid Saad of Alexandria, Egypt, became the first woman to receive a PhD in civil engineering at NC State.

The Department of Military Science began enrolling women in the program in the fall of 1973.

Margaret Hunt and Lillie Castor were the first two African American women hired as professional librarians to work at the D. H. Hill Jr. Library.

Dr. Mary Wheeler became the first woman granted the NC State Outstanding Teacher Award.

A women's basketball team was established for the first time. The team included two African American women, Gwen Jenkins and Cynthia Steele.

Debra Stewart, later dean of the Graduate School, was the first woman appointed full-time tenured professor in the Department of Politics (later political science)

Head coach Kay Yow was an assistant coach for Team USA from 1974 to 1984, winning a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. She became the head coach of Team USA from 1981 to 1988 and helped lead her squad to a gold medal in 1988.

Alice Cline became the first woman at NC State to receive a PhD in electrical engineering.

Statistics professor Gertrude Cox was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Barbara Parramore became the second woman hired as department head at NC State and led the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at its founding.

A chapter of Delta Sigma Theta was established as the first African American sorority chapter on campus.

Dr. Phyllis Vogel was the first woman hired in the music department, and she established the department's first music theory courses called "Rudiments of Music." She taught composition, women in music, applied piano lessons and more. She conducted the chamber singers and performed in recitals.

Meena Ajmera became the first woman at NC State to receive a doctorate in physics.

Junior varsity cheerleader Elizabeth Jan Seymour was the first woman chosen for the mascot formerly known as Miss Wolf. During Seymour's first game as mascot, the cheerleaders debuted their hand gesture now known as “wolf hands.”

Susan Yow with the women's basketball program became the first NC State woman to be named an All-American athlete.

Mary E. (Betty) Wheeler became the head of the Department of History and the third woman to hold a position of department head at NC State.

Genia Beasley was NC State’s all-time leading scorer with 2,367 points. A 1978 Kodak All-American, Beasley became the first women’s player to score over 2,000 career points. In 2012, she was inducted into the NC State Athletics Hall of Fame.

Joan Benoit Samuelson was a two-time cross country All-American (1977-1978). She was an Olympic gold medalist in women's marathon (1984), two-time winner of Boston Marathon, and 2005 NCAA Silver Anniversary award winner. In 2019, she ran the Boston Marathon again and finished within 30 minutes of her first finish time in 1979.

Trudi Lacey was the first African American woman to receive a four-year scholarship in women's basketball at NC State in 1978. She helped the Wolfpack win the school's first ACC women's basketball championship in 1980. She was the first player in ACC history to earn four consecutive all-tournament honors. After college, she coached a number of teams including the Charlotte Sting, the Washington Mystics, Queens College, and Johnson and Wales University.

Dr. Wilma C. Peebles-Wilkins joined the university's faculty as assistant professor for the social work program. Dr. Peebles-Wilkins was one of the first African American women to graduate from NC State, and she later served as associate department head and director of the social work program.

The NC State women's basketball team participated in the first-ever ACC basketball tournament as the top seed. NC State lost in the championship game to Maryland.

In the Technician, one of the first African American women cheerleaders, Wanda Billingslea Farrell, called out the selection process for cheerleader tryouts as racist and biased.

Cathy Buckey was the cheerleading coach from 1979 to 1998. During her tenure, the NC State cheerleading team won their first three national championships in 1986, 1990, and 1991.

Evelyn Reiman, Assistant Director of Student Development, sponsored the first NC State Women's Week. The event included a series of afternoon and evening programs for women on campus.

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.

Ada B. Dalla Pozza became the first woman to serve as president of the Faculty Club, later known as the University Club.

Chandra Cox is the earliest known Black woman hired at the School of Design.

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.

Katherine W. Klein, Associate Professor of Psychology, became the first woman faculty member named an "Alumni Distinguished Professor."

Sondra L. Kirsch, Associate Professor of the Recreation Resources Administration, became the first woman chair of the NC State Faculty Senate.

Debra W. Stewart was appointed interim dean of the Graduate School. She was the first woman to serve as dean of the Graduate School. Her appointment became permanent in 1988, and she served as dean until 2000.

The School of Veterinary Medicine awarded its first PhD degrees to Melinda Hollingshead in August 1986 and Cathy Carlson in December 1986.

Elizabeth C. Theil became the first woman to receive the Alumni Research Award.

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.

Student Senate passed the Minority Affairs Bill, which created the Minority Affairs Committee. The committee was tasked with representing the concerns of African Americans, Native Americans, women, people with disabilities, and the gay and lesbian community on campus.

Yarbrough Court, the court surrounded by Holladay, Peele, Leazar, and Watauga Halls, was named after Mary E. Yarbrough. Yarbrough was the first women to earn a graduate degree from NC State and one of the first three women to graduate from the university.

Deborah Dalton was the first woman to serve as acting department head for the Department of Landscape Architecture.

Susan K. Nutter was the first woman hired as Director of Libraries. During Nutter’s tenure, the Libraries grew from less than 2,000,000 volumes to more than 5,000,000, plus 90,000 print and electronic serial subscriptions, more than 500 bibliographic databases, and numerous electronic full-text and image collections. The Libraries advanced significantly in important library rankings, and innovative new facilities opened on campus. Nutter retired on 9/30/2017.

Kaye Gibbons, former NC State student, became the Libraries' first author-in-residence. The Friends of the Library awarded the first "Author of the Year" award to Kaye Gibbons during the Libraries' 100th anniversary celebration in 1989.

Elizabeth C. Theil became the first woman at NC State to hold a named professorship and was honored with the University of North Carolina's O. Max Gardner Award.

Jennifer Gilmore was the first woman field conductor for the NC State Marching Band.

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

Christine Grant, a professor in chemical engineering, became the first African American woman appointed as faculty member in the College of Engineering.

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

Nora Lynn Finch, Associate Athletics Director, was inducted into the Women's Sports Hall of Fame. Finch was the ACC's first women's athletics director and the inaugural chair of the NCAA Division I Women's basketball committee from 1981-1988.

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

Dr. Angela Lumpkin was the first woman hired as head of the Department of Physical Education.

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

The Libraries' Collection Management department was established with African American employee Margaret Hunt as its first head.

In 1990, Dr. Kennedy-Stoskopf joined the CVM faculty in the Department of Microbiology, Pathology, and Parasitology. Dr. Kennedy-Stoskopf was well-known for her role as the first woman veterinarian at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and the first full-time woman faculty member specializing in zoological medicine in North America.

The first woman commencement speaker was poet and author Maya Angelou. UNC President C. D. Spangler also made remarks. Timothy Van Cooke gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. During the ceremony, a Cessna airplane flew over Carter-Finley Stadium with a "Fire Monteith" banner, protesting the recent appointment of Larry Monteith as chancellor. This is the last numbered commencement.

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

Barbara Parramore became the first woman faculty member to receive the Holladay Medal for Excellence.

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.

The "Speak Out for Women's Concerns" forum was a campus event organized to address women's rights issues for students, faculty, and staff.

Margaret A. Zahn, nationally known for her studies on violence in the U.S., became dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She served in the position until 2001.

June Atkinson was awarded a Doctor of Education degree. She later became the first woman to serve as North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction.

A campus street was named for Katharine Stinson, the first woman to graduate from NC State's School of Engineering. Katharine Stinson Drive, formerly North Yarbrough Drive, was one of the longest streets on campus.

Chancellor Larry K. Monteith launched the Diversity Initiative to provide more equitable access to educational resources on campus regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic background, physical disabilities, and other related factors.

Chavonda Jacobs-Young was awarded a PhD. She previously earned a bachelor's degree in 1989 and master's degree in 1992. She was the first African American woman in the United States to earn a PhD in paper science. She later became Associate Administrator for National Programs for the USDA's Agricultural Research Service.

Marye Anne Fox became the first woman hired as chancellor at NC State. She served in the position until 2004 when she left to become chancellor of the University of California, San Diego. (Biography of Marye Anne Fox)

Peaches Simpkins was named the first woman chair of the university's Board of Trustees.

NC State passed Policy 04.25.05, known as the Equal Opportunity, Non-Discrimination and Affirmative Action Policy. The policy supported equal opportunity and affirmative action efforts, and prohibited discrimination and harassment based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or genetic information.

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.

Susan K. Nutter was named the "Librarian of the Year" by Library Journal.

Women's basketball coach Kay Yow celebrated her 700th win. The Wolfpack beat Florida State, 68-51. Yow eventually racked up 737 wins (at NC State and Elon), making her the fifth highest-winning NCAA Division I basketball coach.

Lisa Johnson became the first woman appointed University Architect.

Student Body President

Cynthia Istook became the first woman appointed full professor in the College of Textiles.

Student Body President

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.

Dr. Christine Grant, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, was awarded the 2012 Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences.

The first "Slut Walk" on campus was held in the summer of 2012. The walk, a movement first started in Canada, promoted an end to blaming victims of sexual abuse.

Brittni Watkins became the first NC State gymnast to win two events at the EAGL championships when she captured titles on the vault and floor exercise. She was also the first gymnast in Wolfpack history to collect multiple All-America honors in 2014 and 2015.

Dr. Frances Ligler was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for her development of portable optical biosensors. The biosensors quickly identified biological warfare agents and pathogens in the food supply, among other applications.

NC State students participated in the Women's March on Raleigh in solidarity with the Women's March on Washington, D.C. The march addressed issues such as reproductive rights, immigrant rights, and sexual assault.

Jackie Gonzalez was the first Latinx person elected student body president. Gonzalez and Vice President Mia Connell formed the first woman-of-color team elected into the highest student government offices.

Julie Swann was the first woman department head appointed in industrial and systems engineering.

Christine McGahan was the first woman to hold the position of dean for the College of Sciences. She joined the College of Veterinary Medicine in 1983 and was head of its Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences for 14 years.

Alumnus and astronaut Christina Koch launched to the International Space Station. She was a part of the Expedition 59 and 60 crew. Koch later set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, and participated in the first all-woman spacewalk. At NC State, she earned a BS in electrical engineering (2001), a BS in physics (2001), and a MS in electrical engineering (2002).

Melanie Flowers became the first African American woman elected student body president at NC State. She was also elected Chair of the Council of Student Body Presidents for the University of North Carolina System.

Dr. Kathryn Meurs was the first woman appointed Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and the inaugural recipient of the Randall B. Terry, Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine Endowed Dean’s Chair.