Spartan Stories
Tales from the UNCG University Archives
Author: admin
The Long History of UNCG Auditorium
In 1927, the building now known as UNCG Auditorium was opened as part of the June commencement exercises at the school (then named the North Carolina College for Women). The building’s primary purpose was to serve as a campus meeting space, replacing the 800-seat auditorium in the Students Building, which by 1927 could hold less […]
What Happened to Mary? The Disappearance of Mary Shotwell Little, Woman’s College Alumna
by Stacey Krim In the many years since UNC Greensboro opened its doors in 1892, our institution has been remembered and honored by the contributions and legacies of our alumni. The school has prepared an army of students to enter the world, carving their own path and contributing to future generations. However, one of our […]
Members of the Wedding: The Tradition of the Mock Freshman-Junior Wedding
by Kathelene McCarty Smith One of the many lost campus traditions is that of the mock wedding between the Freshman and Junior classes. This ritual was often seen in girls’ colleges during the early 20th century and involved the symbolic union between the two classes for the years that they were at school. At the […]
Virginia Land Brown (Class of 1902): The School’s First Commuting Student
by Kathelene McCarty Smith Virginia Brown was one of the North Carolina State Normal and Industrial College’s (now UNC Greensboro) first students. Because State Normal did not give formal degrees in the early years of the school, Virginia and six classmates returned to the college for a fifth year to receive their degrees. Virginia majored […]
The Dolphin-Seal Club: Aquatic Adventures on Campus
by Kathelene McCarty Smith Even before there was a pool on campus, swimming was an important part of the college’s curriculum. Early lessons were given at the downtown Greensboro YWCA facilities, but when the Rosenthal Gymnasium was completed in 1925, classes were held in the new 25 ft. by 75 ft. swimming pool, which included […]
The Kaleidoscope Mime Troupe on the UNC Greensboro Campus
by Kathelene McCarty Smith Kaleidoscope Mime Troupe, 1979 Founded in 1973 as an innovative and experimental drama group by acting instructor Jamey Reynolds, the Kaleidoscope Mime Troupe was established to give student mimes an opportunity to practice their art on and off campus. The tradition of Mime is thought to have had its origins in […]
Day Students on Campus
by Kathelene McCarty Smith When the State Normal and Industrial School opened its doors in October of 1892, there was barely enough room for the 176 students who came through them. By the end of the year, the girls’ school had 223 students spilling out of the dormitories. This overflow resulted in some students rooming […]
The 1959 Commencement Home
by Scott Hinshaw In an earlier blog post, the collaborative effort between architect Edward Loewenstein, Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina students, and professionals in the building and construction professions, was detailed in the creation of the first Commencement Home. This post will continue to look at that effort as it moved into […]
“I am, Dear Miss, Yours Very Truly:” Melville Fort’s Letters to Prisoners of War
by Kathelene McCarty Smith During World War I, many young American women became pen pals with European prisoners of war. This was the case with Miss Melville Fort, an art teacher at the State Normal and Industrial College (now UNC Greensboro). Like many of the women who taught college in the early 20th century, Miss […]
The Education of Charles Duncan McIver
by Scott Hinshaw Charles D. McIver (left) and his younger brother William in 1865 The founder and first president of our university, Charles D. McIver, left a wealth of information behind when he died suddenly in 1906 on a train returning from Raleigh to Greensboro. Among his more formal papers dealing with his work as […]
