Spartan Stories
Tales from the UNCG University Archives
May Day
Mary Settle Sharpe: Keen in Intelligence, Kindly at Heart, and Democratic in Sympathy
by Kathelene McCarty Smith Mary Settle Sharpe (1863-1944) was a woman ahead of her time, in both education and politics. She was an early member of the faculty of State Normal and Industrial College (UNC Greensboro) and was also the first woman nominated for public office in the state of North Carolina after the ratification […]
The History of Dance on Campus
by Kathelene McCarty Smith Student Dancer, 1928 (p. 275) Dance has always been a very important part of the history of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). When the college opened in 1892 as the State Normal and Industrial School, “movement” was taught as part of the Physiology and Hygiene curriculum under the […]
“A Noble Idea” The History of Peabody Park (Part Two)
Have you ever wondered how UNCG acquired such a beautiful green space on the northern edge of its campus? Well, the founding and development of Peabody Park is a fascinating story that reflects UNCG’s overall growth as a center of higher learning and a Greensboro neighbor. Given the complexity of the story, the Park’s history is being […]
The History of UNCG’s May Day Tiara
by Alexaya McKelvey *This blog was written by Salem Academy student Alexaya McKelvey as part of her January Term Internship with the University Libraries at UNCG.May Day – the celebration of a new season for crops, new beginnings, and the crowning of spring royalty. In 1904, The State Normal and Industrial School, now The University […]
The Rise of Campus Dramatics (Part II): Plays and Pageants
by Kathelene McCarty Smith While the earliest campus presentations were staged as entertainment for visits by state dignitaries, increasingly, other sources of student entertainment began to sprout up at the State Normal and Industrial School (now The University of North Carolina at Greensboro). Recitals were planned by music professor Wade Brown, who also assisted the […]
Campus May Queens
by Jennifer Brooks Each year that a May Day celebration was held on campus, a May Queen was elected. From the biggest festivals of 1912 and 1916 to the final year of 1954, a May Queen was present. She was typically a senior elected by her classmates who served as the mascot of the event […]
Early May Day Parades
by Jennifer Brooks For the first fifty years, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) celebrated May Day. May Day revels were based on ideas of Renaissance England, where the first day of May signified the end of winter. Traditional May Day fetes were filled with activities such as decorating a May Pole, crowning […]
May Day Celebrations on Campus
by Hermann Trojanowski May Pole Dancers, 1916 The tradition of celebrating May Day can be traced back to the pre-Christian era when the first day of May marked the end of winter in Northern Europe. Rituals celebrated fertility and the planting of new crops with gathering flowers, dancing around a tall pole, and crowning a […]
