University Archives Photograph Collection, People Photographs, 1890-1999 (2024)

Black-and-white and color photographic prints, negatives, contact prints and sheets, printing plates, and reprographic copies of images picturing individuals and small groups of people who have contributed to the history of North Carolina State University. Pictures of administrators, faculty, staff, students, and notable visitors and alumni are included, as well as class pictures. Most of the materials were created to portray a specific individual or small group of people: many are posed and have subject identification on the reverse. The materials date from the 1890s to the late 20th century.

North Carolina State University was established in 1887 as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (A&M College). The College opened in 1889 with one building - the current Holladay Hall - six faculty, and courses in the agricultural and mechanical arts, adding a curriculum in applied science in 1893. By the turn of the century the College had grown to some half dozen buildings, about 300 students, and had begun to diversify its curricula. In 1917, the institution's name was changed to North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (State College). In 1931 the College greatly reworked its curricula as it underwent consolidation. Along with North Carolina College for Women and the University of North Carolina, it became a part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina,. North Carolina State is now one of the constituent institutions of the multi-campus University of North Carolina system, having received university status, and, after some controversy, assumed its current name in 1965. As of 2007, N.C. State had a student body of nearly 30,000, nearly two thousand faculty, and research and program expenditures of over $440 million.

In 1887 the North Carolina General Assembly created the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts as the state's land-grant institution to provide teaching, research and extension services to the people of the state. The College officially opened its doors in 1889, with Alexander Holladay as the first President. Classes began that fall with seventy-two students, six faculty, and one building - Main Building, now Holladay Hall. Two general fields of study were available, agriculture and mechanics, with a third in applied science added in 1893. Coursework in military science was added in 1894.

By the turn of the century, the College had grown to 300 students and six buildings, and had begun to diversify its curricula with more specialization offered in agricultural and mechanical coursework. By 1917, the school's teaching, research, and extension activities were broad enough that the Board of Trustees agreed to a name change: North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering, thereby officially adopting the "State College" colloquialism that had been in use for years. In 1931 the College greatly reworked its curricula as it underwent consolidation. Along with North Carolina College for Women and the University of North Carolina, it became a part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina.

During the second half of the century, the College received university status and as of 2007 was one of the constituent institutions of the multi-campus University of North Carolina system. After some controversy, the university assumed its current name in 1965. The University's full and official name is North Carolina State University at Raleigh. Use of the full name is generally avoided in order to avoid the implication that there are other branches of North Carolina State in other cities. In 2007, the North Carolina State University nearly 30,000 students and nearly two thousand faculty, and its research and program expenditures totalled over $440 million. For more information on the University's history, please see the online Brief History of North Carolina State University .

This subgroup contains a variety of photographic materials, including black-and-white and color photographic prints, negatives, contact prints and sheets, printing plates, and reprographic copies of images. These materials picture individuals and small groups of people who have contributed to the history of North Carolina State University. Administrators, faculty, staff, students, and notable visitors and alumni are included, as well as class pictures. Most of the materials were created to portray a specific individual or small group of people: many are posed and have subject indentification on the reverse. The materials date from the 1890s to the late 20th century.

This subgroup consists of photographic materials whose purpose is to portray an individual or several people. These images are often posed and the subjects identified. This subgroup does not include photographs that merely show people engaged in general activities or as part of an event or scene. For event, activity, and most group images, please see other series of the University Archives Photographs subgroup, such as Administration (UA 023.002), Athletics (UA 023.004), Student Life (UA 023.025), and the photographs of the various colleges.

See "Organization of the Collection" for links to online content.

The collection is organized into five series:

• UA 023.24.000 - People. General (Includes all photographs not classified elsewhere in this subgroup)
• UA 023.24.011 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, A
• UA 023.24.012 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, B
• UA 023.24.013 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, C
• UA 023.24.014 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, D
• UA 023.24.015 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, E
• UA 023.24.016 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, F
• UA 023.24.017 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, G
• UA 023.24.018 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, H
• UA 023.24.019 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, I
• UA 023.24.021 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, J
• UA 023.24.022 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, K
• UA 023.24.023 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, L
• UA 023.24.024 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, M
• UA 023.24.025 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, N
• UA 023.24.026 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, O
• UA 023.24.027 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, P
• UA 023.24.029 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, R
• UA 023.24.028 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, Q
• UA 023.24.031 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, S
• UA 023.24.032 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, T
• UA 023.24.033 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, U
• UA 023.24.034 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, V
• UA 023.24.035 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, W
• UA 023.24.036 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, X
• UA 023.24.037 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, Y
• UA 023.24.038 - People. Administrators, Faculty, and Staff, Z
• UA 023.24.061 - People. Noteworthy Alumni and Guest Visitors, A - C
• UA 023.24.062 - People. Noteworthy Alumni and Guest Visitors, D - F
• UA 023.24.063 - People. Noteworthy Alumni and Guest Visitors, G - I
• UA 023.24.064 - People. Noteworthy Alumni and Guest Visitors, J - L
• UA 023.24.065 - People. Noteworthy Alumni and Guest Visitors, M - N
• UA 023.24.066 - People. Noteworthy Alumni and Guest Visitors, P - R
• UA 023.24.067 - People. Noteworthy Alumni and Guest Visitors, S - V
• UA 023.24.068 - People. Noteworthy Alumni and Guest Visitors, W - Y
• UA 023.24.050 - People. Class Pictures and Student Portraits, 1900s - 1915
• UA 023.24.041 - People. Noteworthy Students, A-C
• UA 023.24.042 - People. Noteworthy Students, D-F
• UA 023.24.043 - People. Noteworthy Students, G-I
• UA 023.24.044 - People. Noteworthy Students, J-L
• UA 023.24.045 - People. Noteworthy Students, M-O
• UA 023.24.046 - People. Noteworthy Students, P-R
• UA 023.24.047 - People. Noteworthy Students, S-V
• UA 023.24.048 - People. Noteworthy Students, W-Z
• UA 023.24.049 - People. Student Body Presidents

The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.

The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.

Digital copies of many photographs are available online.

• University Archives Ready Reference Collection. Biographical Files (UA 050.003)
• University Archives Photograph Collection (UA 023)
• University Archives Photograph Collection, Athletics Photographs (UA 023.004)
• University Archives Photograph Collection, Student Life (UA 023.025)

Processed by Jennifer E. McElroy and Emily S. Pronovost, 2007

Encoded by Jennifer E. McElroy and Emily S. Pronovost, 2007

Finding aid updated by Cate Putirskis, 2008 September; 2010 November; and by Stephanie Barnwell, 2012 July.

This collection contains digital content that is available online.

For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.

Mailing address:
Special Collections Research Center
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC, 27695-7111

Phone: (919) 515-2273