225 years of Tar Heels: Hinton James

Posted Feb 13, 2019
First-year students living in Hinton James Residence Hall are no strangers to long walks to campus. Neither was the namesake of that building, Hinton James, who — legend has it — walked from his home in Wilmington, NC, to Chapel Hill in 1795 and became the first student to enroll. James arrived at UNC on Feb. 12, 1795, almost a month after the University opened its doors. (UNC.edu)

Related: Campus Connections

Former North Carolina governor, UNC law school alum Jim Hunt dies at 88
Former Gov. Jim Hunt, who redefined the office of governor in North Carolina, championed public education and helped focus the state's economy on high-tech industries,...
Sat Dec 20, 2025

Best moments from ESPN documentary "Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott"
In 1984, Stuart Scott began attending the University of North Carolina, where he studied journalism. He became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.,...
Thu Dec 18, 2025

UNC grad documents post-Helene recovery
In addition to Carolina’s Spring Commencement, Max Feliu ’25 had another May date circled on his calendar. The filmmaker’s nine-minute documentary on life after Hurricane...
Thu Dec 18, 2025

UNC Athletics Celebrates The Season With Team IMPACT
Carolina Athletics welcomed members of Team IMPACT and their families for a fun-filled day of holiday activities with student-athletes from various programs on Saturday. The...
Tue Dec 16, 2025