The Myth of the Wilson Library Dunce Cap

Posted Nov 26, 2019
Have you heard the story that the Bell Tower was intentionally placed right behind Wilson Library so that, when viewed from South Building, the top of the tower looks like a dunce cap on the round dome of the library? The dunce cap story has been one of the enduring campus legends for decades. The story originally told was that John Motley Morehead. (UNC.edu)

Related: Campus Connections

Nonprofit at UNC pairs those with chronic illnesses with a service dog
UNC’s chapter of Lux’s Purpose was founded this year. Service dogs cost as much as $50,000-$70,000, and there is not a single insurance plan that...
Sun Aug 16, 2026

UNC Gears Up for First Day of Classes
The Chapel Hill summer is wrapping up this weekend, as UNC students return to campus ahead of the first day of class on Monday. “It’s...
Sat Aug 15, 2026

Twenty Tar Heels Recognized As ACC Graduate Scholar-Athletes
The ACC recognized more than 260 student-athletes, including 20 Tar Heels, as the inaugural class of ACC Graduate Scholar-Athletes for the 2025-26 academic year. To...
Wed Aug 12, 2026

Carolina Insider Podcast: UNC Football Training Camp, Basketball Talk, Mallory Wilmouth
Season 11 of the Carolina Insider Podcast begins as UNC Football training camp is in full swing (3:36). Carolina Basketball continues to adjust its roster...
Wed Aug 12, 2026