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

UNC alum, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Anne Marie Hagerty is ‘The Envoy’
Anne Marie Hagerty travels the world interviewing people for “The Envoy Show,” a docuseries about how food impacts health, economic growth and sustainable tourism in...
Wed Jun 10, 2026

UNC-Founded Eats2Seats to Create Entrepreneurial ‘Third Space’ with New Franklin Street Headquarters
Like an Uber Eats for sports and entertainment venues, the concessions and vending partner Eats2Seats allows fans to order food and beverages right to their...
Tue Jun 9, 2026

'You can't escape the story': UNC class feels for indentations on Old East left by enslaved laborers
A class of first-year students spent an hour carefully running their hands along the grooves of Old East's brick exterior. Their goal? To find...
Sun Jun 7, 2026

Tasting the Town: The 'fryerarchy' of Chapel Hill
We have always said it is impossible to mess up french fries. However, we are also a proponent of the concept of a fry hierarchy...
Sat Jun 6, 2026