230 years ago, Hinton James became the first Tar Heel

Posted Feb 19, 2025
While around 30,000 students are enrolled at UNC today, in February 1795 there was just one — Hinton James. While students residing on south campus are familiar with a long walk to class, James made a much longer trek (170 miles) from Wilmington to become Carolina’s first student to enroll. "Regardless of how he got here, it wasn’t an easy trip." (UNC.edu)

Related: Campus Connections

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

There Will Never Be Another Stuart Scott
For an entire generation of American sports fans, Stuart Scott loomed as large as the superstar athletes he covered. After 22 years at ESPN—bringing a...
Sun Dec 14, 2025