First Black Female FBI Agent was UNC-Chapel Hill Alumna

Posted Jan 16, 2017
The first black woman FBI agent in the United States was UNC’s Sylvia Elizabeth Mathis. Hers was a life framed by a commitment to service, a dedication to family, and marked by numerous accomplishments. In May 1975, Mathis graduated from UNC School of Law and soon thereafter passed the North Carolina Bar. But her accomplishments did not stop there. (UNC.edu)

Related: Campus Connections

To UNC's Freshmen — Trust Your Gut
You may or may not know your major. You may or may not stick with your original choice of study. A freshman at Stanford joined...
Sun Aug 23, 2026

These UNC summer camps bring the wow
Oooohs from kids crouching eye-to-eye with a praying mantis or studying salamanders in a creek. Aaaahs of children holding a space rock or trying to...
Sat Aug 22, 2026

Tar Heels in the know give Dublin tips
Dr. Sinéad Loughran spent four years away from her native Dublin to attend UNC and play field hockey. Senior Wilson Weingast spent a semester studying...
Fri Aug 21, 2026

UNC Football's Trip to Ireland 'Much More Than a Game'
UNC Football kicks off its season in Dublin, Ireland, playing Texas Christian University on Aug. 29 in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. But the...
Wed Aug 19, 2026