January 15, 1795: UNC Holds Its Opening Ceremony
Posted Jan 15, 2018
UNC held its opening ceremony on January 15, 1795, and soon after became the first state university to enroll students. The winter of 1794-1795 had been rough, and the roads were a muddy mess. It was a cold, windy, rainy day and the area looked more like a construction site than a college campus. Only the East Building and the unpainted wooden house of the Presiding Professor had been completed.
(UNC.edu)
Related: Campus Connections
Katie Homan keeps gold medalists uprightWhen Katie Homan was growing up in Ohio, hockey "wasn’t a thing" for her. It still wasn’t a thing in 2011, when she earned a...
Wed Mar 11, 2026UNC junior builds algorithm to aid disaster recovery
When Esha Singaraju first arrived on campus in 2023, she wasn’t sure what path she wanted to follow. One class unexpectedly shaped her academic journey:...
Tue Mar 10, 2026
Chapel Hill gives parking to land high-paying jobs, keep UNC startup in town
A contribution of 10 parking spaces is going to keep a homegrown concessions delivery company growing on Franklin Street. The Chapel Hill Town Council approved...
Sun Mar 8, 2026
UNC journalism students report on Winter Olympics in Milan, 'rush' a fountain when UNC beats Duke
Since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Hussman School has sent students to cover the Games multiple times under professor C.A. Tuggle — but this was...
Sat Mar 7, 2026