The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-09-05
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATE
UNIVERSITY.
BY MABEL PIRIE.

paper read at the closing exercises OF
Henderson Graded School May 10. 1901
When our forefathers met in Hall
fax in 1776 TO form the first Constitu-
ton Of the State OF North Carolina,
they remembe red to insert the clause
which provides for State university.
The Scotch-Irish who lived in Central
Carolina abolished the first academies
in the province, and they are said to
have been of great influence in insert
ing the clause which provides for a
University. The British Government
had not allowed the same educational
privileges to this Colony as she had
to others, therefore their resentment
was kindIed and it made them more
anxious to establish an institution OF
learning.
In 1892, sixteen years after the
Constitution was adopted, Board OF
Trustees met in Hillsboro to select
site upon which to establish State
University. This was considered a
very important question, and many OF
the most prominent men of the State
were present. AT this meeting no
definite spot was decided upon, but
they named several places and agreed
to meet again. The second meeting
was held under poplar tree, which
stands today on the campus square OF
our State University, and it is known
as the "Davie Poplar" It is interest
ing to know why the name, Chapel
Hill, was given to the State Univer-
sity. The site selected was where
the roads leading from New Berne to
Greensboro and from Petersburg to
Pittsboro crossed. Here stood an old
chapel, a sad relic of the futile effort
of the Church of England to establish
a church in North Carolina; the
chapel called New Hope Chapel Hill
or the Hill of New Hope Chapel.
Chapel Hill is $50 feet above the
level of the sea, causing it to be very
healthy. Then as now celebrated
for its magnificent forest Of oak and
hickory, its cool springs of the purest
water, it's pleasant, mudless, dustless
soil, its genial, healthful climate.
on whose hillsides the mountain flora
blossoms, there tie home of the Uni
versity was fixed" A more desirable
place could not be found. 1t is only
% miles from the State capital, and
it is near the centre of the State.
The first president of Chapel Hill
University was Rev. Joseph Caldwell,
and under his most excellent admins
tration the school prospered. He
was continually doing good, and he
established the first newspaper at
Chapel Hill. The following, taken
from the North american RcvieW for
January. 1921, shows the influence OF
the University under the manage
ment of President Caldwell:
I'm an ardent and increasing zeal for
establishing schools and academies for
several years past, we do not believe
North Carolina has been outdone by a
single State"
The darkest days that the Univer-
sity has ever seen were during the
Civil War. Prosperity was shattered,
the harmony which existed before the
war was all gone, and not until year.
after that eventful struggle came to a
close did that harmony in it's full
measure return. But being guided
by men who were we'll fitted to fill
their positions, it has reached the
place where it ranks among the first
institutions of learning in the South,
and the Diletic and Philanthropit
Literary Societies of the University OIL
North Carolina are noted throughout
the South.