NC State’s history of “first women” goes as far back as 1901 and as recent as 2020. Monuments, exhibits and centers around campus shed light on women who have made a difference on campus.
While the University was founded in 1887, the history of female students on campus began in 1901 when Margaret Burke became the first woman to enroll at NC State. However, it wasn’t until 20 years later when Lucille Thomson became the first full-time female student.
Six years later, in 1927, the first women to receive degrees from NC State were Charlotte Nelson and Jane McKimmon as undergraduates and Mary Yarbrough as a graduate.
Yarbrough had previously studied chemistry and mathematics at Meredith College, while only being permitted to attend NC State classes as a “special student.” Shortly after her graduation from Meredith College, NC State would go on to allow women to receive degrees. Yarbrough was then the first woman to receive a graduate degree from the University for chemistry.
McKimmon is honored by the McKimmon Center for her dedication for continuing education. Yarbrough’s perseverance in seeking gender equity within higher education is honored in Yarbrough Courtyard, located on North Campus.
While these women are well-known and celebrated within NC State history, Dare and Do!, an exhibit in D.H. Hill Jr. Library, highlights the history of NC State women, and its research team acknowledges the gaps that exist in women’s history for women of color.
“Silences appear in the archives through the decisions made by archivists as to what stories were worth saving,” an installation in the exhibit reads. “‘Dare and Do!’ is shaped by these silences and acknowledges that not every woman’s story has had the opportunity to be shared. Some of NC State’s history that has not been fully identified in archival collections includes the experiences of Black, indigenous, international, Latine, and Asian students, faculty and staff.”
Beyond the choices made by archivists of the time, there exists indisputable gaps in the timeline of white women in the University compared to women of color.
In 1966, Norma Wright Garcia was the first Black woman to receive an undergraduate degree from the University, 39 years after Nelson and McKimmon. Hazel Virginia Clark became NC State’s first Black woman to earn a master’s degree in 1960, 33 years after Yarbrough.
And while the first female Student Body President, Cathy Sterling, was elected in 1970, the first Black woman would not be elected to the position until Melanie Flowers in 2020 — 50 years later.
“Being a ‘first’ is an honor, a celebration, and it’s also an obligation to the communities that you represent and all the ones you’re serving,” Flowers said. “I was the 10th woman and the 10th Black person to serve as Student Body President and the 100th person in the position. There was a lot of symbolism going on there. I felt an obligation to continue the legacy of the women who came before me, of Cathy Sterling, of the other Black student body presidents.”
In 1964, Watauga Hall opened its doors as the first women’s dormitory, marking the first time unmarried female students were permitted to live on campus. While women had been increasingly permitted to participate in University classrooms for several decades by this time, there were no designated female spaces before Watauga Hall. It remains on campus as the oldest standing residence building.
Women continued to seek out more support and recognition on campus. In 1991, the Women’s Center opened in the basement of Nelson Hall, thanks to the advocacy of the newly formed Women’s Resource Coalition and various female faculty. The goal was to offer a physical space for women to feel supported, as well as conduct sexual assault prevention education.
Director of the Women’s Center Janine Kossen explained how the Women’s Center has continued the initial mission of the space.
“Students who do utilize our services start to feel safe,” Kossen said. “They feel like this is a place they can come to be heard, feel affirmed, they can get connected to resources. It’s just about building community. Just like with any campus community center, it’s often described as a home away from home.”
Today, the Women’s Center continues to offer support to survivors through the Pack Survivor Support Alliance, as well as community gatherings like Feminist Fridays and a book club.
The center will begin celebrating Women’s HERstory Month on March 2 with Permanent History: Planting Our Roots, featuring an interactive art project and conversational topics of self-care and personal growth.
“Women are the strongest when they’re acting as a collective,” Flowers said. “I’m excited to see how that idea strengthens in the future. I think NC State is very actively trying to acknowledge and create the opportunity for that kind of collective work to happen, but it’s up to the students to engage with that.”
