Media Contact:
Dr. Tracey Ray, 919/515-3835
Felicia Baity, 919/515-3835
Chad Austin, NC State News Services, 919/515-3470
Oct. 10, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Three of North Carolina State University’s first African-American undergraduate students are returning to campus to help the university launch a yearlong 50th anniversary celebration of the enrollment of the individuals who integrated the student body at NC State.
Edward Carson, Manuel Crockett Jr., Walter Holmes and Irwin Holmes Jr. – the first four African-American undergraduate students to enroll at NC State in 1956 – as well as Hardy Liston Jr. and Robert Lee Clemmons – the first two African-American students at the university who enrolled in graduate school in 1953 – will all be honored at a kickoff event scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 3-4:30 p.m. in Stewart Theatre, located in the Talley Student Center on campus. Norma Wright Garcia, NC State’s first African-American female student, will also be honored.
The opening celebration will include a historical overview, a tribute to the seven students, and a panel discussion featuring some of the former students and university officials. A reception will follow the event in the second floor lobby of the Talley Student Center. The event and reception are free and open to the public.
Carson, Crockett, Irwin Holmes Jr., Liston, Garcia and Robert L. Clemons, the son of Robert Lee Clemmons, will participate in the panel discussion. They will be joined on the panel by former chancellor Larry Monteith – who was a freshman at NC State in 1956 when the first African-American undergraduates enrolled – and Dr. Ron Butler, former associate vice chancellor of student affairs.
The goal of the celebration is to recognize the achievements and challenges of African-American students at NC State during the past 50 years and pave the way for their future success at the university.
“The 50th anniversary of the enrollment of these students marks a significant milestone in the history of the university,” says Dr. Tracey Ray, director of NC State’s Department of Multicultural Student Affairs and co-chair of the celebration’s task force. “These individuals provided leadership to the campus that lives on today. We want to celebrate these individuals, their achievements and their legacy, and set the stage for the next 50 years. We are excited about what this year means for NC State.”
Other planned commemoration events for the upcoming calendar year include a lecture by Dr. Nell Painter, former history professor and director of the African-American studies program at Princeton, a film series, historical spotlights on the academic and athletic achievements of African-American students at NC State, and the production of a 50th anniversary publication and DVD.
Carson and Crockett enrolled at NC State in the summer of 1956, becoming the first two African-American undergraduates at the university. In the fall, they were joined by Walter and Irwin Holmes, who are not related. All four were engineering students. Walter Holmes became the first black member of NC State’s marching band and the first black tennis player at NC State. Manuel Crockett and Irwin Holmes were the first African-American athletes in the Atlantic Coast Conference as members of the track team in 1957.
“These students were not just here to take classes, they also came to engage in student activities,” says Felicia Baity, co-chair of the commemoration task force along with Ray. “Through this program, we want to take people back to 1956 to show what the United States, North Carolina and NC State’s campus was like at that time.”
In 1960, Irwin Holmes became the first black student to receive an undergraduate degree from NC State. Carson and Walter Holmes received their degrees in 1962. Manuel Crockett eventually transferred to North Carolina Central, where he completed his degree in 1962. Carson and Crockett currently live in Raleigh, while Irwin Holmes lives in Durham. Walter Holmes lived in Durham until his death on March 13, 2004.
The yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of African-American undergraduates at NC State is sponsored by the Office for Diversity and African-American Affairs, and the Division of Student Affairs. For more information about the program and a schedule of events, contact African-American Student Affairs at 919/515-3125 or visit the Multicultural Student Affairs Web site.
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