Davie, McCorkle and Avery
They were responsible, more than anyone
else, for the establishment of the University
of North Carolina, which celebrates its
I50tli anniversary next year.
NEXT YEAR, 1943. the Uni¬
versity of North Carolina will
celebrate one hundred and
fifty years of existence. At this time
it may be interesting to relate some
pertinent facts relative to its founda¬
tion, and pay tribute to those who were
instrumental and responsible for
bringing into life the first State Uni¬
versity in the United States; not the
oldest college but the oldest state uni¬
versity in the nation.
This honor u shared by three men,
none of whom was a native of North
Carolina; one having been born in
England, one in Connecticut, and
one in Pennsylvania.
These three wore William Richard¬
son Davio, regarded as the father of
the University; Waightstill Avery,
and Samuel Eusebius McCorkle. To
Avery, who was a member of the Pro¬
vincial Congress at Halifax in 1776
went the distinction, as chairman of
the committee presenting the proposed
Constitution, of having inserted in
that document the clause which estab¬
lished the University.
This Constitution was adopted in
1779 after North Carolina had re¬
fused to become a member of the
newly created United States of
America.
Charter granted in 1789
In the month of December, 1789,
under tho leadership of Davio, the
General Assembly granted the «•barter
and created the’ Board of Trustees,
This first board was composed of men
most of whom wrote their names high
on the pages of patriotism and serv¬
ice to tho nation and to North Caro¬
lina. Among them were Davie, and
Samuel Johnston, perhaps (unlr-s we
except Nathaniel Macon), the great¬
est of all men who lived at any time
in North Carolina; James Iredell
and Alfred Moore, Inter to bo justices
of the Supreme Court of the United
States; John Stokes, the first federal
judge for North Carolina; Hugh Wil¬
liamson, William Blount and Rich¬
ard Dobbs Spaight, the latter three
being signers of the U. S. Constitu¬
tion ; Judge Ashe, afterward governor;
Benjamin Williams, also governor at
a later period; General Joseph Gra¬
ff;/ “PETE" .MURPHY
ham, General Thomas Person. Wil¬
liam Lenoir, Joseph McDowell, Sam¬
uel Spencer, John Williams, Willie
Jones, Stephen Cabarrus, John May-
wood : Benjamin Hawkins, and Sam¬
uel Johnston, the first United States
Senators from North Carolina;
Charles Johnson, Alexander Mebane,
and Joseph Winston, Joel Lane and
Samuel E. McCorkle these were
only a part of the distinguished men
who constituted the first Board of
Trustees of the University.
Tho moving spirits among these
were William It. Davie and McCorkle.
A site for the institution was soon
chosen at the present location at
Chapel Hill, in Orange County, and
plans were made for the erection of
the buildings, the first of which was
•ledieatcd on the 12th of October, 1793.
On that date with a distinguished
The Davie poplar at Chapel Hill.
company of persons present, the cor¬
nerstone of the “Old East” was laid
by Davie, then Grand Master of the
Masonic Order in North Carolina.
The orator of the day was Samuel
Eusebius McCorkle, the sole minister
and teacher on the Board of Tins
tees.
In 1705 McCorkle was chosen ns a
Professor in the University ami it was
generally thought that he would be
rhosen ns president.
But, notwithstanding his ability and
qualifications as a scholar, it was
feared that he did not possess the nec¬
essary executive capacity. He declined
tho professorship; but this did not
diminish his love, devotion and high
regard for the institution. He preached
for it, begged for it and worked for
its success throughout his whole life.
It is worthy of note that he pre¬
pared six of the first seven graduates
of the University. These six were Sam¬
uel Hinton of Wake County, William
Houston «»f Iredell, Robert Locke of
Rowan, Alexander Osborne, Edward
J. Osborne of Rowan, and Adam
Springs of Mecklenburg; tho other
member of the class was Hinton James
of New Hanover, the first student to
enter the University.
Schoolmaster in Rowan
Dr. McCorkle had wtabluhed.
some years before, a school at Thyatira
in Rowan, which he named Zion-
Pnmassus, at which he prepared near¬
ly 50 young men for the ministry, most
of whom Inter attended the University.
Many of his students won high dis¬
tinction. Among them were John
Owen, governor of North Carolina,
and president of the Whig national
convention of 1840, at which he twice
declined the nomination as its candi¬
date for President; John Williams,
U. S. Senator from Tennessee, and
Thomas II. Williams, U. S. Senator
from Mississippi. The list could be
extended blit these few ar«' siillicient to
establish the quality of instruction
received. This school was the first
normal school to be established in the
Colonies.
McCorkle was born in Pennsyl-
(Continued on page twenty-eight)
