First Women’s Athletic Scholarship: Camey Timberlake

Over the past several decades, UNC woman’s athletics teams have had an incredible run of success, winning multiple NCAA championships in five different sports. However, it was just 50 years ago this month that UNC offered its first athletic scholarship to a woman athlete.

During the 1974-1975 season, women’s tennis coach and newly appointed Director of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, Frances Hogan, drafted a note for her team about the evolving standards for women’s sports at UNC. In the memo found in a folder for the 1974-1975 Tennis season, she wrote: 

Up until 1971, the philosophy of teams, or clubs as they were called, was to provide opportunities for a sociable, competitive experience… Women coaches have been oriented that way. We can no longer, as coaches, maintain this philosophy. We are now in athletics. A great amount will be budgeted for our women’s program from the athletic department next year. Coaches will have to look for the best players. . . . Recruiting is legal. Demands on the coaches will be greater. They must produce good teams to justify the money going in to the program.

This change from clubs to teams largely began with the passing of Title IX in 1972. Like most large scale social and political changes, the actual implementation comes in stages and looks different in different contexts. There were many local factors that impacted how things would change at UNC. One impactful moment came in 1974 when the first UNC women’s athletics scholarship was awarded. At the time, the scholarship was called a grant-in-aid. That awardee, Camey Timberlake, was a talented high school tennis player who would join the UNC squad in fall 1974.  

Screenshot of a Daily Tar Heel photograph of Camey Timberlake playing tennis.
Photograph from November 8, 1975 issue of the Daily Tar Heel.

As Hogan’s note to the 1974-1975 team highlights so well, the pressure on UNC women’s athletic teams to show up for this moment was real. And the pressure on Camey Timberlake was not wholly different. It was time to perform to win and keep the momentum for women’s athletics. 

Timberlake’s tenure at UNC included highs like beating Duke’s star player as a first year and lows like injuries that sidelined her more than once over the years. Disappointments are part of sports and those that play at the highest levels know that better than most. In an interview with the Daily Tar Heel in April 1978, she gave voice to the pressures she felt during her seasons with Carolina noting, “I had decided I wasn’t going to let the pressure bother me, but subconsciously, it was there, and there wasn’t much I could do about it.” While Timberlake’s playing experience at UNC may not have been as she had hoped, she emphasized the positive impact her fellow teammates had on her experience. Timberlake was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000. 

Screenshot of the Daily Tar Heel showing article about UNC tennis team beating Duke. Image show Timberlake playing tennis.
Image of the November 1, 1974 issue of the Daily Tar Heel.
Image of the 1977-78 team brochure for tennis
1977-78 season team brochure. This was Timberlake’s senior season.

On the other end of this pivotal moment, UNC continued to reshape the role of women’s athletics at the university in line with Title IX. Ahead of final Title IX regulations for athletics to be released in 1975 and requiring implementation by 1978, Chancellor Ferebee Taylor took proactive steps in 1974 to set the stage for change. The women’s athletic programs were moved into the Department of Athletics and Coach Hogan’s new role, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, was created. Chancellor Taylor also charged a new committee focused on equal opportunity for women at UNC called the Title IX Committee and Subcommittee on Athletics. (Jackson, p. 92; 134- 137). Building on the first women’s athletics scholarship, the second scholarship recipient, Ann Marshall, became a member of the UNC swim team beginning in 1975. Marshall made the 1972 Summer Olympics team as a teenager and was named an All-American 18 times while at Carolina. 

The path to women’s athletics at UNC was certainly not without challenges and some resistance. And to this day, all issues of equity and opportunity in women’s sports generally are far from settled. However, it’s still inspiring to consider these beginnings at UNC and see the line that can be drawn to all that has come after. We can celebrate the place that these early scholarship awardees made for so many other talented Tar Heels like Mia Hamm, Charlotte Smith, Shalane Flanagan, Ivory Latta, Erin Matson and countless others as well as opportunities for coaches like Karen Shelton to build programs of the highest quality to cheer for.  

Images of documents from the Department of Athletics records:

References 

  • For a more complete picture of the years long development of women’s athletics at UNC and Title IX context, check out this dissertation by Victoria Jackson. https://keep.lib.asu.edu/items/153493 
  • You can peruse old issues of the Daily Tar Heel here for lots of sports stories and highlights: https://www.digitalnc.org/newspapers/daily-tar-heel-chapel-hill-n-c/ 
  • Swimming: 1975-1976 season: General, Box 27, in the Department of Athletics of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records #40093, University Archives, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 
  • Tennis: 1974-1975 season: General, Box 28, in the Department of Athletics of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records #40093, University Archives, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 
  • Tennis: 1974-1975 season: Camey Timberlake, Box 28, in the Department of Athletics of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records #40093, University Archives, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

 

Timeline of UNC-Chapel Hill Latinx History

This timeline presents key events in the history of Latinx students, faculty and staff, and programs at UNC-Chapel Hill. The timeline was developed using resources available in Wilson Special Collections Library. It is not intended to be comprehensive, but it is our hope that this will be a helpful resource for anyone interested in learning more about Latinx history at Carolina. We welcome any corrections or suggested additions at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.

1908-1911

Seven students dressed in suite and ties for a yearbook image
Yearbook photo of the Cuban club

UNC sees an influx of students from Cuba. Members of the “Cuban Club” are pictured in the 1909 and 1910 Yackety Yacks. At one point the Cuban Club had 11 members, a significant population at a time when UNC had a total enrollment of 778 with only 55 out-of-state students.

Source: For the Record blog, 28 March, 2016. The Curious Case of the Cuban Club – For the Record (unc.edu)

1940

UNC establishes the Inter-American Institute, the university’s first formal structure for curricular and program development in Latin American studies. Following its establishment, UNC begins offering courses in Latin American history and geography.

Source: Elizabeth Hasseler, “A Century of Latin American Studies at Carolina.” Carolina Passport, 2020. A Century of Latin American Studies at Carolina – UNC Global

January – March 1941

The Inter-American Institute organizes a six-week “winter summer school” for 110 visiting educators, journalists, and professionals from South America. Countries represented included Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. The visitors participated in classes, lectures, and tours. In recognition of their visit, they created an endowment in the University Libraries for the purchase of books and materials about South America.

Sources: Elizabeth Hasseler, “A Century of Latin American Studies at Carolina.” Carolina Passport, 2020. A Century of Latin American Studies at Carolina – UNC Global; Daily Tar Heel, 25 January 1941, 2 March 1941

1949

The Inter-American Institute is reorganized and renamed the Institute of Latin American Studies.

Source: Elizabeth Hasseler, “A Century of Latin American Studies at Carolina.” Carolina Passport, 2020. A Century of Latin American Studies at Carolina – UNC Global

February – March, 1960

Fifteen students from Cuba visit UNC to take part in a four-week seminar focusing on sociology and anthropology. The visit is organized by the UNC Institute of Latin American Studies, the University of Havana, and the U.S. State Department.

Sources: Elizabeth Hasseler, “A Century of Latin American Studies at Carolina.” Carolina Passport, 2020. A Century of Latin American Studies at Carolina – UNC Global; Daily Tar Heel, 3 February 1960.

Several male and female students dressed in jackets in the snow.
Students standing in front of the Institute of Government, 1960. 40089
Collection Title: Institute of Latin American Studies of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1937-1983 #40089 Collection Title: Institute of Latin American Studies of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1937-1983

1969

The Annual Report of the Director of the Office of Records and Registration includes data for minority students enrolled at UNC, including students described as “Spanish American Surnamed.” For fall 1969, UNC reports 17 undergraduate and 21 graduate Latinx students. This data is drawn from information provided voluntarily by students on their fall semester matriculation cards.

Source: Office of the Registrar and Director of Institutional Research of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records (40130), University Archives.

1979

The Institute of Latin American Studies selects twelve Mexican scholars for advanced study and research at UNC, funded by Pepsi-Cola of Mexico. The following year, the Institute selected an additional six Venezuelan scholars. The program concluded in 1983.

Source: Mexican Visiting Scholars Program, Institute of Latin American Studies of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records #40089, University Archives, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Group of men and women
Photograph of the Mexican Visiting Scholars Program participants. 1981-1982. in the #40089 Institute of Latin American Studies of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

1986

There are 22 Latinx faculty members at UNC as of December 1986, according to the Office of Institutional Research. At the time, there are 1,975 faculty members at Carolina.

Source: Fact Book, 1986-87. UNC Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. Fact Books | OIRA (unc.edu)

Fall 1990

The Carolina Hispanic Association (known as CHispA) is established by student Catherine Lindsay with a group of around ten students. As of Fall 1990, there are 201 Latinx students enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Source: Daily Tar Heel, 2 April 2001. The Daily Tar Heel. (Chapel Hill, N.C.) 1929-1943, April 02, 2001, Image 1 · North Carolina Newspapers (digitalnc.org); Fact Books from the UNC Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. Fact Books | OIRA (unc.edu)

Fall 1999

Maria DeGuzman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. María DeGuzmán, Eugene H. Falk Distinguished Professor of English & Comparative Literature, establishes the UNC Latina/o Cultures Speakers Series. The speaker series has brought prominent Latinx scholars, authors, and artists to campus for lectures and discussions.

Sources: “About the UNC Latina/o Cultures Speakers Series,” About The UNC Latina/o Cultures Speakers Series | UNC Latina/o Studies Program;List of the scholars, writers, performers, and educators that the UNC Latina/o Cultures Speakers’ Series has brought to campus and/or supported with funding.”

30 October 1999

Undergraduate students Sussy Portillo and Dawn Anderson crossed into the Kappa Chapter of Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Incorporated. This marked the extension of Duke University’s LPC/LPCSI Kappa Chapter to UNC’s campus as one of the first Latina-focused sororities to be represented at the University.

Source: Phi Chapter – Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc.

Spring 2000

Dr. María DeGuzmán taught English 864: Studies in Latinx Literatures, Cultures, Criticism (including “LatinX Environmentalisms”), the first graduate-level course on Latinx-U.S literature(s), culture(s), and criticism at UNC.

Source: Interview with Dr. María DeGuzmán, 2017, in the Latina/o Studies Program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records #40489, University Archives, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

19 April 2001

The Alpha Iota Chapter of the La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Incorporated (LUL) was established on UNC’s campus. This is the one of the first Latino-centered fraternities to be represented at UNC.

Source: About Us: AI – UNC LUL

Fall 2002

Enrollment of Latinx students tops 500 for the first time. 511 students, identified as Hispanic in university data, make up 2.0% of the total student population.

Source: Fact Books from the UNC Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. Fact Books | OIRA (unc.edu)

2003

UNC faculty members Paul Cuadros and Peter Kaufman establish the Scholars’ Latino Initiative (SLI), a scholarship and mentoring program housed in the UNC Center for Global Initiatives.

Source: About Us – Scholars Latino Initiative, About Us | LatinxEd

2004

Building on the success of the Latino/a Cultures Speaker Series, Dr. María DeGuzmán and other faculty propose a new undergraduate minor in Latino/a Studies. The minor is approved in March 2004, leading to the establishment of a Latino/a Studies Program. The new minor and program are inaugurated with a celebration in Dey Hall on September 20, 2004.

Sources: “History of the UNC Latina/o Studies Program,” History of The UNC Latina/o Studies Program | UNC Latina/o Studies Program; Daily Tar Heel, 21 September 2004. The Daily Tar Heel. (Chapel Hill, N.C.) 1929-1943, September 21, 2004, Page 3, Image 3 · North Carolina Newspapers (digitalnc.org)

January 2006

The Daily Tar Heel publishes “La Colina,” a Spanish-language supplement to the newspaper. The single-page supplement runs monthly through 2008 and includes original stories of interest to UNC students and the local Latinx community.

Source: Daily Tar Heel, 25 January 2006. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92068245/2006-01-25/ed-1/seq-1/

Fall 2007

Enrollment of Latinx students tops 1,000 for the first time. 1,010 students, identified as Hispanic in university data, make up 3.5% of the total student population.

Also in Fall 2007, the number of Latinx faculty at UNC passes 100 for the first time. Of these, more than half (54) are in fixed-term positions. Latinx faculty make up 3.4% of the total faculty at UNC.

Source: Fact Books from the UNC Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. Fact Books | OIRA (unc.edu)

Smiling students laughing.
Students at Hamilton Hall as part of Hispanic Heritage Week. Daily Tar Heel records 2007.

November 2007

“Los Sueños de Angélica,” a film by UNC alumnus Rodrigo Dorfman, is screened at the FedEx Global Education Center. The film, the story of a Latinx couple in Durham struggling to decide whether to stay in the United States, is, according to the Daily Tar Heel, the “first Latino feature film to come out of North Carolina.”

Source: Daily Tar Heel, 14 November 2007. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92068245/2007-11-14/ed-1/seq-3/

10 April 2010

The Carolina Latina/o Collaborative (CLC), a university-backed collective focusing on Latina/o campus and community-wide affairs with plans to create a dedicated Center, is launched in Craige-North Residence Hall.

Source: Press Release, in the Latina/o Studies Program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records #40489, University Archives, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

24 April 2010

After the National Executive Board (NEB) of Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. decided to grant UNC recognition of its own chapter, students Christina Jusino and Wendy Tapia cross into LPC/LPSCI and mark the founding of LPC/LPSCI’s Phi Chapter.

Source: Phi Chapter – Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc.

Fall 2010

Latinx enrollment continues to grow. University sources report 2,428 students described as “Hispanic of any race,” representing 8.3% of the total student population.

Source: Fact Books from the UNC Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. Fact Books | OIRA (unc.edu)

23 April 2011

The Beta Lambda Chapter of Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated is established on UNC’s campus.

Source: Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated – Heel Life

April 2016

The UNC Centers and Institutes Review Committee approves the proposal to create a Latinx Center on campus. The Center receives final approval from the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees in January 2019.

Source: Latinx Center website: Our History – Carolina Latinx Center (unc.edu)

2017

The Office of the Executive Vice Provost formed the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and Undocumented Resource Team, an effort to coordinate resources and information for undocumented students at Carolina.

Source: DACA/Undocumented Students – Dean of Students

2018

UndocuCarolina is established as part of a collaborative effort to support education and programming around contemporary immigration policy and a better understanding of issues faced by undocumented students and families. UndocuCarolina also offers Ally Trainings, half-day workshops focused on immigration, education policy, and best practices for providing support to undocumented students.

Source: UndocuCarolina (unc.edu)

Spring 2018

The Carolina Hispanic Association (CHispA) is renamed Mi Pueblo to reflect the group’s vision of unity and inclusivity.

Source: Mi Pueblo UNC on Instagram: Hola, Mi Pueblo! As many of you know, we recently decided on changing our name from the Carolina Hispanic Association (CHispA) to Mi Pueblo…”

October 2018

Ricky Hurtado and Elaine Townsend Utin establish LatinxEd, a nonprofit educational initative providing support to Latinx students and immigrant families.

Source: LatinxEd website.

4 October 2019

The UNC Carolina Latinx Center opens in Abernathy Hall.

Source: Latinx Center website: Our History – Carolina Latinx Center (unc.edu)

January 2020

UNC faculty member Todd Ramón Ochoa chairs the UNC DACA and Undocumented Resource Team.

Source: Daily Tar Heel, 12 January 2020. Universities are preparing for the future of dreamers amid DACA’s potential rollback – The Daily Tar Heel

Fall 2020

UNC employs 201 faculty members identified as “Hispanic of any race.” These faculty make up 4.9% of the total faculty at Carolina.

Source: Fact Book, 1995-96. UNC Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. fb2007_2008.pdf (unc.edu)

November 2020

UNC alumnus and staff member Ricky Hurtado is elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives, becoming the first Latinx Democrat elected to the state legislature.

Source: INDY Week, 4 November 2020. Ricky Hurtado Becomes the First Latino Democrat Candidate Elected to North Carolina State House – INDY Week

Fall 2022

For the Fall 2022 semester, 9.3% percent (2,961) of UNC students are identified as Hispanic.

Source: UNC Office of Institutional Research & Assessment. Student Characteristics, Fall 2022. Analytic Reports | OIRA (unc.edu)

Now Available Online: Photos from 1963 Chapel Hill Civil Rights Marches

Sixty years ago, local high school students and community members led a series of marches and demonstrations in downtown Chapel Hill in protest of racial segregation in local businesses. The Wilson Library digital production staff has recently completed digitization of five color photos showing Civil Rights marches on Franklin Street in 1963.

These photos were taken by UNC faculty member Don Irish. Learn more about Irish and the photos in this blog post from his daughter, Sharon Irish: Walking Down a Black-and-White Road | Sharon Irish (archive-it.org).

To learn more about the Civil Rights movement in Chapel Hill, this website from the Chapel Hill Community History Project is a terrific starting place: Civil Rights | Chapel Hill Community History (chapelhillhistory.org).

Chapel Hill civil rights march, 1963. Photo by Don Irish.Chapel Hill civil rights march, 1963. Photo by Don Irish.Chapel Hill civil rights march, 1963. Photo by Don Irish.Chapel Hill civil rights march, 1963. Photo by Don Irish.Chapel Hill civil rights march, 1963. Photo by Don Irish.

 

Segregated Spaces at the UNC School of Dentistry, 1953

Signpost showing two signs with arrows: "Patient Information White" and "Patient Information Colored"
Detail from a photo of the UNC School of Dentistry, ca. 1950s, showing directions to the segregated information counters. UNC Photo Lab Collection (P0031).

The University of North Carolina enforced racial segregation in campus buildings well into the mid 20th century. There is clear evidence of this in documents, publications, and in the recollections of people who studied and worked at Carolina. However, photographs of segregated spaces at UNC are often hard to find. Recently we found a couple of photos from the UNC Photo Lab collection that provide clear evidence of how public spaces on campus continued to be segregated by race into the 1950s.

Sign on a wall reading "Colored Waiting Room. 103 A thru F"
Detail from a photo of the UNC School of Dentistry, ca. 1950s, showing a sign for the “Colored Waiting Room.” UNC Photo Lab Collection (P0031)

These photos are from a series taken by university photographers to publicize the opening of the new dental school building at Carolina. The new dental building (now known as “First Dental”) was a significant milestone in dental education and service at Carolina — in addition to teaching and learning facilities, the new building marked the beginning of patient services offered by the School of Dentistry. Dentistry faculty and students offered clinical services to patients from the local community and across North Carolina. A memo about the opening of the new building states: “There are separate, complete facilities for white and for Negro patients.” (Records of UNC President Gordon Gray, collection 4008, folder 383). The description of separate facilities was repeated in a Daily Tar Heel story about the dental building in December 1952.

The note about facilities for Black patients was intentional. The University clearly wanted to highlight the fact that it would be offering dental services to Black patients who might otherwise rightly have assumed that they would not be admitted to medical facilities at Carolina. However, the announcement was also clear to specify that the spaces would be segregated by race.

The publicity photos also included two showing patients in the separate waiting rooms. It’s hard to tell whether or not these photos represent typical conditions in the waiting rooms, but the differences are striking. The waiting room for white patients is spacious and shows just two people waiting. The waiting room for Black patients is significantly more crowded, with every seat full and one of the patients having to stand.

Waiting room at the UNC School of Dentistry, ca. 1950s. Image shows two white women sitting on couches, one reading a magazine, the other holding a teacup.
Waiting room at the UNC School of Dentistry, ca. 1950s. This appears to the waiting room for white patients.
Waiting room at the UNC School of Dentistry. The room is full, with Black patients filling every seat and one woman standing.
Waiting room at the UNC School of Dentistry, ca. 1950s. This appears to be the separate waiting room for Black patients.

It is noteworthy that the University established segregated patient spaces in 1952, just over a year after UNC was forced to begin admitting Black students to graduate programs. In the summer of 1951, Black students entered Carolina for the first time, enrolling in the School of Law, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Medicine, which was adjacent to the new dental building.

It’s not clear, at least from our initial research, how long the facility continued to operate separate waiting rooms for Black and white patients. When local high school students began challenging segregated businesses in Chapel Hill in February 1960, the protests soon spread to UNC buildings. In April 1963, the UNC chapter of the NAACP picketed North Carolina Memorial Hospital in protest of continued racial segregation of some hospital patients. Most likely racial segregation in the hospital and dental facilities continued in some form until the passage of the federal Civil Rights Act in 1964.

Carolina Concert for Children Brings Grandmaster Flash and U2 to Chapel Hill in 1983

 

Crowd in rain gear watching concert.
Crowd in rain gear watching concert. Yackety Yack, 1983.

On a rainy day in April 1983, music legends U2 and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five performed in Kenan Stadium as part of The Carolina Concert for Children. Despite the stellar lineup, the university ended up losing money due to poor attendance which was blamed on rainy weather and other factors (alcohol was banned in the stadium).

The Spring Concert was something that the student body petitioned to have in 1983 (Daily Tar Heel, 20 April 1983). The Carolina Concert for Children’s goal was to be different from previous concerts like Chapel Thrill and Jubilee. The student-organized event was a benefit concert for Special Olympics, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and UNICEF (Daily Tar Heel, 21 March 1983).

Two members of the group, The Producers, playing their guitars on stage
The Producers. Yackety Yack, 1983.

The Producers and Todd Rundgren also performed at the concert. Rundgren, who, like U2 and Grandmaster Flash, would later be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was at the height of his popularity and was the headline act. He was also paid significantly more than the other artists. Rundgren was contracted to receive $25,000 and a percentage of all gross ticket sales over $125,000 (Daily Tar Heel, 29 March 1983).

U2 was offered $7,500 but negotiated for $10,000 since the concert “fell on the opening of their tour.” Grandmaster Flash and the Producers each received $5,000. The three charities were due to receive profits from the sale of T-shirts and concessions.

Members of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five on stage
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Yackety Yack, 1983.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five opened the concert. The Daily Tar Heel described them as a funk group from New York City “made popular by a type of music called ‘rap’” (Daily Tar Heel, 25 April 1983). The band interacted with the crowd while wearing elaborate costumes including a white leather cowboy outfit and a police uniform. The Producers went next, a new “progressive pop” band from Atlanta best known for their songs, “What’s He Got” and “She Sheila.”

Bono from U2 on stage.
Bono. Yackety Yack, 1983.

U2, touring to promote their album War, was beginning their third tour in the U.S. with the Chapel Hill concert.  Addressing the weather, the Irish band’s lead singer, Bono, told the crowd, “We’d like to thank you for making it rain today so it would be more like home for us.” Their set included “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” as Bono leapt on and off stage (Daily Tar Heel, 27 April 1983).  U2’s experience can’t have been wholly negative – ten years later (and significantly more popular), the band tried to book Kenan Stadium but their request was denied because the date conflicted with a Carolina football game (Daily Tar Heel, 8 September 1992).

According to the Daily Tar Heel, the concert ended up losing “$30,000 to $40,000,” that number was later shown to be closer to $60,000.  However,  on a positive note, there were less issues with alcohol from previous concerts.

Sources:

Joel Broadway. No back-up band Rundgren slated solo. March 29, 1983. The Daily Tar Heel. 

Tom Conlon, “Ran erodes concert profits.” April 25, 1983. The Daily Tar Heel. 

Jennifer Cresimore. “One Fine Chapel Hill Party.” April 20, 1983. The Daily Tar Heel.

Linda Messner. “Start Planning Now” April 27, 1983 . The Daily Tar Heel.

Lisa Pullen, “’Chapel Thrill’ may get Facelift, chairmen says” November 8, 1982. The Daily Tar Heel. 

Mark Stinneford. “Committee announces plan for reserved seating at the concert.” March 21, 1983. Daily Tar Heel. 

Men’s Varsity Glee Club Summer 1966 Europe trip

In 1966 the UNC men’s varsity Glee Club celebrated their 75th touring season with a month-long tour through Europe, including 21 performances in England, France, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, West Germany, and East Germany. Director Joel Carter (1913-2000) and student members collected a variety of items during their trip, now available in a new addition to the records of the Department of Music in the University Archives.

Dr. Carter’s planning materials include a packing list for club members. Suggested items include: a wool and summer blazer, a dressing gown and slippers, collapsible coat hangers, a shoeshine kit, and “your favorite tummy-ache remedy.” The list discourages liquids as “they are heavy and treacherous!” 

Two copies of the typed packing list given to Varsity Glee Club members for the summer 1966 Europe trip, circa May 1966. One is annotated by hand, the other is a plain copy. The annotated copy is yellowed.
Two copies of the typed packing list given to Varsity Glee Club members for the summer 1966 Europe trip, circa May 1966.
Typed draft letter to Ed Sullivan written by Glee Club members, circa 1965-1966. Annotated by hand and signed Alvin Tyndall and Paul Wyche, two officiers of the club. Alvin Tyndall's name is crossed out.
Typed draft letter to Ed Sullivan written by Glee Club members, circa 1965-1966. Signed Alvin Tyndall and Paul Wyche.

 

The first stop of the tour brought the club to New York City, where they performed a worship service at St. George’s Church in Greenwich Village followed by a national television performance on the Ed Sullivan show. Dr. Carter’s records include a draft letter by club members to Ed Sullivan requesting to perform on his show. The show, filmed on June 12, 1966, also featured The Dave Clark Five, tap dancer Peter Gennaro, and writer Elwyn Ambrose who recited poetry with a cat puppet.  

Photograph of airline tickets and ticket folders from 1966 European tour.
Airline tickets and ticket folders from 1966 European tour.
Photograph of train and ferry tickets, booklet, and German beer coaster, 1966
Train and ferry tickets, booklet, and German beer coaster, 1966

 Paul Wyche, club president and class of 1967, saved his KLM and Eastern airlines boarding passes. These paper tickets have hand-written and stamped flight information and seat numbers. Two have passport control tickets attached. There are also ferry, bus, and train tickets. Someone collected travel brochures, including foreign currency guides, ferry boat brochures, and a tourist magazine from Copenhagen.   

The Glee Club’s choice of songs, demonstrated in their partial repertoire list, emphasizes American music and composers. The list features two songs by Stephen Foster (1826-1864), sometimes called “the father of American music.” Further underscoring their ‘Americanness,’ they performed at Rebild National Park Society’s American Independence Day celebration, one of the largest Fourth of July celebrations outside of the United States.  

The European tour event program describes an 1895 Glee Club poster calling their performances “rollicking songs, jigs and banjo picking.” The program goes on to say “[t]he banjos and jigs have been packed away with the knickers and knee socks worn by the Club’s earlier members. But the University of North Carolina Men’s Glee Club is still known for its ‘jolly programs’ and ‘rollicking songs.’” They paid homage to their early banjo pickin’ days with the song “Ring de Banjo” by Stephen Foster.  

The club’s oeuvre included African American spirituals; however, many of the African American spirituals performed, with a notable exception of the arrangement of “Were You There?” by Henry Thacker “Harry” Burleigh (1866-1949), were arranged by white composers. The club also performed exclusionary and injurious music, the most conspicuous example being “Dixie,” the unofficial anthem of the Confederacy, which they sang on the Ed Sullivan Show.  

Photograph of the Glee Club in front of the United States building during the 1965-1966 New York Fair. Also included is a news release describing their national tour and upcoming European tour.
Photograph of the Glee Club in front of the United States building during the 1965-1966 New York Fair. Also included is a news release describing their national tour and upcoming European tour.

 The club members found time to sightsee in between performances. Tourist memorabilia is scattered throughout the collection, including museum and Cinerama tickets. Someone saved a hotel shower cap, receipts, and blank postcards. A hastily scrawled note to a member who slept in tells him where to meet the group later that morning.  

Photograph of Paper tickets to various events and locations, including Westminster Abbey, the Musee Nationaeux in Paris, the Cinerama in London, and the Casino in Lucerne. There is also a small flip book of Westminster Abbey.
Paper tickets to various events and locations, including Westminster Abbey, the Musee Nationaeux in Paris, the Cinerama in London, and the Casino in Lucerne. There is also a small flip book of Westminster Abbey.

In a 1986 Chapel Hill Newspaper article on the Glee Club reunion, Betty North described their experiences in Paris: 

By the time the group arrived in Paris, one of the last major stops, the club members were tired and running short of money, North said. The group stayed in a cheap hotel and toured the city in the least expensive way possible: by foot and by subway. “In the winter, the hotel we were staying in was a house for ladies of the night, and the desk clerk was a madame,” North said. “She just couldn’t understand why all these young men were staying there, next to the Moulin Rouge, and not going after the women.”

The members still had plenty of indecorous fun. Two German beer coasters and a ticket for a casino in Lucerne are in the collection. There is also a Playboy Club napkin of unknown American origin—likely from St. Louis or New York City during the national tour.   

Newspaper clipping, Joan Page, “Glee Club’s Visit in Red Area Brings Somber Note to Travels.” 1966.
Newspaper clipping, Joan Page, “Glee Club’s Visit in Red Area Brings Somber Note to Travels.” 1966.

The club’s travel to Leipzig and East Berlin in East Germany, then under Soviet rule, served as a subdued note. A four-page information pamphlet from the United States Mission in West Berlin details the process of traveling into East Berlin. The group shared a general anti-Soviet sentiment in a 1966 newspaper article, describing the land as “creepy,” “completely colorless,” and “dirty, barren and downright spooky.” The article also describes East Germans as glaring at the diesel bus. Student photographer Jock Lauterer photographed the group in East Germany; the negatives of these photos are in the North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives in Wilson Library.  

Despite their fundraising efforts, the club ran out of money by the end of the tour. In a letter to the Alumni Annual Giving fund dated September 22, 1966, Dr. Carter asked for a gift to help cover their $3,025.49 deficit. Dr. Carter mentions he enclosed “pictures, news releases, brochures, and other souvenirs of our European Tour.” Perhaps Dr. Carter and members collected memorabilia to give as thank you gifts to their tour sponsors, and this small collection was left.  

 Sources: 

Liz Lucas, “Glee Club Recall ’66 Tour,” The Chapel Hill Newspaper, May 11 1986.  

Joan Page, “Glee Club’s Visit in Red Area Brings Somber Note to Travels,” Newspaper clipping, 1966.  

 

 

Now Available Online: 1992 Spike Lee Rally Video

On September 18th, 1992, filmmaker Spike Lee spoke at a rally at the Dean E. Smith Center in support of a free-standing Black Cultural Center at UNC-Chapel Hill. Lee had learned about student activism in support of a Black Cultural Center at Carolina when the New York Times reported on the participation of several Black football players in the movement. The UNC Libraries Digital Production Center has recently digitized a videotape of the rally. The full video is now available online.

In the 81 minute-long recording, leaders of the Black Cultural Center (BCC) movement and the Black Awareness Council (BAC), an organization founded by four football players, speak to an audience of over 5,000 attendees. Then, Spike Lee enters the stage to offer words in support of the students rallying for a free-standing Black cultural center. He also offers praise to the athletes involved in the movement and highlights the contributions of Black athletes in the rising prominence of college athletics. In an interview prior to his speech, Lee said that he was there to learn from and show support to the student leaders involved in this movement.

The rally was an important step in the multi-year, student-led advocacy for the building that would become the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.

Learn more:

New Acquisition Documents Andy Griffith at UNC

A black and white photo of a young Andy Griffith looking off to his left, taken from the 1947 Yackety Yack.
1947 Yackety Yack

A new addition to the Andy Griffith Papers in the Southern Historical Collection provides a fascinating glimpse into Griffith’s experience as a UNC-Chapel Hill student in the 1940s. The new materials include documents, a letter of recommendation for Griffith, and even a copy of his UNC transcript.

The transcript, from the Department of Music, shows Griffith’s courses and grades and provides a look at how UNC’s requirements have changed over the years.

Griffith received mostly Bs, Cs, and Ds, as well as a few Fs. It’s also quite interesting to note that he fulfilled his “Hygiene” requirement as a student.

A scanned image from April 9, 1949, of a positive recommendation written on Andy Griffith's behalf.
Letter of Recommendation, in the Andy Griffith Papers #4697, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

At the end of his academic career at Carolina, Andy Griffith received a positive recommendation from an unnamed mentor for a teaching position. In this recommendation written in April 1949, Griffith’s mentor compliments his character and leadership qualities, as well as his musical talent. They note that though they feel that he is qualified to teach vocal work, his instrumental work is “fair” since he has less training in instrumental music. The writer makes it clear that Griffith has a “natural ability” in music. 

 

Lastly, this pamphlet is one of the most interesting amongst the Andy Griffith papers and dates to the early 1950s after he graduated from UNC. It’s a promotional brochure for a program titled “Unique Entertainment,” a performance entertainment service collaboration between Griffith and his wife Barbara Griffith. “Unique Entertainment” consists of singing, dancing, dramatic readings, and comedy sketches that would be tailored to their audience.

1980s UNC Students Protest CIA Recruitment on Campus

In the 1980s, UNC-Chapel Hill students organized to protest on-campus recruiting by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Citing the CIA’s involvement in conflicts in Central America and the Middle East and drawing attention to the agency’s increased role under President Ronald Regan, student protesters objected to the presence of CIA recruiters on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. Carolina students led anti-CIA protests as early as 1983, and the movement gained significant momentum when the student-run CIA Action Committee (CIAAC) led several protests between 1987 and 1989. The photos shown in this post are from the Durham Herald Co. Newspaper Photograph Collection in Wilson Library.

Timeline of Anti-CIA Protests at UNC-Chapel Hill

October 29 1987: Six members of the CIAAC were arrested during a protest in Hanes Hall. Graham Entwistle, Keith Griffler, Dale McKinley, Joey Templeton, Mary Lisa Pories, and Katherine Taaffe (the only non-student) chained themselves together in order to block the entrance to Hanes Hall where CIA interviews were being held. These activists were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, but the judge in the case did not pursue criminal charges against any of the members. Daily Tar Heel, October 30, 1987.

Students protest in a building lobby. Two students are playing acoustic guitars, others are holding signs. The legible signs say "Criminals In Action" and "Peace with Justice for All."
Student protest in UNC-Chapel Hill Law School lobby, February 23, 1988. Photo by Jim Thornton, Durham Herald Co. Photo collection.

February 24, 1988: Members of the CIAAC went to the University Inn where a CIA recruiter was holding interviews and protested outside his door. The recruiter left Chapel Hill without conducting interviews after CIAAC members followed him down Interstate 40 making sure he did not enter campus. Daily Tar Heel, July 14, 1988.

Photo of a student holding a poster reading "6 Million Dead 1947-1988 / CIA Off Campus" while a man places materials in the trunk of a car.
CIA recruiter Page Moffett prepares to leave Chapel Hill after being confronted by protesters on and off campus. Photo by Jim Thornton, February 24, 1988. Durham Herald Co. Newspaper Photograph Collection in Wilson Library.

April 15, 1988: CIAAC protesters lay on the floor of the Career Planning and Placement Services work area in Hanes Hall. During the protest, CIAAC members sang protest songs and held hands. After refusing to leave the area, eight students were carried out of the building and arrested for trespassing. During this event, senior Graham Entwistle, junior Lisa House, junior Jerry Jones, junior Kasey Jones, graduate student Dale McKinley, evening college student Steve Sullivan, sophomore Joey Templeton, and senior Amy Thompson were arrested. This protest was intentionally held at the Career Planning office due to the office’s role in connecting CIA members with UNC students to discuss possible careers. Daily Tar Heel, April 18, 1988.

October 28, 1988: Members of another activist group, the Chapel Hill Coalition for the Freedom to Dissent (CFD), confronted the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees regarding their choice to stay silent regarding the case of Dale McKinley (his arrest and jail sentence). During this meeting, Ken Sandler, a graduate student and CFD member, read a letter condemning the Board of Trustees and their alleged attempts to stifle freedom of expression on campus. At this time, McKinley was serving a 21-day sentence in Orange County Jail for his actions on campus. Daily Tar Heel, October 31, 1988.

November 2, 1988: Following a rally in the Pit, around 20 students took part in another demonstration outside Hanes Hall, staging what they called the “CIA Café.” Students acting as waiters carried plates containing plastic limbs and other symbols of violence to illustrate their accusations against the CIA. As people walked by, the waiters offered the plates, asking, “Did you order the CIA atrocities?” Daily Tar Heel, November 3, 1988.

November 6, 1989: The CIAAC created a “symbolic graveyard” on Polk Place in front of South Building. This was accompanied by a mock funeral procession. The protesters carried their symbolic coffins inside the building and left them at Chancellor Paul Hardin’s desk. Hardin was not present for the protest. Daily Tar Heel, November 7, 1989.

A student hammering a wooden cross in a grassy area of campus.
UNC student Graham Entwistle placing crosses in front of South Building as part of a protest against CIA recruiting on campus, November 6, 1989. Photo by Dan Charlson, Durham Herald Co. Photo Collection.
Students march to Hanes Hall holding a sign stating, "Non-Disruptive Peaceful Protest"
Students march to Hanes Hall to protest CIA presence on campus, November 1988. Photo by Chuck Liddy, Durham Herald-Sun photo collection.
Ten students hold posters against the CIA's presence on campus in front of Hanes Hall
Student protest at Hanes Hall, November 1988. Photo by Chuck Liddy, Durham Herald-Sun photo collection.

From the Archives: The Freelon Group on the Design Philosophy of the Stone Center, ca. 2004.

In the Records of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for for Black Culture and History, we recently came across a design statement from the Freelon Group, the architects responsible for the Center. The Group was led by Phil Freelon, a North Carolina-based architect of international renown, now best known for his work on the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, D.C. Learn more about Freelon.

The Stone Center pamphlet discusses the group’s “intentional blending of traditional elements of the UNC campus environment with carefully integrated references to African influenced design.” Read more below.

Design Objectives for the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.
Freelon Group, Design Objectives for the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.” From the Records of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center (#40341), University Archives.
Design Objectives for the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History, page 2.
Freelon Group, “Design Objectives for the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.” From the Records of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center (#40341), University Archives.
Design Objectives for the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History, page 3
Freelon Group, “Design Objectives for the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.” From the Records of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center (#40341), University Archives.

From folder 105, “Center space, 2003-2004, undated.”