A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the one hundredth anniversary of north carolina central university.

Whereas, North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham was chartered in 1909 as a private institution and opened to students on July 10, 1910; and
Whereas, NCCU was founded by Dr. James E. Shepard as the National Religious Training School and Chautauqua; and
Whereas, in 1915, the School was sold and reorganized and its name was changed to the National Training School; and
Whereas, in 1923, the General Assembly appropriated funds for the purchase and maintenance of the School making it a publicly supported institution; and
Whereas, during that time, the School was renamed the Durham State Normal School; and
Whereas, in 1925, the School was converted to the North Carolina College for Negroes becoming the nation's first state‑supported liberal arts college for African‑American students; and
Whereas, the College saw significant expansion between 1927 and 1929 through appropriations from the General Assembly, a generous gift from B.N. Duke, and contributions from the citizens of Durham; and
Whereas, the College was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools as an "A" class institution in 1937 and gained membership in that association in 1957; and
Whereas, in 1939, the General Assembly authorized the College to offer graduate studies, which led to the establishment of the School of Law in 1940 and the School of Library Science in 1941; and
Whereas, in 1947, the General Assembly changed the name of the College to North Carolina College at Durham and in 1969 changed the name to North Carolina Central University; and
Whereas, in 1972, NCCU became part of the consolidated University of North Carolina; and
Whereas, NCCU was led by Dr. Shepard from 1910 until his death on October 6, 1947; and
Whereas, the leaders who followed Dr. Shepard include Dr. Alfonso Elder, Dr. Samuel P. Massie, Dr. Albert N. Whiting, Dr. LeRoy T. Walker, Dr. Tyronza R. Richmond, Julius L. Chambers, Dr. James H. Ammons, and Dr. Charlie Nelms; and
Whereas, NCCU currently offers bachelor's degrees in more than 100 fields of study and awards graduate degrees in an estimated 40 disciplines; and
Whereas, NCCU has a state‑of‑the‑art biotechnology research institute, which collaborates with pharmacy and biotech companies in the Research Triangle Park area; and
Whereas, NCCU has an enrollment of nearly 9,000 students and through its international studies and exchange programs attracts students from several countries, including Liberia, India, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Nepal, China, the Czech Republic, Nigeria, South Korea, Russia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and South Africa; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the memory of Dr. James E. Shepard for his role in founding North Carolina Central University.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly acknowledges the 100th anniversary of North Carolina Central University and encourages the citizens of this State to participate in activities marking this historic occasion for one of the State's public universities.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to Dr. Charlie Nelms, Chancellor of North Carolina Central University.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 8th day of July, 2010.

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		 Walter H. Dalton
	 President of the Senate

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		 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives