A HOUSE RESOLUTION HONORING THE FOUNDERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT PEMBROKE ON ITS ONE HUNDRED TWENTY‑FIFTH ANNIVERSARY.
Whereas, Preston Locklear, Hamilton McMillan, Reverend W.L. Moore, and O.R. Sampson requested that Representative Hamilton McMillan introduce legislation to finance public education for American Indian children, and as a result, the Croatan Indian Normal School was established; and
Whereas, when the 1887 law was enacted, the General Assembly appointed Preston Locklear, Hamilton McMillan, Reverend W.L. Moore, and O.R. Sampson as trustees to carry out the act; and
Whereas, it gave them authority to elect three other trustees, thus bringing the trustee body up to seven and J.J. Oxendine, Isaac Braboy, and Olin Oxendine were immediately selected; and
Whereas, according to Pembroke State University: A Centennial History, the seven‑man Board of Trustees was charged with maintaining a school of "high grade for teachers of the Croatan race in North Carolina," as the Lumbee Indians were then known; and
Whereas, in addition, the establishment and survival of the institution owed a great deal to determined leaders such as Preston Locklear, Hamilton McMillan, Reverend W.L. Moore, and O.R. Sampson; and
Whereas, Reverend Moore was a charter member of the Croatan Indian Normal School's Board of Trustees and was celebrated as its first headmaster; and
Whereas, the General Assembly changed the name in 1911 to the Indian Normal School of Robeson County and again in 1913 to the Cherokee Indian Normal School of Robeson County; and
Whereas, in 1941 the General Assembly changed the name to Pembroke State College for Indians, and the school's curriculum further expanded; and
Whereas, in 1945 enrollment was further expanded to include American Indians from other tribes, and in 1949 the name was shortened to Pembroke State College; and
Whereas, in 1969 the name was changed to Pembroke State University and was designated a regional university; and
Whereas, in 1972 Pembroke State University became one of the constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina; and
Whereas, on July 1, 1996, Pembroke State University became the University of North Carolina at Pembroke; and
Whereas, on June 27, 2005, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted legislation designating the University of North Carolina at Pembroke as North Carolina's Historically American Indian University; and
Whereas, today the University is a regional university with over 6,000 students and one of the most diverse institutions in America; and
Whereas, today at the Croatan Indian Normal School known as the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, the founders' legacy continues on its campus; and
Whereas, on March 14, 2012, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke began a 14‑month celebration to showcase the heritage, history, and accomplishments of students, faculty, staff, and alumni of this great institution; and
Whereas, Pembroke State University: A Centennial History eloquently noted that Reverend Moore "was an idealistic man who believed firmly in the uplifting effects of education"; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
SECTION 1.  The House of Representatives honors and commemorates the first Board of Trustees and the legacy of educational opportunities the University of North Carolina at Pembroke has provided as part of the celebration of the University's 125th Anniversary on March 7, 2012.
SECTION 2.  The Principal Clerk shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. 
SECTION 3.  This resolution is effective upon adoption.