Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) is a public, historically black college located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in the United States. ECSU, which enrolls nearly 2,500 students in 37 baccalaureate programs and three master's degree programs, is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, as well as a member-institution of the University of North Carolina system.
History
Elizabeth City State University was established by the North Carolina General Assembly on March 3, 1891, in response to a bill calling for the creation of a two-year normal school for the "teaching and training [of] teachers of the colored race to teach in the common schools of North Carolina." This was to provide training for more teachers of primary grades. The campus quadrangle and six surrounding buildings are included in the Elizabeth City State Teachers College Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
In 1937, the school made the transformation into a full four-year teachers college and was officially named Elizabeth City State Teachers College, while expanding its role to include the training of principals as well. In 1939, the college awarded its first bachelor of science degrees in its program of elementary education. Within the following twenty-five years, the college expanded its offerings to include a vocational-technical program and a total of thirteen academic majors.
In December 1961, the college gained membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1963 its name was changed to Elizabeth City State College. In 1969, its name was changed to Elizabeth City State University to reflect expansion and the addition of graduate programs. When the University of North Carolina System was formed in 1972, ECSU became one of the system's sixteen constituent universities and entered into its current phase of development and organization.
List of Chief Executive Officers
- Peter Wedderick Moore, A.M., LL.D. (Principal, 1891â€"1928, President Emeritus, 1928â€"1934)
- John Henry Bias, A.B., LL.D. (President, 1928â€"1939)
- Harold Leonard Trigg, Ed.D. (President, 1939â€"1945)
- Sidney David Williams, A.M., D.PED. (President, 1946â€"1958, President Emeritus, 1969â€"1974)
- Walter Nathaniel Ridley, Ed.D. (President, 1958â€"1968, President Emeritus, 1988â€"1996)
- Marion Dennis Thorpe, Ph.D. (President, 1968â€"1972, Chancellor, 1972â€"1983)
- Jimmy Raymond Jenkins, Ph.D. (Chancellor, 1983â€"1995, Chancellor Emeritus, 1995â€"present)
- Mickey Lynn Burnim, Ph.D. (Chancellor, 1995â€"2006)
- Willie J. Gilchrist, Ed.D. (Chancellor, 2006â€"2013)
- Charles L. Becton, J.D. (Interim Chancellor, 2013â€"2014)
- Stacey Franklin Jones, Ph.D. (Chancellor, 2014-2015)
- Thomas Conway, Ph.D. (Interim Chancellor, effective January 1, 2016)
Campus
ECSU's campus encompasses 200 acres (0.81Â km2), mostly flanked by residential districts.
Academics
ECSU offers 28 baccalaureate degrees and four master's degrees in one of the following academic departments:
- Business & Economics
- Health & Physical Education
- Helen M. Caldwell Department of Education & Psychology
- Language, Literature & Communication
- Herman G. Cooke Department of Natural Sciences
- Mathematics & Computer Science;
- Pharmacy & Health Professions;
- Social & Behavioral Sciences; Technology
- Visual & Performing Arts
ECSU also offers special programs that appeal to various interests and fields of study, including the honors program (for high-achieving students), military science, study abroad and Viking Fellows for education majors.
Student life
Students can choose to be involved in various on-campus organizations, including fraternities, sororities, radio station WRVS-FM, campus TV station, and intramural sports.
Athletics
As a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, ECSU's athletes, known athletically as the Vikings, compete in the Division II athletic conference known as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).
Notable alumni
Anthony Ray 1977, Creator Producer and Host of the Nationally Syndicated HBCU NATION RADIO SHOW SIRIUSXM HBCU Channel 142. Thought Leader, Author, Founding Pastor of World Missions Church. Founder, President of The James Solomon Russell College Prep Academy for Boys located on the campus of St Paul's College, Lawrenceville, Va
Notes
External links
- Official website
- ECSU Athletics website