Archived News

WCU: A timeline

fr wcujug1889 — Cullowhee Academy opens with 18 students and 1 teacher

1891 — Name changes to Cullowhee High School

1905 — Name changes to Cullowhee Normal and Industrial School

1907 — First dormitory, Davies Home, opens 

1914 — Campus newspaper, “The Cullowhee Yodel,” premiers

1929 — Name changes to Western Carolina Teachers College

Related Items

1932 — ‘Catamount’ narrowly beats out ‘Boomers’ to become mascot

1939 — The federal New Deal program funds multiple campus construction projects 

1940s — Male enrollment drops below 10 percent as World War II rages

1953 — Name changes to Western Carolina College

1957 — Levern Hamlin becomes WCU’s first African-American student 

1967 — Name changes to Western Carolina University

1970s — WCU begins ‘The Old Mountain Jug’ rivalry with Appalachian State

1972 — Chancellor Jack K. Carlton freezes tenure and requires freshmen to live on campus

1973 — Amid student protests, Carlton is ousted from office 

1980 — Ronnie Carr makes first three-point shot in NCAA history 

1998 — WCU becomes first public university in state to institute a computer requirement

2005 — WCU announces Millennial Initiative

2009 — Pride of the Mountains marching band receives Sudler Trophy 

2011 — The Freshmen Run tradition begins

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.