Dare and Do! — Women's History at NC State

Dare and Do! celebrates the long history of women who have worked, studied, and broken barriers at North Carolina State University. The exhibit specifically celebrates the 1921 enrollment of Lucille Thompson—first full-time female student. The exhibit also coincides with the 30th anniversary of NC State’s Women’s Center. These integral anniversaries present an opportunity to celebrate the full history of women at this university from the earliest years of the school’s opening to the present day. 

The exhibit is organized thematically, with an emphasis on the historical arc of women’s accomplishments in major areas of university history, including early women’s experiences, World War II, campus life, and much more. At the center of this exhibit are artifacts and documents from the Libraries’ Special Collections Resource Center, including handwritten notes from early staff members, scrapbooks from clubs and campus organizations, and coverage in campus publications like the Technician.  

While our collections bring the stories of women to life in this exhibit, Dare and Do! also seeks to confront and acknowledge silences within the university archives. These silences, shaped by the items and stories that were not preserved in the past, determine what stories can be told in this exhibit. Often, these gaps disproportionately affect the stories of women who, especially along the lines of race, class, and sexuality. As such, this exhibit hopes to acknowledge these gaps while still celebrating women’s stories that are known. 

Photographs and oral histories play a major role in illuminating stories that might not have otherwise been recorded. Henry Stover, a senior Art and Design major who helped design the exhibit, emphasized the important role photographs play in recording the mundane. “Seeing photos of students from decades ago doing everyday things like making a phone call, studying, kissing, or walking on campus made me feel so human and connected to these women. For Black, queer, and women from other marginalized communities that were often left out of history, these images of everyday activities were sometimes a better record of the diversity on campus, because marginalized excellence wasn't being recognized and recorded very well.” Additionally, oral histories or WolfTales allow for women to tell their stories in their own voices and preserve their perspectives going forward. Open recording days are particularly central for preserving a wide range of experience from staff members, campus leaders, and students.

Dare and Do! celebrates the past and present accomplishments of Wolfpack women and the relationships they have formed with one another through more than a century of living and working at the university. If you know a woman who is not featured in the exhibit or have your own stories to share, please consider using this form to share them with us and they may be posted on social media!