Purple tributes for Susan Nutter

Hill Library Color Wall relit to honor late director.

The Color Wall and Conservatory in the Hill Library have been turned purple in memory of former Vice Provost and Director of the NC State University Libraries Susan K. Nutter, who passed away on March 25. Nutter retired in 2017 after a 30-year career as one of NC State’s and the library world’s most dynamic and influential leaders. Purple was her favorite color.

A memorial service for Nutter will be held on May 31 at 10:30 a.m. at the Hunt Library. More details will be available soon about the memorial and subsequent reception. Contributions may be made to the University Libraries' Susan K. Nutter Innovative Leadership Endowment. The Color Wall and Conservatory will be returned to their original colors after the service.

Created by long-time College of Design professor and Raleigh artist Joe Cox, the Color Wall beams out over Hillsborough Street through a library window. “The Color Wall has long represented the almost magical merging of science, art, and people that NC State has brought to the economy and culture of North Carolina,” Nutter said in 2010 about a renovation of Cox’s work.

The Libraries has also made a memorial website honoring Nutter.