Fabulous 50: A Celebration of African American History

Every February, the United States celebrates the history and achievements of African Americans as a part of Black History Month. In a special edition of our blog series “Fabulous 50,” we are sharing campus events highlighting African American history from 50 years ago.

First African American Woman Awarded PhD

In 1973, Nannette Smith Henderson was the first African American woman awarded a PhD at NC State with a degree in plant pathology. According to an interview in NCSU alumni news, Henderson was unaware that she was the first black woman to receive a doctorate at NC State until a week before graduation. After graduation, Nanette joined NC State’s faculty and taught courses at the university. As a dedicated educator, she ran a help center for students who needed guidance and clarification on course content.

In 1990, Henderson was interviewed for NC State’s annual Brotherhood Dinners. Henderson discusses in the interview her background in plant pathology, the importance of the Brown vs. Board of Education case, and her mentors as an undergraduate student at Howard University. [These interview tapes are available for research in the Special Collections Reading Room. To schedule an appointment or request materials, please contact us at library_specialcollections@ncsu.edu]

First African American woman librarian hired

Margaret Hunt was one of the first African American women hired as a professional librarian to work at the D. H. Hill Jr. Library. Margaret Hunt worked at Cornell, Duke, and the North Carolina State Library before coming to the Hill Library. In July 1973, Margaret Hunt was hired in a supervisory role at the Libraries under the recommendation of Cyrus King, then Head of the Department of Acquisitions with the Libraries. She was later hired as the first head of the Collection Management department and retired from the Libraries in 2000.

Recalling her time at NC State in an oral history interview, Hunt discusses what it was like to be an African American woman working on a mostly all-white staff. She recalls instances when her qualifications were questioned by colleagues despite her supervisory position in the library. Since she was employed as one of the first African American employees at previous jobs, Hunt stated that she became prepared for the environment she encountered at NC State and succeeded in part due to mentorship from library staff.

First African American Athlete Named All-American winner

David Thompson was named NC State's first African American All-American winner in basketball in 1973. Thompson helped lead the Wolfpack to its first NCAA championship and was named Tournament MVP in 1974. He was later selected as a No. 1 draft pick to play with the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a leading scorer, he has the only retired jersey number (#44) in NC State men's basketball history, and he was officially inducted into the NC State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.

Interested in Learning More?

For further research, the Libraries' African American timeline celebrates “firsts” in NC State history. The Libraries “Dare and Do!” exhibit, located in the Hill Library’s Exhibit Gallery, also explores and celebrates the rich history of Wolfpack women like Nannette Henderson and Margaret Hunt. 

If you have any questions or are interested in viewing Special Collections materials, please contact us at library_specialcollections@ncsu.edu or submit a request online. The Special Collections Research Center is open by appointment only. Appointments are available Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm and Saturday, 1pm–5pm. Requests for a Saturday appointment must be received no later than Tuesday of the same week.