Winston-Salem State University

Last updated
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University seal.svg
Former name
Slater Industrial Academy (1892-1899)
Slater Industrial and Slater Normal School (1899-1925)
Winston-Salem Teachers College (1925-1963)
Winston-Salem State College (1963-1969)
Motto"Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve."
Type Public historically black university
EstablishedSeptember 28, 1892;132 years ago (September 28, 1892)
Parent institution
 University of North Carolina
Accreditation SACS
Academic affiliation
 TMCF
Endowment $49.8 million (2019) [1]
Chancellor Bonita J. Brown
Provost Anthony Graham
Academic staff
400
Administrative staff
800
Students5,190 [2]
Undergraduates 4,741
Postgraduates 449
Location
Winston-Salem
,
North Carolina
,
United States

36°05′22″N80°13′30″W / 36.0895°N 80.2251°W / 36.0895; -80.2251
CampusMidsize city, 117 acres (0.47 km2)
NewspaperThe News Argus
Colors Scarlet and white
    [3]
Nickname Rams
Sporting affiliations
 NCAA Division II - CIAA
MascotAmon the Ram
Website www.wssu.edu
Winston-Salem State University logo.svg

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is a historically black public university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system.

Contents

History

Winston-Salem State University was founded as Slater Industrial Academy on September 28, 1892. It began with 25 pupils and one teacher in a one-room frame structure. By 1895 the school was recognized by the State of North Carolina and in 1899 it was chartered by the state as Slater Industrial and Slater Normal School. [4]

In 1925, the North Carolina General Assembly renamed the school Winston-Salem Teachers College and the North Carolina State Board of Education allowed the college to award elementary teacher education degrees, making it the first black institution to provide this specialized training. [4]

The School of Nursing was established in 1953 offering baccalaureate degrees. In 1963 the North Carolina General Assembly authorized changing the name from Winston-Salem Teachers College to Winston-Salem State College. A statute designating Winston-Salem State College as Winston-Salem State University received legislative approval in 1969. On July 1, 1972, Winston-Salem State University became one of 16 constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina. [4]

In 2020, MacKenzie Scott donated $30 million to Winston-Salem State. Her donation is the largest single gift in the university's history. [5]

Academics

Winston-Salem State offers over 40 academic majors and 10 graduate degrees. The school enrolls approximately 5,200 students and employs 400 faculty and over 550 staff members. [6]

Colleges & Departments

Rankings

Winston-Salem State University was ranked the #7 top college in the United States by the Social Mobility Index college rankings. [7]

Winston-Salem State has been ranked #27 by U.S. News & World Report in the Top Public Comprehensive Baccalaureate Colleges of the South category between 2001 and 2009. By 2016, the university had fallen to a ranking of #84 in the same category. [8]

Library

C. G. O’Kelly Library is the main academic library on the campus of Winston-Salem State University, which was originally the Slater Industrial Academy. The original library was housed in Blair Hall until 1967 when the new library was built and O’Kelly Library has gone through two additions and one renovation within the past forty years. [9]

Campus

The Alumni House on campus SG Atkins House.jpg
The Alumni House on campus

The campus has more than 40 buildings covering 117 acres (0.47 km2). [10] WSSU's Diggs Gallery was recognized as one of the top African-American galleries in its region. [11]

Student activities

Athletics

WSSU Athletics Logo Winston-Salem State Rams wordmark.svg
WSSU Athletics Logo

Winston-Salem State University is currently a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) in NCAA Division II. From the 2007–08 season through the 2009–10 season, the Rams competed in the NCAA's Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), despite being a transitional member that was attempting to attain full membership within the MEAC or within NCAA Division I, in which the Rams were also scheduled to begin full membership and gain access to NCAA tournaments in 2011. However, it never occurred due to financial difficulties. [12] [13]

Esports Integration

Winston-Salem State University integrated esports into its computer science program with a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate Program. The initiative includes an esports lab, offering hands-on learning and attracting underrepresented minority students to STEM fields while expanding career paths in the esports industry. [14]

The men's basketball team and WSSU cheerleaders at the 2012 CIAA Tournament USMC-120303-M-PR201-235.jpg
The men's basketball team and WSSU cheerleaders at the 2012 CIAA Tournament

Student Organizations

There are over 100 student organizations at WSSU. Including the Student Government Association, fraternities and sororities, Honor societies, and the Red Sea of Sound marching band. [15]

Notable alumni

Earl Monroe, 4x NBA All-Star, NBA Champion, Member of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, WSSU Class of 1967. Earl Monroe WSSU.jpg
Earl Monroe, 4x NBA All-Star, NBA Champion, Member of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, WSSU Class of 1967.
Stephen A. Smith, television personality, radio host and sports journalist, Co-host of ESPN First Take, WSSU Class of 1991. Stephen A. Smith February 2020.jpg
Stephen A. Smith, television personality, radio host and sports journalist, Co-host of ESPN First Take, WSSU Class of 1991.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference</span> American collegiate athletic conference

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, and in football, in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association</span> U.S. athletic conference in NCAA Division II

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, whose member institutions consist entirely of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarence Gaines</span> American basketball player and coach (1923–2005)

Clarence Edward "Big House" Gaines Sr. was an American college men's basketball coach with a 47-year coaching career at Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Among his numerous honors for his achievements, he is one of the few African Americans to be inducted as a coach into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum</span> Indoor arena at Wake Forest University

The Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a 14,665-seat multi-purpose arena, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Construction on the arena began on April 23, 1987, and it opened on August 28, 1989. It was named after Lawrence Joel, an Army medic from Winston-Salem who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1967 for action in Vietnam on November 8, 1965. The memorial was designed by James Ford in New York, and includes the poem "The Fallen" engraved on an interior wall. It is home to the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons men's basketball and women's basketball teams, and is adjacent to the Carolina Classic Fairgrounds. The arena replaced the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum, which was torn down for the LJVM Coliseum's construction.

Athletes and sports teams from North Carolina compete across an array of professional and amateur levels of competition, along with athletes who compete at the World and Olympic levels in their respective sport. Major league professional teams based in North Carolina include teams that compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), and National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The state is also home to NASCAR Cup Series races. At the collegiate and university level, there are several North Carolina schools in various conferences across an array of divisions. North Carolina also has many minor league baseball teams. There are also a number of indoor football, indoor soccer, minor league basketball, and minor league ice hockey teams based throughout the state.

Bobby Lee Collins is an American college basketball coach and the former head men's basketball coach at Maryland Eastern Shore. Prior to Maryland Eastern Shore, Collins had been the head coach at Winston-Salem State University and Hampton University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina A&T Aggies football</span> Football program

The North Carolina A&T Aggies football program represents North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in college football. The Aggies play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a member of CAA Football, the technically separate football league operated by the Aggies' full-time home of the Coastal Athletic Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winston-Salem State Rams</span> Athletic teams representing Winston-Salem State University

The Winston-Salem State Rams are the athletic teams that represent Winston-Salem State University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Rams compete as members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association for all sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chowan Hawks</span> Athletic teams representing Chowan University

The Chowan Hawks are the athletic teams that represent Chowan University, located in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina A&T Aggies</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of North Carolina A&T State University

The North Carolina A&T Aggies are the athletic teams that represent North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The Aggies compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) in all sports with the exception of football and women's bowling. North Carolina A&T fields varsity teams in 13 sports, five for men and eight for women. The football team competes in Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, in the CAA's technically separate football arm of CAA Football.

Pete Richardson is an American former professional football defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) and former college head coach.

Kermit Blount is an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Winston-Salem State University from 1993 to 2009, Delaware State University from 2011 to 2014 and at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina from 2015 to 2021. He is a Winston-Salem State alumnus who played quarterback for the Rams from 1976 to 1979, and was a teammate of future National Football League (NFL) player Timmy Newsome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Hayes (American football)</span> American football player, coach, and administrator (born 1943)

William Hayes is a former American football coach and college athletics administrator. He retired as the athletic director at Winston-Salem State University in 2014. Hayes served as the head football coach at Winston-Salem State from 1976 to 1987 and at North Carolina A&T State University from 1988 to 2003, compiling a career college football record of 195–104–2. In 27 seasons as a head coach, Hayes has the distinction of being the winningest coach at both football programs. He is an alumnus of North Carolina Central University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winston-Salem State Rams men's basketball</span> American college basketball team

The Winston-Salem State Rams men's basketball team is the men's basketball team that represents Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. The school's team currently competes in the NCAA Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The school won the 1967 NCAA Division II championship. Winston-Salem State competed in Division I from the 2007–08 season to the 2009–10 season as a transitional member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC); it returned to Division II in 2010 for financial reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina A&T–Winston-Salem State rivalry</span> American college football rivalries

The North Carolina A&T–Winston-Salem State rivalry is an ongoing series of athletic competitions between historic rivals North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and Winston-Salem State University, both of which are located in the state of North Carolina. The intensity of the rivalry is driven by the proximity of the two schools, as both are only 30 miles apart via U.S. Interstate 40; the size of the two schools, as North Carolina A&T is the largest Historically Black College and University in the state and Winston-Salem State is the third largest; coaching personnel, and conference alignments, as both schools at one time were both members of either the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) or the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Although a less intense and bitter rivalry than that shared between North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central University, both A&T and WSSU fans placed great emphasis on this rivalry.

Clarence "Jeep" Jones was an American community activist who was closely tied to the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston throughout his personal and professional life. Jones was the first African-American Deputy Mayor of the city of Boston. He had a 32-year career with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, serving as the Chairman of the board for 24 years.

Ricky Lane Duckett was an American college basketball coach. He served as the head coach of the Fayetteville State Broncos, Winston-Salem State Rams and Grambling State Tigers and compiled a 156–98 overall record.

The 2011 Winston-Salem State Rams football team represented Winston-Salem State University as a member of the Southern Division of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) during the 2011 NCAA Division II football season. Led by second-year head coach Connell Maynor, the Rams compiled an overall record of 13–1, with a conference record of 8–0, and finished as CIAA champion. At the conclusion of the season, Winston-Salem State was also recognized as black college national champion.

Cleo Geoffrey Hill Jr. is an American basketball coach who is the current head coach of the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks men's basketball team. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Central Eagles and has previously coached at the collegiate level for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Shaw Bears, Cheyney Wolves and Winston-Salem State Rams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024–25 Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2024–25 Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland Eastern Shore during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hawks, led by first-year head coach Cleo Hill Jr., play their home games at the Hytche Athletic Center in Princess Anne, Maryland as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

References

  1. ↑ As of June 30, 2019. "U.S. and Canadian 2019 NTSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2019 Endowment Market Value, and Percentage Change in Market Value from FY18 to FY19 (Revised)". National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  2. ↑ "WSSU enrollment is highest since 2014". Winston-Salem State University. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  3. ↑ Winston-Salem State University Brand Guide (PDF). July 20, 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "University History - Winston-Salem State University".
  5. ↑ "Winston-Salem State receives $30 million donation from MacKenzie Scott; largest-ever gift from a single donor". 15 December 2020.
  6. ↑ "WSSU Fact Book 2015-16" (PDF). Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  7. ↑ "Social Mobility Index 2018" . Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  8. ↑ "Winston-Salem State University | Best College | US News". colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-28. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  9. ↑ "Okelly Library". wssu.edu. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Historical Sketch - Winston-Salem State University - Acalog ACMS™". Catalog.wssu.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-09-12. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  11. ↑ "About WSSU - Why WSSU? - Transformation Happens Here". Wssu.edu. 2016-08-05. Archived from the original on 2016-08-24. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  12. ↑ "Winston-Salem State jumps to Division I, joins MEAC – College Sports – ESPN". ESPN. 19 July 2006. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  13. ↑ "Winston-Salem ready to return to D-II, CIAA – NCAA Basketball – Sporting News". aol.sportingnews.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  14. ↑ Newswire, HBCU Gameday (2024-10-18). "HBCU awarded $400,000 grant to infuse esports and CPU science". HBCU Gameday. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
  15. ↑ "Student Organizations - Winston-Salem State University".
  16. ↑ Hall, Tony (November 26, 1996). "Farrakhan Returns To WSSU Campus". Greensboro News & Record . Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Earl Monroe". Pro-Basketball Reference.Com. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Earl "The Pearl" Monroe – Winston Salem State University". wssurams.com. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Chris Paul | San Antonio Spurs". www.nba.com. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  20. ↑ "Ramily, ESPN honor Stephen A. Smith". www.wssu.edu. September 20, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Winston Salem State Rams Hall of Fame: Stephen A. Smith". Winston Salem State Athletics. Retrieved December 20, 2019.

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