UNC University Archives

UNC University Archives The UNC University Archives is part of the Wilson Special Collections Library.

The University Archives supports education, research, and public service through stewardship of University records and open engagement with the evolving historical record of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Located in the Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, we are the official repository for the historically valuable, unpublished records of both the University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill and the major administrative offices of the UNC System headquartered in Chapel Hill. Records in our holdings date from the chartering of the university in 1789 to the present, and include minute books of the Board of Trustees; correspondence of chancellors, presidents, provosts, and deans; minutes of faculty meetings; files of academic and administrative departments; reports of faculty committees; and records of faculty and student organizations. Please note: Posts and comments to and from the University Archives, in connection with the transaction of public business, are subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

With the weather we’re expecting it’s going to be a good weekend to stay inside and rely on more analog forms of enterta...
01/23/2026

With the weather we’re expecting it’s going to be a good weekend to stay inside and rely on more analog forms of entertainment. Carolinaopoly anyone? The puzzle and games shown here are part of the North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library.

Any changes to hours as a result of the weather will be shared at library.unc.edu.

11/21/2025

The Beat Dook Parade used to be an annual tradition in downtown Chapel Hill prior to the Carolina-Duke football game. This rare color footage of the parade is from the promotional film "In The Name of Freedom: The Story of Chapel Hill," produced by the university in 1950.

Follow the link in our bio to view the full video.

On this day in 1993, the Grateful Dead played the first of two sold-out shows at the Dean E. Smith Center. These backsta...
03/24/2025

On this day in 1993, the Grateful Dead played the first of two sold-out shows at the Dean E. Smith Center. These backstage passes - from the Chapel Hill and other North Carolina Dead shows - are from the Lew Powell collection in the North Carolina Collection Gallery in Wilson Library.

Did you know that UNC’s school colors come from the Dialectic and Philanthropic societies? The “Di Phi” debating societi...
03/04/2025

Did you know that UNC’s school colors come from the Dialectic and Philanthropic societies? The “Di Phi” debating societiers are the oldest student organization at Carolina. In the early days of the university, student diplomas included a ribbon in the color of their society - white for the Philanthropic and light blue for the Dialectic.

This early 19th century diploma, held in Wilson Library, is one of the oldest surviving examples of Carolina Blue.

We were saddened to hear of David Mozart Dansby Jr.'s passing. Dansby enrolled as an undergraduate at UNC in 1957 and be...
02/08/2024

We were saddened to hear of David Mozart Dansby Jr.'s passing. Dansby enrolled as an undergraduate at UNC in 1957 and became the first Black Student to receive an undergraduate degree in 1961. He later went on to attain his law degree from UNC in 1964.

Learn about how preserves student life records. Preserve your own records by contacting us. Link in bio
01/23/2024

Learn about how preserves student life records. Preserve your own records by contacting us. Link in bio

Happy Halloween! Can you guess what movie characters these Tar Heels are dressed as? Hint, I wouldn't feed them after mi...
10/31/2023

Happy Halloween! Can you guess what movie characters these Tar Heels are dressed as? Hint, I wouldn't feed them after midnight. 

The Black Student Movement organized a protest on University Day, October 12, 1977, to voice their concerns regarding UN...
10/12/2023

The Black Student Movement organized a protest on University Day, October 12, 1977, to voice their concerns regarding UNC's alleged lack of action in response to the Housing, Education, and Welfare Department's accusations that the UNC System was not providing sufficient funding and support for African American students.

Image credit: "BSM members protesting at University Day ceremonies, 10/12/1977"

The UNC Story Archive is an ongoing collection of over 40 recordings from the community about moments in UNC Chapel Hill...
10/11/2023

The UNC Story Archive is an ongoing collection of over 40 recordings from the community about moments in UNC Chapel Hill's history. With a focus on collecting stories from historically underrepresented communities, the Story Archive provides Carolina students, alums, residents, former/current staff, and other affiliates with the opportunity to take the lead on documenting UNC history.

These recordings vary in length (from as short as 5 minutes to as long as an hour) based on the story that the contributor would like to share. Every recording is led by the person sharing their Carolina story.

The UNC Archives is always accepting participants for the Story Archive. Want to contribute to the UNC Story Archive? Visut go.unc.edu/UNCStoryArchive to view the collection and complete a short interest form!

The UNC Story Archive is an ongoing collection of over 40 recordings from the community about moments in UNC Chapel Hill...
10/11/2023

The UNC Story Archive is an ongoing collection of over 40 recordings from the community about moments in UNC Chapel Hill's history. With a focus on collecting stories from historically under-represented narratives, the Story Archive provides Chapel Hill students, alums, residents, former/current staff, and other affiliates of varying identities with the opportunity to take the lead on documenting UNC history.

These recordings vary in length (from as short as 5 minutes to as long as an hour) based on the story that the contributor would like to share. Every recording is led by the person sharing their Carolina story. The UNC Archives is always accepting participants for the Story Archive. Want to contribute to the UNC Story Archive? Then check out go.unc.edu/UNCStoryArchive to view our collection and complete a short interest form! Link in bio.

Next February will be the 40th anniversary of the opening of Davis Library (it first opened to students on February 7, 1...
09/28/2023

Next February will be the 40th anniversary of the opening of Davis Library (it first opened to students on February 7, 1984). For our 1980s alums: do you remember the early days of Davis Library? What was it like? Also, if anyone has any suggestions for finding the student pictured in this DTH photo, please let us know!

Here's an interesting approach to scheduling college football games. Even though it's coming from Trinity College (befor...
08/11/2023

Here's an interesting approach to scheduling college football games. Even though it's coming from Trinity College (before they changed their name to Duke) we have to respect their willingness to take on all comers.

Image from the Raleigh News and Observer, Oct. 31, 1891. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84024516/1891-10-31/ed-1/seq-4/

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Wilson Library, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
27514

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

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