ECU Alumni

10/11/2026

New beginnings, memorable milestones and a changing Greenville helped define the 2010s for Pirate Nation. 💜💛

ECU entered the decade with the establishment of ECU Honors College in 2010, followed by the arrival of its first class of dental students in 2011, strengthening the university's academic mission and commitment to eastern North Carolina.

Pirate athletics delivered plenty of excitement. Football brought high-flying offenses and memorable victories, while ECU joined the American Conference in 2014. That same year, Cliff Godwin took over the baseball program, ushering in a new era of success on the diamond.

In 2016, Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium welcomed thousands of music fans for the inaugural Carolina Kickoff concert, headlined by Eric Church and Kid Rock.

When Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018) impacted eastern North Carolina, Pirate Nation rallied together, demonstrating the strength and resilience of the ECU community.

Meanwhile, the revitalization of downtown Greenville brought new energy to the city, reshaping how students and alumni experienced the area. On campus, the opening of the Main Campus Student Center in 2019 marked a major milestone in student life.

As we wrap up our 7 Decades and 7 Days series, a special thank you to Joyner Library and the generations of Pirates whose photographs, memories and stories helped bring ECU's history to life. 🏴‍☠️

10/10/2026

A new millennium brought groundbreaking achievements, unforgettable moments and a century of Pirate pride to East Carolina 🏴‍☠️
The 2000s began with a major medical milestone as ECU heart surgeon Dr. Randolph Chitwood performed North America's first robot-assisted mitral valve surgery in 2000. A year later, President George W. Bush became the first sitting U.S. president to visit ECU, while the Langford-Joyner Clock Tower added a new landmark to campus.

In 2007, ECU marked its 100th anniversary, a century after opening its doors in 1907. That same year, the North Carolina General Assembly authorized the establishment of ECU's School of Dental Medicine, expanding the university's commitment to serving communities across the state.

Pirate athletics reached new heights throughout the decade. In 2005, Clark-LeClair Stadium opened, honoring beloved baseball coach Keith LeClair and longtime supporter Bill Clark. LeClair's legacy helped establish ECU baseball as a national contender. On the gridiron, standout running back Chris Johnson became an NFL legend, and ECU football captured back-to-back Conference USA championships in 2008 and 2009.

7 Decades in 7 Days wraps up tomorrow with the 2010s!

10/10/2026

Tonight, we celebrated five outstanding ECU alumni whose achievements, leadership and commitment to service exemplify the impact of Pirate Nation.

Congratulations to our 2026 ECU Alumni Awards honorees!

Outstanding Alumni Award
• Benjamin Davis ’08 ’10
• Dr. Sara Griffith ’00 ’08 ’21
• Dr. Patrick O’Shea ’08

Virgil Clark ’50 Distinguished Service Award
• Robert Cherry ’04
• Mark Garner ’77

Thank you to our honorees, their families and everyone who joined us for an evening recognizing their accomplishments and contributions to ECU and beyond.

10/09/2026

Pirate Game Day Tailgate will be held from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Saturday, with the announcement of kickoff against Rice moving to 1 p.m.
See you in the morning. Go Pirates!

10/09/2026

From a Peach Bowl comeback for the ages to ECU's first steps onto the internet, the 1990s brought plenty of new territory for Pirate Nation 🏴‍☠️

The decade started with big academic ambitions as East Carolina University pushed to expand its doctoral programs. In 1992, the university’s medical education earned national recognition for its work preparing general physicians, continuing a health sciences story decades in the making.

Pirate football created one of the decade’s most memorable moments in the 1992 Peach Bowl. Led by quarterback Jeff Blake, ECU scored three touchdowns in the final eight minutes to complete a 37-34 comeback over NC State. Later in the decade, the Pirates joined Conference USA as ECU Athletics continued to grow on a national stage.

Campus was changing, too. ECU Campus Recreation & Wellness Center opened in 1994, Joyner Library’s collection surpassed 1 million volumes in 1995 and the medical school was named for the Brody family in 1999.

And as the decade came to a close, ECU began reaching students in an entirely new way. In 1999, twenty distance-learning courses became available over the internet, an early step toward extending the ECU experience far beyond Greenville.

🏴‍☠️ 7 Decades in 7 Days continues tomorrow with the 2000s

10/08/2026

PeeDee officially arrived on the scene in the 1980s! 🏴‍☠️ In 1983, East Carolina University's pirate became the university’s official mascot, with elementary school students helping choose the name we know today.

Beyond the fun of campus life, the decade brought major milestones for a university continuing to expand its reach. ECU graduated its first class of physicians, opened the Brody School of Medicine Building and awarded its first Ph.D. as its academic and health sciences missions continued to grow.

By 1987, the first heart transplant surgery had been performed at ECU, another milestone in a medical program that university leaders had fought decades to establish. Enrollment reached more than 15,000 by the end of the decade, reflecting just how much East Carolina continued to grow.

The 1980s brought a new era of leadership, with Richard Eakin becoming chancellor in 1988. And in 1989, ECU mourned the passing of Leo Jenkins, whose vision and leadership had helped shape so much of what the university had become.

💜💛 From milestone moments to everyday memories on the Mall, the ’80s helped build the ECU that generations of Pirates know today.

🏴‍☠️ 7 Decades in 7 Days continues tomorrow with the 1990s!

10/07/2026

10/07/2026

East Carolina University entered the decade growing rapidly. Enrollment had doubled in just 10 years, while the university’s academic reach and role across North Carolina continued to expand. In 1972, ECU became part of the University of North Carolina system, another major step in the university’s evolution.

Perhaps no achievement better represented ECU’s ambitions than the establishment of the School of Medicine, now Brody School of Medicine, in 1975. After years of advocacy, the milestone helped lay the foundation for the health sciences campus and ECU’s lasting commitment to serving eastern North Carolina.

Pirate athletics were gaining momentum, too. Pat Dye built on the foundation laid by Clarence Stasavich as ECU football continued its rise, with the program’s growing ambitions reflected in continued stadium expansion.

Campus life was changing alongside the university. Mendenhall Student Center opened, Garrett became ECU’s first coed residence hall and, in 1979, Pirates gathered for the first Barefoot on the Mall, beginning a campus tradition that continues today.

The decade also marked the end of an era as Leo Jenkins retired in 1978, leaving behind a university transformed by nearly two decades of growth.

🏴‍☠️ 7 Decades in 7 Days continues tomorrow with the 1980s as we approach Homecoming weekend.

10/06/2026

From East Carolina College to East Carolina University, the 1960s were a decade of transformation. 💜💛

The 1960s brought profound growth and change to East Carolina University.

After years of advocacy, East Carolina College officially became East Carolina University on June 29, 1967, a defining milestone that helped set the course for the ECU we know today.

Laura Marie Leary (Elliott) helped lead the way in the integration of the university, graduating in 1966 as enrollment and the campus continued to expand.

Leo Jenkins became chancellor in 1960 and helped guide East Carolina through one of the most consequential periods in its history. That same year, future president John F. Kennedy made a campaign stop on campus. The decade also brought new schools and academic programs, the early push for a medical school, an NAIA baseball national championship, NCAA membership and the opening of Ficklen Stadium.

🏴‍☠️ 7 Decades in 7 Days continues tomorrow with the 1970s as we march into Homecoming!

10/05/2026

Homecoming is almost here, Pirates! 🏴‍☠️ As we get ready to celebrate Pirates Through the Decades, we’re counting down with 7 Decades in 7 Days - starting with the 1950s.

The ’50s were a decade of growth, change and new milestones at East Carolina. In 1951, the school expanded its academic mission beyond teacher training and became East Carolina College, then the largest public undergraduate institution in North Carolina. A year later, the Techo Echo became The East Carolinian.

The decade also brought a familiar campus landmark with the construction of J.Y. Joyner Library in 1954, while Pirate athletics made history in 1957 when Men’s Swimming and Diving became East Carolina’s first intercollegiate team to win a national championship.

Take a look back at ECU life in the 1950s through photos preserved in Joyner Library’s archives. Featured photos include a chemistry exhibition, world speed typing champion Cortez W. Peters, Jr. and Alice in Wonderland. Check back tomorrow as we move into the 1960s!

ECU Libraries