The Fall 2016 Meeting of the Historical Society of North Carolina will be held on the campus of UNC Greensboro on Friday afternoon and evening, October 14th. The afternoon program will begin at 3:30 pm and will be devoted to an additional/alternative interpretation of our fiftieth Governor of North Carolina, Charles Brantley Aycock (1859-1912) who served as Chief Executive from 1901-1905.
Wrestling with Governor Aycock and His Legacies
Like several other institutions in the state, UNC Greensboro recently revisited its commemorative landscape. It decided to rename Aycock Auditorium, uncomfortable with Governor Aycock’s leadership in the twentieth-century white supremacy movement. This session uses the Aycock decision as a case study that raises key questions about memory, history, and identity. What is the point and the power of a name carved in stone? In considering commemorations, how do historians weigh allegiances to the past, the present, and the future?
In this session, North Carolina historians will share insights about Governor Aycock, the history of African Americans on Greensboro’s campus, and how other North Carolina schools have handled commemoration controversies on their campuses. Following the session, graduate students in UNCG’s public history program will hold an informal poster session to share creative proposals for how to remember Aycock in the building that used to bear his name.
We are pleased to have the following speakers for our afternoon program:
- James L. Leloudis, Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: “Aycock’s Impact on North Carolina”
- Gerald Prokopowicz, Professor of History, East Carolina University: “Remembering Aycock at ECU: Activism, Reaction, and the Role of Public History”
- Erin Lawrimore, University Archivist, University of North Carolina at Greensboro: “Searching for Aycock—and African Americans—on UNCG’s Campus”
Meeting Schedule
All Events Held at the UNCG (former Aycock) Auditorium.
2:00-3:00- Council Meeting (2nd floor lounge area)
2:45-3:30- Social Time (downstairs cocktail area)
3:30-4:45- Afternoon Program (Main Auditorium): Panel: “Wrestling with Governor Aycock and His Legacies”
4:45-5:15- Student poster discussions (Auditorium Lobby)
5:15-6:00- Business Meeting (Main Auditorium). The memoir for Dr. Ray Gavins will be delivered prior to the business session.
6:00-7:00- Dinner (backstage) – See dining options below……..
7:00-8:00 Evening Program (backstage): Presidential Address: “A Capitol Controversy: The Mysterious Firing of William Drummond; or, the Untold Story of the Conflict that Changed the North Carolina State Capitol” by Catherine Bishir
Directions to UNCG Auditorium and Parking
The former Aycock Auditorium is located at 408 Tate Street, which is at the intersection of Spring Garden and Tate Streets in Greensboro, North Carolina.
For your own specific directions please consult the following link: https://www.visitnc.com/listing/aycock-auditorium
Parking: Behind the Weatherspoon Art Museum on Tate Street is a large UNCG parking lot. Parking is free after 5 pm, but you must have a permit before that.
If you wish to have a parking permit (if coming before 5 pm) please email Michael Perdue at history6557@yahoo.com no later than Friday, October 7th. Mike will then send you a pdf parking permit for you to place on your dashboard. Carpooling is encouraged if possible.
Dining Options and Payment
There will be two options: Chicken Francoise or Pasta Primavera with Rose Sauce.
Please send your selection and a check for $20.00 (per member) to Michael Hill, 109 East Jones Street, 4610 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4610 no later than Monday, October 10th.
Recommended Hostelries in the Area
If you will be needing overnight accommodations in Greensboro the following are suggested: