B R O N C O S The history of Fayetteville State University began in 1867 when seven black men paid $140 for a lot on Gillespie Street and formed themselves into a self-perpetuating board of trustees to maintain the property as a site for a school. Funds from the U.S. Freedmens Bureau were used to erect a building on this site. The institution was named the Howard School, in honor of General O.O. Howard, director of the bureau. In 1877, by an act of the North Carolina Legislature, provisions were made to establish normal schools for educating both black and white teachers. It was thought that the $2,000 appropriated for the education of black teachers could be most effectively used if given to an established school. At that time the Howard School had been in existence for 10 years and was therefore designated a teacher-training institution, its name changed by legislative act to the State Colored Normal School. One early leader of the school was Charles W. Chesnutt who was chosen to head the institution in 1880. A prominent writer of fi ction and a lawyer, he served as chief administrator for three years. Dr. Ezekiel Ezra Smith followed him as principal, beginning a fi fty-year association with the school. During this time Dr. Smith served for a period as US consul-General in Liberia and Adjutant of the Third North Carolina Volunteer Infantry during the war with Spain. The school had no permanent home for 30 years until, under Dr. Smith’s guidance; funds were raised to purchase 50 acres of land on Murchison Road. When Dr. Smith retired in 1933, the institution had grown to include 92 acres of land, eight brick buildings, and several cottages. The school has been fortunate in the quality and energy of its leaders. In 1939 the institution became a four-year college, and in 1960 it became a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The dream of seven black men in 1867 was culminated on July 1, 1972, when Fayetteville State became part of the University of North Carolina system. Fayetteville State University’s enrollment has increased rapidly in the past few years. The University has already reached the 2008 projection of more than 6,000 students. A $45.5 million campus construction and renovation campaign is underway to accommodate additional students. u n i v e r s i t y h i s t o r y The mission of the Fayetteville State University intercollegiate athletics program is to bring positive recognition to the University through programs built on concepts such as excellence, integrity, and enthusiasm. The mission is integral to the university’s educational mission and operates under the principals of amateur athletics and fair play, as established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Department of Athletics provides equitable opportunities and support for male and female students to participate in intercollegiate athletics and to compete successfully in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). All activities hold paramount the academic, personal and physical welfare of the student-athlete, and emphasize physical fi tness, self-discipline, teamwork, leadership, and the highest standards of ethics, sportsmanship and personal performance. Student-athletes are representative of the general student population and are afforded similar opportunities and treatment. Programs, staff and facilities refl ect the excellence of the institution and contribute to the quality of campus life. Fayetteville State is considered to have a few of the best athletic facilities in Division II Athletics. The Luther “Nick” Jeralds Football Stadium sports an installed synthetic turf fi eld. FSU is the fi rst school in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association to install synthetic turf and the fi rst Historically Black College and University (HBCU), as well as the fi rst in North Carolina, to install the advanced GameDay Grass 3D synthetic turf. The Felton J. Capel Arena is the home site for basketball and volleyball games. The Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Building boasts a 4,000-seat basketball arena, a volleyball court, an indoor walking track, an aerobics studio, racquetball courts, outdoor tennis courts, weight rooms, and an Olympic sized swimming pool. The complex boasts four tennis courts with lights.
Fayetteville State Football Media Guide 2013
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