Carolina 225

The First Public University

Published on September 10, 2018

William Richardson Davie laid the cornerstone of Old East at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

By David Swan

William Richardson Davie laid the cornerstone of Old East at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — the first public university in America — on October 12, 1793, charting the course of American higher education.

Learn more about the history of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Opens in new window

This is story number 1 in the Carolina Stories 225th Anniversary Edition magazine.

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