First State University

UNC—Chapel Hill and the University of Georgia compete for the claim of first state university. Each has a fair case to make: Georgia was the first to be chartered, and UNC the first to open. The practice of public support for higher education predates both schools, and even the formation of th...

Glee Club

One of the university's oldest student clubs, the UNC Glee Club was founded in 1848 at the suggestion of math instructor Charles Phillips. The club soon became a fixture at celebrations and official events and helped introduce at least a couple of notable songs. In 1878 the Glee Club was the fir...

Flower Ladies

The flower ladies were a Franklin Street institution for most of the twentieth century. A group of local African American women began selling homegrown flowers on Franklin Street as early as the 1920s. They were popular with students and local residents. By the late 1960s more street vendors joined ...

Patch Adams

In the summer of 1998 the UNC—Chapel Hill campus was transformed into the fictional Virginia Medical University for the filming of the movie Patch Adams. Based on the true story of an unorthodox doctor who used humor to help his patients, the movie starred Robin Williams, who was in Chapel Hil...