Bull's Head Bookshop
In 1927 English professor Howard Mumford Jones set up the Bull's Head Bookshop in his office in Murphey Hall. Jones wanted to bring a different kind of bookstore to campus: one with modern books and comfortable chairs that could serve as a sort of informal gathering place for reading and discussion. While it sounds a lot like a contemporary bookstore (though without a coffee shop), there was nothing else like it on campus or in Chapel Hill at the time. The bookstore was popular, quickly outgrowing Jones's office and moving to the Campus Y and then to the ground floor of Wilson Library. In addition to selling new books, the Bull's Head hosted readings and lectures and ran a book rental service. When the new Daniels Building was completed in 1968, the Bull's Head moved into a much larger space on the main floor, remaining separate in function and philosophy from the textbook department.
Date Established: 1927
Date Range: 1927 – Present
Bull's Head Bookshop, ca. 1950s, when it was located on the ground floor of Wilson Library. UNC Image Collection, North Carolina Collection Photo Archives, Wilson Library.