On the recordMay 19, 2010
I rise today in support of H. Res. 1361, which commemorates the centennial anniversary of North Carolina Central University and honors its founder, Dr. James E. Shepard. People frequently talk about the Big Three universities in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, referring to Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. But I like to remind them that it actually is the Big Four. North Carolina Central is as fully integral to the historical fabric of our State as its three peer institutions. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Nation. Established by Dr. James E. Shepard in 1909 in Durham, North Carolina, the university first opened its doors to students a year later as the National Religious Training School and Chautauqua. Dr. Shepard was a visionary leader guided by the conviction that individual self-improvement and collective self-advancement were inextricably intertwined. "There is no economy in ignorance," he declared.
