Chowan College

Book excerpt: Located in the picturesque northeastern corner of North Carolina in Murfreesboro and Hertford County, Chowan College is the second oldest of the state's Baptist colleges. Founded in 1848, the school began as Chowan Baptist Female Institute and did not begin admitting male students until 1931, almost a century after its opening. In 1937, the Great Depression forced the school to become a two-year junior college, but it regained four-year status in 1992. Since then, Chowan College has enjoyed a myriad of successes, including being named one of the South's premier third-tier comprehensive colleges and ranked ninth in terms of diversity by U.S. News and World Report. Recognized for such programs as elementary education, graphic communications, and environmental science, Chowan College is truly one of the South's hidden treasures. The black-and-white images in Chowan College trace the vast history of the school's existence, while also capturing the natural beauty of the campus. Through the vintage photographs and accompanying narrative, Chowan College's tradition unfolds-providing a detailed glimpse of the institution's athletic, extracurricular, social, and aesthetic history. This pictorial chronicle also showcases the architecture of the campus and displays the familiar faces of Chowan's past.