Fayetteville State rename dorms to honor founders: 'Lives on in perpetuity'
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Fayetteville State University (FSU) has taken steps to ensure that the names of its seven founders live on in perpetuity by renaming its dormitories after them.
Students like junior nursing major Ayanna Rouse now feel pride when waking the halls of her dorm Bryant Hall. She likes that the HBCU is celebrating the seven men who saw education as a priority in 1867, which was two years after the Civil War ended.
"It's something new, bringing light to our founders, I think," said Rouse. "I think it does feel different."
Bryant Hall community director Jonathan Coley walked ABC11 Eyewitness News over to the new plaque that honors founder David A. Bryant. Each dorm that was renamed will have a plaque inside with a photo and a short biography about it.
"You can see the founder's name here, a brief history, and the birth and death years," he said. "With the renaming, it's like we're linking the past with the present."
"We all, as historians, have been intrigued by their stories of their contributions, their professionalism and what they gave back to the city of Fayetteville. Many of them went on to go to state and national politics," said Dr. Kelly Cardenas Walsh, associate professor of history at FSU.
She said this process started last year when the university's chancellor, Darrell Allison, brought the proposal to the board of trustees.
Lettering and installation began about a month ago. The university said the installation came with a price tag of between $60,000 and $70,000.
"They need to be known as part of Black history in this community, state and national history," she said.
Dr. Walsh said six dorms were renamed to Thomas Lomax Hall, Matthew Leary Hall, Robert Simmons Hall, Nelson Carter Hall, David Bryant Hall, George Grange Sr. Hall and one gallery is being installed in honor of Andrew Jackson Chesnutt.
Fayetteville State University is the oldest public HBCU in the state. For almost 160 years, the impact of the university's founders has been seen as over the years thousands have graduated. Current students like Rouse want their names and legacies to live on forever.
"They took extraordinary measures," she said.
