Society Scholars in Residence

From its founding, the North Caroliniana Society has been concerned over the weakening of North Carolina history in the curricula of the public schools and at the collegiate level, and previous annual reports have carried expressions of alarm over the de-emphasis of state history.

At a meeting of the Board of Directors on December 7, 2007, Secretary H. G. Jones reviewed the programs of the Society and proposed an initiative designed to promote the teaching of North Carolina history in colleges that do not currently offer such courses.  He proposed the establishment of an annual grant under which a selected college would establish a temporary position to be known as the North Caroliniana Society Scholar in Residence. The stated purpose of the program would be “to demonstrate the desirability for and the value of the teaching of North Carolina History at the collegiate level and to provide students with a better understanding of North Carolina’s history, literature, and culture from earliest times to the present.”

The plan, approved by the Board of Directors and inaugurated in the 2008-2009 academic year, provides for a grant (currently S25,000) to a college on condition that it hire a credentialed historian to teach two courses in North Carolina history for one semester (or one course for two semesters). The college furnishes campus facilities and resources, as well as any expenses in excess of the grant amount. In addition to normal teaching duties, the scholar agrees to provide opportunities for consultation with students, faculry, and the interested public; to volunteer to speak or participate in discussions on subjects relating to North Carolina history both on and off campus; and to serve as a resource person among the faculty in matters relating to North Carolina history.

Peace College in Raleigh applied for and was granted the first North Caroliniana Society Scholar in Residence in the 2008-2009 academic year. The scholar chosen was William S. Price Jr., former Director of the State Division of Archives and History and a retired professor from Meredith College. A full account of his experiences was published in the Annual Report of the North Caroliniana Society, 2008-2009, pages 17-21.

Shaw University in Raleigh was granted the second North Caroliniana Sociery Scholar in Residence in the 2009-2010 academic year. Freddie L. Parker, a professor of hiscory at North Carolina Central University, was selected as the scholar. His report will be found on page 104 of the current annual report.

For the 2010-2011 academic year, Sandhills Community College accepted the grant and chose Julian Pleasants, a retired professor of history at the Universiry of Florida, as the North Caroliniana Society Scholar in Residence. Although much of this scholar’s career was spent outside the state, the fact that he is a native of the Sandhills and has published widely on North Carolina subjects especially qualified him for the position.