In the first 20 years of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s visual arts program, it was established in 1927 by H. Clinton Taylor. The program’s most outstanding graduate may have been Garrett Whyte ‘1939 (1914-2000). Whyte was a Mt. Sterling, Kentucky native who transferred to North Carolina A&T from Hampton University’s art department. A review of his achievements shows that he remains one of A&T’s greatest art alums over 80 years later. An active and creative student, young Whyte pledged to the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporate, taught Sunday School, served as a publicity person for the student YMCA, and was a member of the technical Club. His…

Most little girls want to be many things when they grow up, but Dr. Kellye Worth Hall ‘00 knew as a teenager she wanted to become an HBCU drum major. Her childhood consisted of being a natural, yet untrained dancer, an athlete, a musician, and surrounded by a legacy of family members who attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. “I was a typical band kid who played the saxophone for years and I attended North Carolina A&T’s summer band camps for middle and high school students,” said Hall. “I spent my life surrounded by HBCU culture. My dad had season football tickets and I met a lot of…

Dewberry, a privately held professional services firm, has announced that Chris Cook, PE, has joined the firm’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) group based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Cook joins the firm as a project engineer with more than 13 years of experience. As a fire protection engineer, he has worked on various facility types, including commercial buildings, K-12 schools, higher education facilities, civil structures, and healthcare facilities. Cook earned his bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from North Carolina A&T State University (2008) and is a member of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. About DewberryDewberry is a leading, market-facing firm with a…

On May 30, 1901, three students were awarded bachelors’ degrees from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the Colored Race (now North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University). This ceremony was significant because this was the first time a woman was a degree recipient from the college.  This young lady was Francis Grimes of Asheville, N.C. In the 120 years since this milestone, information on Grimes has been scarce in the North Carolina A&T histories. Thanks to new research, Aggies now can know her story today as part of A&T’s 130th anniversary and for Women’s History Month. Frances Grimes was born around 1884 and grew up in the Asheville Township,…

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit our nation, doctors and nurses stood on the frontlines to answer the call. With resilience and grace, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been fortunate to have under its leadership, Dr. Padonda Webb ’03, the executive director of the Student Health Center. She is responsible for the public health safety of nearly 12,800 students and close to 2,000 faculty and staff members. In August 2020, Webb stepped into the role as interim executive director, when the previous director retired — during the peak of the pandemic and the re-entry of students coming back to campus. “It was very critical for me…

CAN I GET AN AG-GIE PRIIDEE? When Aggies hear that question, we already know how to respond. A loud and proud “AGGIE PRIDE!” Aggie Pride is much more than a catchphrase. So many alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of Aggieland know what it is, but many do not how this saying came to be. Aggie Pride has always existed, but it was expressed with different words. For decades North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University had “Aggie Spirit” or the “Good Ol’ Aggie Spirit.” For over 60 years, dedicated Aggies have declared that they are “Aggie born, Aggie bred, and when I die I’ll be an Aggie dead!” For…

With materials that the average person would define as “junk,” world-renowned artist John Outterbridge ‘53 made masterpieces. With works beginning in the 1960s, he became a central figure in the Los Angeles Black Arts Movement of the Civil Rights Era. In a lifetime defined not only by his art but by his activities as a humanitarian, griot and activist, he is also known as a pillar in the assemblage arts movement – an art form that involves the use of everyday items that are assembled into three-dimensional sculptures. Outterbridge used his gift as an artist to address social and political concerns, and his talent as a griot to reflect on…

Chanelle Oliver ’08 has mastered the gift of knowing what makes a good story for her TV audience. Throughout her career as a journalist, she has been awarded not one, but five Emmy awards. Oliver is a segment producer for Good Day DC on Fox 5 DC/ WTTG, an owned-and-operated TV station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, in Washington, D.C. “A good story to me has a unique element that is informative and entertaining to our audience. Sometimes I find myself in the grocery stores discovering stories from people who just want to share what’s going in the community,” said Oliver. “I believe this is what has set me apart…

For more than eight years, Aggies have enjoyed original social media content from @ghoedosanddonts that has covered everything from homecoming, student life, athletics, and encouraging alumni to give back to the university. The man behind this platform, Benjamin Robinson ‘09, is a visual content creator who has enriched us with his love for North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. “When I graduated in 2009, it was in the middle of the recession. I had moved back home to Raleigh, North Carolina, and I came up with an idea to start a social media page for @ghoedosanddonts with Darren Brand ’08. We started creating content about A&T that became successful…

One of the most veracious tacklers in MEAC history will finally be honored for his tremendous four-year career as N.C. A&T’s middle linebacker. Demetrius Harrison ’92 will be inducted into the MEAC Hall of Fame this coming March after being voted into the MEAC Hall in December.  The Aggies all-time leader in career tackles with 497 (second-most in MEAC history), Harrison was a two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year (1988, 1989) and a three-time first-team All-MEAC selection (1987-89). As a junior in 1988, Harrison was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, and he led the conference in tackles in 1988 and ’89.  His 155 tackles in 1989 are the…