Pembroke State University - Indianhead Yearbook (Pembroke, NC)

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Consequently, Mr, McMillan had legislation enacted giving the Indians of Robeson County both a name and the privilege of their own public schools. The two signifigant provisions of the law were: Section 1, That the said Indians and their descendents shall hereafter be designated and known as the Croatan Indians; and Section 2, That said Indians and their descendents shall have separate schools for their children, school committees of their own race and color, and shall be allowed to select teachers of their own choice — . In 1887 an act to establish a normal school in Robeson County was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, The first board of trustees was composed of the Reverend W.L. Moore, Preston Locklear, James Oxendine, James Dial, Sr„ J.J, Oxendine, Isaac Brayboy and Olin Oxendine. The end product of their work was Croatan Normal School. The Act stated, All those who shall enjoy the privileges of said school as students shall previously obligate to teach the youth of the Croatan race for a stated period, The legislation appropriated five hundred dollars for the payments of services rendered and for no other purpose. When W.L. Moore called a meeting to implement the provisions of the law, very few citizens attended. And even then he found it necessary to give$200.00 of his own money and to devote his energies full time to the school so it could open and begin serving the people. The first college building, a two-story structure, was located on a one-acre site near Pates, where New Hope Church now stands. This original building was constructed by the Indian people since the legislature made no provisions for housing the Indian students. Since W.L. Moore had completed his normal work and since he had l 20 21

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played such a major role in getting the school started, it was only fitting that he was elected the first head master and teacher, a position he filled for the next three years. The Croatan Normal School opened its doors in 1887 with an enrollment of fifteen students. In 1905 Reverend D.F. Lowry received the first diploma issued by the normal school for completing its Scientific Course. In 1909 the decision was made to move the school to the present site of Pembroke State University. Two years later because the name ■ ' Croatan had become a label of decision, the General Assembly changed the name of the people to Indians of Robeson County, and the name of the school to Indian Normal School of Robeson County, a change that pleased nobody and settled nothing. The Indians wanted a more clearly identifiable name for themselves, and in 1913 the legislature renamed them the Cherokee Indians of Robeson County and the name of the school became the Cherokee Indian Normal School of Robeson County, a name it would bear for the next twenty-eight years. In recognition of the fact that the school was an institution of higher learning, the 1941 state legislature officially changed the name of the school to Pembroke State College for Indians, later shortened to Pembroke State College. In 1953 the doors were opened to such white persons who might be approved by the Board of Trustees. The Brown case in 1954 opened the school to qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, or national origins. The General Assembly of North Carolina granted regional status to the institution in 1969 changing the name to Pembroke State University. For 67 years the institution served only Indian people of Robeson County. Today, as in 1887, a Lumbee Indian, Chancellor English E. Jones, proudly heads one of North Carolina ' s finest institutions. On October 2, 1969 at the University Convocation, Governor Robert Scott concisely summed up the history and achievement of Pembroke State University; he said, From humble beginnings Pembroke State has become a major factor in the educational system of North Carolina; its future is unlimited. The INDIANHEAD wishes to thank Adolph Dial for compiling this feature. i 22 23