N.C. A&T Alumni Times - September 26

It is hard to believe today, but from 1901 to early 1928, women were not admitted to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (formerly known as the A&T College) in the fall and spring semesters. During those 27 years, women could only attend summer sessions to become teachers. Only three females were awarded the bachelor's degree, Frances Grimes in 1901, followed by Florence A. Garrett and Hannah Bullock in 1902.

In September 1928, North Carolina A&T began the fall semester as an “A” listed college, ranking as the C.I.A.A football champions and boasting about its fine faculty that was educated in three continents.

Even greater success was predicted with females in the new freshman class. Among these women, four were fully enrolled for four years graduating in the class of 1932. Hattie Eugenia Diffay of Birmingham, Alabama was the niece of President Ferdinand and First Lady Hazel Diffay Bluford. Oveta V. Brown came to A&T from Englewood, New Jersey. Pearl B. Parker was a native of High Point, N.C. and Carrye Valencia Hill literally grew up on the A&T campus. She was born in a house where the old Sebastian Health Center is located today.

Female students, or “co-eds" were soon involved in almost every aspect of student life from athletics to the debate team. Oveta Brown and Hattie Diffay were both columnists of the A&T Register newspaper and possibly its first female editors. They worked with fellow editors Ellis F. Corbett ‘31 (Corbett Gym) and Frederick A. Williams ‘31 (Williams Cafeteria). In the spring of 1931 Brown, Odessa Arledge and Mervell Brown were the first females to represent A&T on the track team, pioneering the race for Kayla White and many others. Female students were also admitted to the Student Council that fall. The first sorority chapters were established in 1932, with Alpha Kappa Alpha in January followed by Delta Sigma Theta that February.

For many years the student life was supported by women like Mrs. Bluford and Mrs. Alice B. Campbell, wife of Captain Robert Lee Campbell. New additions to the faculty and teaching staff included Ms. Doris R. Ringles as an instructor of physical education for women. Ringles was also a dramatics director following the absence of Richard B. Harrison. Margaret M. Perea, a graduate of Radcliffe College was an instructor of foreign languages.

A center for student life for young women was the campus YWCA. Along with the “May Queen” events, another contest that grew out of the Y was “Miss A. and T.”. No one is sure who the first “Miss A&T” was, but Hattie Diffay is the earliest known person to hold the title. Diffay was succeeded by Josephine Barrier ‘33, a charter member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. She was crowned Miss A. & T. by Y.W.C.A. president Carrie Hill on May 2, 1932. Barrier would pass the crown to Alda Newsome 1932-33 and then to Sammie Etta Sellars 1933-1934.

Bachelor’s degrees were conferred to at least one woman each spring semester starting with the class of 1929. The June 10, 1932 commencement was extra special for A&T College. The speaker was Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History Month, and all three of the honors ranking graduates were women; Ms. Diffay, Ms. Hill, and Ms. Parker. Hattie Diffay made national news for having the best scholastic record of any student who had graduated from A&T during that time.

These first women who came to A&T made an impact that is still enjoyed by Aggies to this day. As alumni, they continued to show what Aggie DO!

Carrye V. Hill Kelley was a writer and professor of history and English at A&T for 37 years. Oveta Brown Jewell also taught English at A&T and was assistant director of the championship debate team, of which she was once a student member. Hattie Diffay Jones taught in her hometown of Birmingham and at West Virginia State College. Pearl Parker Burford was a fourth-grade teacher in High Point, N.C. for over 30 years.

The F. D. Bluford Library Archives and Special Collections has the “Carrye Hill Kelley Collection”, as well as copies of her published histories. For these items, more histories of A&T, or if you know more about the women in this story, please visit us at the F. D. Bluford Library or contact us at libraryarchives@ncat.edu.