Over 100 issues of The Carolina Journal, the student newspaper published by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, are now available on DigitalNC, thanks to our partnership with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Spanning from 1965 to 1969, the student paper covers activities on and off campus.

The first issue of The Carolina Journal was published on September 7, 1965, just nine months after the college merged into the Consolidated University of North Carolina. The paper marked that transition period by documenting many of the changes on campus, including announcing new faculty members, the addition of intramural sports, and changes to rules and regulations. Early issues pay particular attention to the possibility of adding an honor code on campus.

“Students Pass Honor Code Amendment,” November 3, 1965

The paper grew as the semesters changed, and was eventually regularly published weekly, documenting significant events on and off campus. For example, in December 1966, the school voted to change the mascot, and several of the following issues discussed the possible outcome of that decision. Over the next several months, several bodies on campus narrowed the list of options to three: the Forty-Niners, the Chargers, or the Cougars. Hurdles for this process included a fraudulent voter (detailed in the March 8, 1967 issue) and very strong opinions about the options. The tumult was eventually resolved and the mascot stayed the same

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“49er Dumped As Mascot Name,” December 14, 1966

When national figures visited campus, they were featured in the paper. Stokely Carmichael visited in December 1968, and The Carolina Journal included a section in its newspaper with various photos from the event. According to the issue, the event hosted hundreds of students, and “Carmichael was greeted by raised clinched fists from the black contingent, moderate applause from the white audience, and several scattered boo’s.”

“Stokely Raps Whites, Plays Verbal Games with Audience,” December 18, 1968

To see more from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, visit their partner page here or their website for more information.

Front page of the June 25, 1896 issue of The Gastonia Gazette

Issues of The Gastonia Gazette from 1895 to 1904 have recently been transferred from microfilm to be available on DigitalNC for you to peruse. Thanks to this addition, our digital holdings for this title now span from 1893 to 1909.

The paper, “devoted to the protection of home and the interests of the county,” covers news from Gaston County and beyond. It features stories about individuals, administrative developments, local industry, and events of interest throughout the county (but particularly in Gastonia).

These issues are an addition to an already significant amount of materials from Gaston County, including many other newspaper titles from Gastonia.

Front page of the March 8, 1934, issue of The Transylvania Times

Issues from 1933 to 1940 of The Transylvania Times have recently been transferred from microfilm and are now available on DigitalNC. The paper, published in Brevard, North Carolina, recounts news from throughout Transylvania County.

As the “only newspaper published in Transylvania County” at that time, the publication includes information regarding local events, education updates (from both Rosman and Brevard high schools), notices of sales, society and club news, advertisements, as well as news from beyond the county. A regular section called “Scenes and Persons in the Current News” features international news covering topics such as the Spanish Civil War and the shifting hands of the British monarchy. Additionally, many issues include “The Sunny Side of Life,” a series of comics that regularly fill a page of the newspaper.

Front page of the “Special Fair Edition” from October 5, 1933

Significant local events are given special weight in this paper, such as the first county fair, featured in the issue from October 5, 1933. For that special issue, the front page features and the next several pages of the issue provide information regarding fair entries and advertisements for the best clothing to wear to the fair. According to the next issue, from October 12, the fair was a success with between four and five thousand attendees over the course of the two days.

“Great Throngs at First County Fair,” from the October 12, 1933 issue of The Transylvania Times

To browse more of our materials from throughout Transylvania County, visit here. Digitized issues of Brevard News and Sylvan Valley News both predate our holdings of The Transylvania Times, and we also have issues of The Echo, covering the nearby Pisgah Forest, available from 1940 to 1954.  Thanks to our partner Transylvania County Library for nominating this paper for digitization!

Front page of the August 17, 1917 issue of the Albemarle Observer

Eight issues of the Albemarle Observer, from Edenton, North Carolina, are now available online. Issues from the “only newspaper published in Chowan County” date from August to November, 1917, and cover news about individuals and businesses throughout the area.

Front page of the April 15, 1870 issue of Zion’s Landmarks

Fifty-five issues of Zion’s Landmarks, a Baptist newspaper published in Wilson, North Carolina, are now available online thanks to our partner institution, Wake Forest University. The issues, “devoted to the defense of the Primitive Baptists,” dates from 1869 to 1877. The paper primarily consist of letters to community elders and the paper’s editors, but also often include biblical narratives, such as “Ruth married to Boaz,” in the issue from October 15, 1871, or “David and Goliath,” in the issue from November 15, 1870, as well as announcements to the community of subscribers.

Other newspapers on DigitalNC from Wilson near that time period include The Wilson Advance (1874-1899) and The Wilson Blade (1897). To see more from Wake Forest University, you can visit their partner page here or visit their website for more information.

Front page of the February 12, 1926 issue of High Life

Nineteen issues of High Life, the student newspaper from Greensboro High School, are now available on DigitalNC, thanks to our partner, the Greensboro History Museum. Issues include documentation of significant events in the school’s community from 1923 to 1926, 1941 to 1942, and 1954. Articles cover subjects such as athletics and other extracurricular activities, social events, curriculum information, and social commentary. The newspaper also includes advertisements for local stores, opinion pieces, and cartoons such as the one below, included to illustrate the hope of a new semester:

“Dawn of a New Opportunity,” cartoon by Erich Nau

Though this is the first high school student newspaper from Greensboro to be available on DigitalNC, it complements several others from High Point, which is nearby and also in Guilford County. You can browse High Point High School’s student newspaper, The Pointer, here and other student newspapers from across the state here.

To see more from the Greensboro History Museum, you can visit their partner page here, or visit their website for more information.