Thanks to our partner, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, catalogs from the school and its precursors are now available on our website. The catalogs are from 1906, when the school was called the Croatan Normal School, to 2013, when it was known as it is now as UNC-Pembroke.

The title page of the 1906 catalog for the Croatan Normal School.

The school was originally established in 1887 as the Croatan Normal School as a result of legislation that passed in response to a petition by Native Americans of the area. This original school was established for the training of Native American teachers in Robeson County. In 1909 the school was moved to Pembroke and in 1911 the name was changed to the Indian Normal School of Robeson County. Then, in 1913, the name was changed again to the Cherokee Indian Normal School of Robeson County. In 1933, junior college coursework was added to the school’s curriculum and in 1939, four-year degree programs were instituted. In 1941 the name was changed again to the Pembroke State College for Indians. In 1945, enrollment was opened to people from all government-recognized groups of Native Americans, rather than just the Native Americans from Robeson County. In 1953, white students began to be admitted to the school and in 1969, the name was changed to Pembroke State University. In 1972, the University of North Carolina system was established, with Pembroke State University as one of the sixteen campuses included. In 1996, the school became The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, as it is known today.

The cover of the Pembroke State University course catalog from the 1975-1976 academic year.

We’ll be working with the University of North Carolina at Pembroke to fill in additional catalogs over the coming months. We’ve also worked with them to scan their yearbooks, and you can see those on their contributor page. For more information about the university, visit their website.