Elizabeth City State University was established by the North Carolina General Assembly on March 3, 1891, as the State Colored Normal School at Elizabeth City, in response to a bill calling for the creation of a two-year Normal School for the "teaching and training teachers of the colored race to teach in the common schools of North Carolina." Peter Weddick Moore was its first leader. The school provided training for teachers of primary grades. The campus quadrangle and six surrounding buildings are included in the Elizabeth City State Teachers College Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. In 1937, the school made the transformation into a full four-year teachers college and was officially named Elizabeth City State Teachers College, while expanding its role to include the training of principals as well. In 1939, the college awarded its first bachelor of science degrees in its program of elementary education. Within the following twenty-five years, the college expanded its offerings to include a vocational-technical program and a total of thirteen academic majors. In December 1961, the college gained membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1963 its name was changed to Elizabeth City State College. In 1969, its name was changed to Elizabeth City State University to reflect expansion and the addition of graduate programs. When the University of North Carolina System was formed in 1972, ECSU became one of the system's sixteen constituent universities and entered into its current phase of development and organization.
ECSU also offers special programs that appeal to various interests and fields of study, including the honors program, military science, study abroad and Viking Fellows for education majors.
Student life
Students can choose to be involved in various on-campus organizations, including fraternities, sororities, radio station WRVS-FM, campus TV station, and intramural sports. Students are able to join the Student Government Association to help make campus life more interesting for student continuing to enroll here. Also, students can choose to apply to Vikings Assisting New Students to lead the New Student Orientation and answer any questions that parents or student may have about the school and campus life
Anthony Ray 1977, Creator Producer and Host of the Nationally Syndicated HBCU NATION RADIO SHOW SIRIUSXM HBCU Channel 142. Thought Leader, Author, Founding Pastor of World Missions Church. Founder, President of The James Solomon Russell College Prep Academy for Boys located on the campus of St Paul's College, Lawrenceville, Va
