This collection consists of Walter Jerome Mathews's 1893 diploma from North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now North Carolina State University). By tradition, Mathews has been considered the first student at the college.
Born on 20 August 1870 in Buncombe County, Walter Jerome Mathews has been considered the first student at North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (later renamed North Carolina State University). He was the first to arrive on campus on 30 September 1889. One of the 19 members of the first graduating class, Mathews received a Bachelor of Engineering degree on June 14, 1893.
After working in Greensboro for several months following graduation, Mathews supervised the Engineering Department for the North Carolina School of the Deaf in Morganton, N.C. Two years later, he became the superintendent of the Engineering Department of the State Hospital in Goldsboro, N.C. During his fifteen years at the hospital, Mathews designed the construction for many buildings and installed facilities such as an electric plant and cold storage.
Mathews left the State Hospital in Goldsboro in order to pursue a career in the construction business, a profession he continued for the next 25 years. During this time, he constructed buildings such as large churches in Goldsboro, N.C., Edenton, N.C., Kinston, N.C., and Newport, N.C. He was an active member in the Goldsboro community, serving a term as mayor as well as being a Sunday School teacher.
In 1957, Mathews' family presented his portrait to North Carolina State College on the school's 68th anniversary. As long as health permitted, Mathews stayed active in his alma mater's affairs, visiting regularly and participating in commencement exercises.
Mathews died in Goldsboro, N.C., on August 28, 1967.
This collection consists of one item, Walter Jerome Mathews's 1893 Bachelor of Engineering Diploma from North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now North Carolina State University).
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.
[Identification of item], Walter Jerome Mathews Diploma, MSS 00003, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Received from Walter Jerome Mathews.
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[Identification of item], Walter Jerome Mathews Diploma, MSS 00003, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.