Wonderful 100: Alma Mater Composed

This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the alma mater. Our alma mater was composed by Alvin Fountain and Bonnie Frank Norris, Jr. in 1925. An abridged version was used beginning in the early 1960s, and slight change to the lyrics in 2022 brought us to the present version of our alma mater. But did you know there was an even earlier alma mater? We will delve into the history of both in this post. 

The original alma mater was written by Albert Edward Escott, class of 1906. Escott joined what is now NC State University as a junior, and was active on campus, serving as science editor of the Red and White and participating in multiple clubs (State College News, vol. 19, issue 4). [Red and White was the first student publication on campus, and began in 1899.] Escott’s version was published in the May 1906 issue of Red and White. Escott graduated in 1906 with a B.S. in textile engineering and went on to work in real estate in Charlotte. Escott’s version of the alma mater was replaced in 1925 by a composition created by Alvin Marcus Fountain and Bonnie Frank Norris, Jr.. This composition, abridged and updated, remains our alma mater to this day.

Fountain and Norris, class of 1923, lived in adjoining rooms in the top two floors of Holladay Hall, and both were engineering students. Fountain frequently contributed to the Technician, contributing humorous pieces under a pseudonym, “Zippy Mack” or “Zippy Mac”, and became the editor in his senior year. 

This poem, published anonymously but later revealed to be Fountain's work, was the origin of his pseudonym. Fountain’s contributions were often humorous (“Zippy Mack’s Latest”) and he penned at least one other song, “Shout, State!”, which was published in the 1925 student handbook. [You can listen to a 1950 recording of "Shout, State!" here.]

At some point during their time at (then) NC State College, Fountain and Norris decided to write an alma mater song. Two years after graduation, Norris had the musical notes and asked Fountain to write the lyrics. 

In Fountain’s own words, “the first line came quickly…and blew itself quickly into four stanzas and chorus…”. A new alma mater was officially born! 

The new alma mater appears to have been well-received on campus, but students weren’t sure at first how they might sing along. According to the article, “History of State’s Alma Mater”, published in the May 15, 1925 issue of the Technician, the original arrangement was written for the piano and a solo singer. A musician named Carl Fischer was tasked with writing an arrangement for the band. 

In the early 1960s, former music department chair Dr. Robert A. Barnes arranged the more recently sung version, abridged from the 1925 original. You can listen to a 1950 recording of the 1925 alma mater here. 

Over the years, a growing number of students, faculty, staff, and alumni expressed concerns about the use of "Dixie” in the song. “Dixie” as a geographical term refers to the south central and southeastern states of the U.S., particularly those states that constituted the Confederacy. On Feb. 18, 2022, the NC State Board of Trustees approved removing the word “Dixie” from the alma mater and added the word “Southern” in its place. Listen to the NC State Choirs perform the updated version of the alma mater.  

To learn more about the early history of the university, check out the Highlights in NC State history or the NC State Mascots, Colors, Team Names, and Symbols timelines. If you're interested in learning more about Alvin Fountain, who joined the English faculty at NC State and taught from 1925-1965, check out the Alvin Marcus Fountain Papers. 

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