On May 14, 1956, the North Carolina Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church met in Goldsboro. It approved a petition from the people of Rocky Mount to locate a college in their community. In early September, the first trustees established temporary headquarters in the Ricks Hotel. One of the first actions of the Board was to name the institution North Carolina Wesleyan College. The State of North Carolina officially chartered the College on October 25, 1956. Capital investments totaling approximately $2 million made possible the construction of the main buildings on the 200-acre site donated by the M.C. Braswell heirs of Rocky Mount. Four years later, 92 students enrolled in the first class at North Carolina Wesleyan College. In 1964, 33 students received their degrees at the College’s first Commencement. Since those early days, nearly 9,000 students have earned bachelor’s degrees in the arts and sciences. Alumni from Rocky Mount, neighboring communities, numerous states, and several foreign countries affirm Wesleyan’s value as an essential resource for higher education in Eastern North Carolina.
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