On January 17, 1847, Saint Anthony Hall was founded as the Fraternity of Delta Psi at Columbia University. It is the feast day of Saint Anthony the Great.
The University of North Carolina was chartered in 1789 and began classes on February 12, 1795. The Xi chapter of Saint Anthony Hall was founded on November 20, 1854, according to the chapter’s website. The Civil War put a damper on collegiate studies and activities; the chapter went dormant, closing in about 1863. In 1927, it came alive again. In 1967, the chapter was the first organization on campus to admit an African-American student, Charles “Charlie” Thomas Scott. Scott was the first African-American scholarship athlete at that university. He went on to spend 10 years playing professional basketball.
The St. Anthony Hall chapter became co-ed in 1971. Several years ago, the chapter donated to the UNC Archives an autograph book dating to the 1860s. The signatures were from members of the chapter as well as other fraternities then on campus. Many of the men who signed the book served in the Confederate Army and some lost their lives in the war. To read more about the donation, visit http://bit.ly/1Pzw44q.
Charles Kuralt as a UNC student
Another of the St. Anthony Hall Xi chapter’s distinguished alumni is Charles Kuralt, the famed journalist. He was the original host of CBS News Sunday Morning show. He was editor of the Daily Tar Heel in 1954-55. Kuralt, who died in 1997 at the age of 62, is buried in the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery on campus. There is also a Charles Kuralt Learning Center in the School of Media and Journalism. It contains the contents of Kuralt’s Manhattan penthouse office. Using Oriental rugs, paneled walls, and a fireplace, Kuralt’s office has been recreated on the UNC campus. Among the memorabilia in the office can be found his 12 Emmys and two Peabody awards.
The Charles Kuralt Learning Center (photo courtesy of UNC)
© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2016. All Rights Reserved. If you enjoyedthis post, please sign up for updates. Also follow me on twitter @GLOHistory and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/glohistory/
