Start of a Movement

By: Mary Yemma Barnhart, associate director

NC State has a long history and commitment to physical activity and movement. Throughout the year we will be highlighting the rich history of NC State Wellness and Recreation in anticipation of the Fall 2020 opening of the Wellness and Recreation Center.

In 1888 the cornerstone was laid for the first building on the North Carolina Agricultural and Mechanical College, now NC State, campus. The Main Building, now called Holladay Hall, was completed in 1890. The building was the first on campus, and for many years the only building. Holladay Hall housed the first quasi-gym, located in the basement. The basement also included laboratories, a kitchen and a dining hall.

In 1913, recreational activities moved to the YMCA building, currently the site of Leazar Hall, and a decade later, in 1923, the North Carolina General Assembly appropriated money for a gymnasium. 

Stay tuned as we share the creation of the Department of Physical Education and Athletics and the opening of Frank Thompson Gymnasium.