William Peace University is a

private college Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grants. D ...

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...

. Formerly affiliated with the

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

, it offers undergraduate degrees in more than 30 majors and the School of Professional Studies (SPS) offers accelerated bachelor degrees that are online or hybrid for working adults. The institution adopted its current name in 2012, concurrent with its decision to begin admitting men to its day program; it was previously known as Peace Institute, Peace Junior College, and Peace College. William Peace University Library

History

The institution that eventually became William Peace University was founded in 1857 as Peace Institute by a group of men within the

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

Synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...

of North Carolina. The leading donation of $10,000 () came from William Peace, a prominent local merchant and a founding member of the First Presbyterian Church of Raleigh. Peace is believed to have been in the first class of the University of North Carolina, and was a longtime proponent of education as a benefactor of

Raleigh Academy Raleigh Academy, also Raleigh Male Academy for a period after the American Civil War, was a prominent school in Raleigh, North Carolina that lasted about 80 years until a governor's mansion (North Carolina Executive Mansion) took over its site. It ...

, a school primarily for boys. Additionally, Peace donated for the campus site. Main Building, a red brick, white-columned Greek revival building, was built between 1859 and 1862, but was commandeered by the Confederate States government early in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

to be used as an army hospital. The Main Building was designed and built by the Holt Brothers, Thomas and

Jacob Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...

, who were notable builders from nearby Warrenton, NC. The Civil War and

Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

delayed the opening of the school, but Peace Institute opened in January 1872. The first president was John Burwell, assisted by his son Robert. The Burwells, and his successor, James Dinwiddie, served the school until 1910, and were strong Presbyterians and descendants of old Virginia families. The name of the school changed from Peace Institute to "Peace College" in 1943. A member of the

Women's College Coalition The Women's College Coalition (WCC) was founded in 1972 and describes itself as an "association of women’s colleges and universities that are two- and four-year, public and private, religiously affiliated and secular." Leadership *Chair: Ann McEl ...

, Peace College was one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It was the second-oldest in North Carolina, predated only by

Salem College Salem College is a private women's liberal arts college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1772 as a primary school, it later became an academy (high school) and ultimately added the college. It is the oldest female educational establ ...

(the first school for girls in the

, founded in 1772).

Name changes

The school began admitting men in the fall of 2012. Initial announcements of the change included a controversial promise to "offer select single-gender courses in targeted disciplines, where research shows that women and men learn differently and that each benefit from a single-gender classroom," a plan that critics believe may run afoul of equal opportunity laws such as

Title IX Title IX is the most commonly used name for the federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other educat ...

, Concurrent with its announcement that it will begin admitting men, Peace College changed its name to "William Peace University" in 2011, but the class years of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 had the option to receive diplomas from Peace College or William Peace University. Timeline of Name Changes * Peace Institute (1872-1930), Awards first junior college degrees in 1925 * Renamed in 1930: Peace, a Junior College for Women * Peace Junior College renamed Peace College in 1943 * Peace College accredited by SACS in 1947 * Peace College adds the School of Professional Studies in 2009 (which admits men) * Peace College renamed William Peace University, July 2011 University president Brian Ralph said March 22, 2022 that "listening sessions" were planned to determine whether the university's name should be changed again. A statue of Peace was taken down that same day because Peace owned

slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

and a major campus building was built with slave labor.

Becoming coeducational

The college has always educated women, with the only exception being the admittance of some boys in primary grades from its opening years through the 1920s when the school served levels from kindergarten through junior college years. Today, the college maintains records of nearly 10,000 living alumnae, including many who were pioneers in public service. In the 1930s,

Gertrude Dills McKee Gertrude Dills McKee (June 8, 1885 – November 27, 1948) was an American civic leader and politician from North Carolina. She was the first woman elected to the North Carolina State Senate. Life and career McKee, known around Jackson County ...

, a graduate of the 1890s, became the first woman elected to the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for e ...

. Lilly Morehead Mebane was one of the first women elected to the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

. Jane Simpson McKimmon became the youngest graduate of Peace College, when she finished the then two-year college program at age 16; she later became the first woman to graduate from

NC State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...

. McKimmon became a leader in "home economics" and greatly advanced the state agriculture department's home extension service. NC State University's conference and continuing education center is named for her and the chair of Peace's Leadership Studies program is named for McKimmon.

Addie Worth Bagley Daniels Addie Worth Bagley Daniels (née Adelaide Worth Bagley; May 1, 1869 - December 19, 1943) was an American suffragist leader and writer. She attended the Eighth Conference of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance in 1920 as the US delegate, the a ...

, the spouse of ''

Raleigh News & Observer ''The News & Observer'' is an American regional daily newspaper that serves the greater Triangle area based in Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county sea ...

'' publisher

Josephus Daniels Josephus Daniels (May 18, 1862 – January 15, 1948) was an American newspaper editor and publisher from the 1880s until his death, who controlled Raleigh's ''News & Observer'', at the time North Carolina's largest newspaper, for decades. A D ...

, served for many years during the first half of the 20th century on the Peace College Board of Trustees, a rare role for women in that era. The administration announced it planned to begin admitting male students at the start of the fall 2012 semester. It was determined that this transition would make the college a more attractive option for potential applicants, stating that only 2% of female applicants are likely to consider applying to a women's college, whereas 98% would only consider attending coeducational institutions. William Peace University

Academics

As an exclusively undergraduate college, Peace offers only

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

s. All traditional undergraduate candidates must complete an

intern An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...

ship.

Athletics

William Peace University competes in the

USA South Athletic Conference The USA South Athletic Conference (formerly the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference or the Dixie Conference) is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member schools are located in North Carolina and Virginia. H ...

as a

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

school in the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

. Teams are fielded in

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

, cross country,

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

, and

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

. William Peace fields men's sports in

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

, basketball, cross country,

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Peace has been a full member of the NCAA since 2002, after having been granted provisional membership in 1995. Prior to that, Peace had competed in Region X of the

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

dating back on 1973. USA South membership was granted in 2003, making it the first women's college in the state to join a

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

conference.

Notable alumni

Lisa Stone Barnes Lisa Stone Barnes (born July 16, 1966) is an American businesswoman and politician. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, she was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2018 after serving for six y ...

(born 1966), businesswoman, politician, and member of the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham (1867–1917) was an American philanthropist and heiress who became notorious when she married one of the richest men of the Gilded Age. Mary Lily outlived her first husband, Henry Flagler, inherited his huge fortu ...

(1867-1917), philanthropist and heiress *

Alice Willson Broughton Alice Harper Willson Broughton (July 13, 1889 – August 15, 1980) was an American civic leader who served as the First Lady of North Carolina from 1941 to 1945 as the wife of Governor J. Melville Broughton. She and her husband were the first gove ...

(1889–1980), First Lady of North Carolina *

Carrie Lougee Broughton Carrie Lougee Broughton (September 16, 1879 – January 29, 1957) was an American librarian who served as the fourth State Librarian of North Carolina from 1918 to 1956. She was the first woman to serve as State Librarian and the first woman to s ...

(1879–1957), North Carolina State Librarian *

Eleanor Layfield Davis Eleanor Layfield Davis (1911–1985), also called ELDA, was an American painter. She served on the Board of Trustees for Meredith College and both Meredith and Wake Forest University award art scholarships in her memory. Life Eleanor Layfield Da ...

(1911–1985), painter *

Fortune Feimster Emily Fortune Feimster (; born July 1, 1980) is an American writer, comedian, and actress. Having made her television debut on NBC's ''Last Comic Standing'' in 2010, Feimster starred as Colette on ''The Mindy Project'' (2015–2017). In July 20 ...

(born 1980), actress and comedienne *

Gail Godwin Gail Godwin (born June 18, 1937) is an American novelist and short story writer. Godwin has written 14 novels, two short story collections, three non-fiction books, and ten libretti. Her primary literary accomplishments are her novels, which have ...

(born 1937), writer *

Mary Hilliard Hinton Mary Hilliard Hinton (June 7, 1869 – January 6, 1961) was an American painter, historian, clubwoman, and anti-suffragist. She was a leader in North Carolina's Anti-suffragism, anti-suffragist movement and an outspoken white supremacist, co-fou ...

(1869–1961), historian, painter, and anti-suffragist *

(1885–1948), politician and member of the

North Carolina State Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for e ...

* Jane Simpson McKimmon (1867–1957), writer and educator *

Lily Morehead Mebane Lily Connally Morehead Mebane (August 13, 1869 – June 15, 1943) was an American relief worker, politician, and heiress. During World War I, she chaired the Rockingham County Committee of the North Carolina Division of the Woman's Committee of t ...

(1869–1943), politician and relief worker *

Jacqueline Novogratz Jacqueline Novogratz (born 1961) is an American entrepreneur and author. She is the founder and CEO of Acumen, a nonprofit global venture capital fund whose goal is to use entrepreneurial approaches to address global poverty. Early life Novogra ...

(born 1961), businesswoman and writer * Annie Land O'Berry (1885–1944), philanthropist and activist *

Agnes Sanford Agnes Mary Sanford (November 4, 1897 – February 21, 1982) was an American Christian writer. She is most known for founding the Inner Healing movement, a process she described as the healing of memories. Education Agnes attended the Shanghai A ...

(1897–1982), writer *

Lura S. Tally Lura Cowles Self Tally (December 9, 1921 – August 28, 2012) was a politician and educator from North Carolina, who served five terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives and six terms in the North Carolina Senate. She is a graduate of ...

(1921–2012), politician and member of the

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial athletics website
{{authority control Universities and colleges in the Research Triangle Former women's universities and colleges in the United States Liberal arts colleges in North Carolina Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Universities and colleges affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) Educational institutions established in 1857 Universities and colleges in Raleigh, North Carolina 1857 establishments in North Carolina Private universities and colleges in North Carolina