Modernization

East Carolina College achieved full university status in 1967, becoming East Carolina University. New colleges and professional schools were added, notably the School of Medicine, established in 1977. The decision to locate a medical school at ECU sparked statewide political controversy, as competing institutions and entrenched interests debated its necessity and location (University of North Carolina System, 2021). Advocates in eastern North Carolina, including university leaders, lobbied intensely for the school and rural healthcare. The school’s establishment was a major institutional victory and initiated a new phase of campus construction. Dormitories, dining halls, and recreation centers were also added during this period to accommodate a rapidly growing student population. The architecture of the time is identifiable on campus by its mid-century modern design expressed through large, concrete structures in the Brutalist style. (Building Histories, 2025)

Political Cartoon Drawing Entitled "And After These We'll Take in Wilmington College"

News and Observer Sandy Huffaker political cartoon depicting East Carolina University president Leo W. Jenkins and eastern North Carolina legislators planning for advanced degrees and a medical school for ECU. 1967-1974.

Huffaker, Sandy. And After These We'll Take in Wilmington College. 1967-1974. Records of the Chancellor: Records of Leo Warren Jenkins. UA02.06.24.01. East Carolina University Digital Collections. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/27612. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025. 

Photograph of the Groundbreaking of Medical Science Building at East Carolina University

Groundbreaking ceremony of the Medical Science Building of the East Carolina University School of Medicine in 1979. Left to right: Dr. William Laupus, Governor Jim Hunt, Dr. Leo Jenkins, and Chancellor Thomas Brewer. 

Groundbreaking of Medical Science Building. 30 Mar. 1979. ECU/06/D P5446. East Carolina University Digital Collections. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/1490. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.