Seeds of Change: 1946-1965
East Carolina was able to survive the difficult times of the Great Depression and World War II and emerge from on the other side with a plan for the institution's future. The post-war student body, as well as new leadership, brought energy and excitement to the campus of East Carolina. Enrollment numbers matched those of the pre-depression years as for the first time there were more men enrolled than women, and the number on non-teaching majors was steadily rising. In light of recent world events and the ever changing campus demographics, new programs were brought to campus in the post-war years. In 1948, an Air Force ROTC program was added, the first of its kind on campus. East Carolina also saw an expansion of the physical campus as both new buildings were built and existing buildings in the Greenville area were purchased by the Board of Trustees.
By the beginning of the 1951 academic year, East Carolina had grown so fast that it was the largest public college in the state. It was during this time, and in part due to the large increase in enrollment and programs offered, that President John Messick suggested that the institution change its name from East Carolina Teachers College. Students, alumni, and leadership voiced their opinions on the proposed change, and in the end, the state legislature approved East Carolina College as the school’s new name on April 6, 1951. The name change only increased the excitement on campus. The 1950s also saw the first East Carolina Homecoming Queen crowned when Kitty Gerringer Brinson won the title in May 1953, starting a new campus tradition. The physical expansion of campus continued as Joyner Library was constructed in 1954 and Ficklen Stadium was built in 1962. The curriculum continued to change as well with the creation of the School of Business in 1960 and the School of Art in 1962. By the beginning of the 1965 academic year, East Carolina College found itself a thriving institution that had survived the hardships of the 1930s and 1940s while also continuing to grow and adapt to the changing climate of higher education. The period of growth and prosperity would soon be impacted by the growing Civil Rights Movement and the racial issues that it would highlight on campus.