The Groundbreaking

In 1908, a small group led by former Governor Thomas J. Jarvis gathered on a vacant field in Greenville to break ground for the East Carolina Teachers Training School. They stood on the site of what would become Jarvis Dormitory. Just over a year later, the school opened its doors to students, fulfilling a vision of bringing teacher training to the underserved eastern region of North Carolina.

(Groundbreaking of ECTTS. 2 Jul. 1908. Visual Media: Black and White Photograph Collection. UA55.01.4. East Carolina University Digital Collections. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/10237. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.) 

Photograph of the Groundbreaking of East Carolina Teachers Training School

“The Founding of East Carolina Teachers Training School.” Founding - ECU centennial exhibit. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/exhibits/ecucent/founding2.html.