Named for James Yadkin Joyner, North Carolina’s influential superintendent of public instruction and founding trustee of East Carolina, Joyner Library opened in 1954 as ECU’s first dedicated library building. The original L-shaped structure was designed by Eric G. Flannagan and was expanded multiple times to support a rapidly growing university. Notable additions include a radio tower in 1956, air-conditioned reading rooms in 1964, and a major west wing built in 1973. (Building Histories, 2025)