About
Department History
| 1892 | The State Normal and Industrial School opens with a Department of Ancient and Modern Languages, including a Department of Latin which offers a four year curriculum, and Departments of French and German which offer a three year curriculum. A minimum of three years of Latin is required for all students. (1892-94 Courses of Study) |
| 1893 | Due to increasing numbers of students, Viola Boddie, Head of the Departments of Latin and French in 1982-83, now teaches only Latin; Gertrude Mendenhall, who originally taught Mathematics and German, teaches only Mathematics. Two new teachers are hired for French and German. Viola Boddie continues as Department Head of Latin until 1934-35 when she teaches part-time before retiring the next year. |
| 1898 | Viola Boddie wrote this Department of Latin Report for 1898, which is signed by her and her Assistant in Latin, Mary Sanders. It is located in the UNCG Archives. |
| 1914 | A Latin Club /Classical Club is founded for students wanting to learn about “the cultural side of Latin.” (Club picture, 1915) |
| 1931 | Having been renamed as the North Carolina College for Women in 1919, the campus joins the redefined state system, along with the campuses in Chapel Hill and Raleigh, and is renamed The Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina. |
| 1934 | Marie B. Denneen serves as Acting Head of the department for 1934-35. |
| 1935 | The Department is renamed the Department of Classical Civilization and offers ancient Greek for the first time (4 courses), in addition to its 20 Latin courses, and 2 courses in English on Greek and Roman literature. Students can now major in Latin Language and Literature or Greek Language and Literature. Viola Boddie retires, and Charlton C. Jernigan begins his service as Department Head. |
| 1938 | A new Classical Club is founded for students who have made marks of B or better in Greek or Latin. (Club picture, 1942) |
| 1949 | Charlton Jernigan retires, and Francis A. Laine joins the faculty as Department Head, serving until 1978. |
| 1958 | Margaret Meriwether joins the Department. |
| 1963 | The Woman’s College becomes co-ed and is renamed The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The Department continues to thrive and to add new courses, as this notice of a birthday party for Vergil’s 2000th birthday (Pine Needles yearbook 1964) attests. |
| 1971 | A third full-time faculty member joins the Department. |
| 1974 | Archaeology becomes part of the curriculum for the first time, with a 200-level course “Introduction to Classical Archaeology” offered in the fall by Pamela Benbow (Asst. Professor 1974-1976). The Department is offering separate B.A. degrees in Latin and in Greek. |
| 1978 | A Civilization concentration is added to the existing language concentrations for each degree. The department begins several years of administration under acting Heads from other departments, with an external advisory committee also serving from 1983-1987. J. Douglas Minyard serves as Department Head for the next two years, 1987-88 and 1988-89. |
| 1984 | A fourth full-time faculty member joins the Department. |
| 1986 | The Department is renamed the Department of Classical Studies. |
| 1989 | The Department undertakes a whole-scale restructuring of its programs and curriculum in order to attract more students, to make the major programs more possible for students to complete, to increase its commitment to teacher education, and to include as many general education (AULER) courses as possible in its offerings. At the same time it begins to explore the needs of Latin teachers in North Carolina and wins a grant to offer the first Governor’s Institute in Latin at the graduate level. Susan C. Shelmerdine begins service as Department Head, serving until 1992 when Jeffrey Soles assumes the Headship. |
| 1990 | The first Governor’s Institute in Latin is offered in the summer and planning begins for the creation of a graduate degree program for Latin teachers. |
| 1991 | As a result of its restructuring process, the Department discontinues its two existing B.A. programs and begins offering one new B.A. degree in Classical Studies with four concentrations (Classical Archaeology, Classical Civilization, Greek Language and Literature, Latin Language and Literature) and a special “A” certification track for prospective teacher education students. |
| 1993 | The new M.Ed. program in Latin, created in response to continuing demand by in-service Latin teachers in the state, begins enrolling students. A fifth tenure-track faculty member joins the Department. |
| 1999 | The M.Ed. program in Latin undergoes revisions to meet new state standards effective in 2000. Susan C. Shelmerdine replaces Jeffrey Soles as Department Head. |
| 2004 | A sixth tenure-track faculty member joins the Department. |
| 2006 | The Department revises and expands its curriculum, and restructures the B.A. degree in Classical Studies with three concentrations (Classical Archaeology, Classical Civilization, Language and Literature) and the certification track for teacher education students. At the end of May, the Department, along with other humanities departments housed in the McIver Building, moves to the new Moore Humanities and Research Administration Building at the corner of Spring Garden and Forest Streets. |
| 2008 | A seventh tenure-track faculty member joins the Department. |
| 2009 | Hugh Parker replaces Susan C. Shelmerdine as Department Head |
| 2010 | UNCG in Rome, a new 4 week study abroad course is added to the curriculum, to be offered every other summer. It joins the Mochlos Project in Greece as the Department’s second regular opportunity for students to travel and study abroad. |
| 2012 | A summer Field School with the Kea Archaeological Research Survey in Greece becomes the third study/travel abroad option offered by department faculty. |
| 2017 | Maura Heyn replaces Hugh Parker as Department Head. |
