Local figure
Henry Owl
Henry Owl (1896–1980), a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was the first American Indian admitted to the University of North Carolina, where he earned a master's degree in history in 1929. Refused the vote in Swain County the next year, he testified before Congress and helped win voting rights for the Eastern Band. The Henry Owl Building was dedicated in May 2022.
Source: Carolina Story, UNC: First Indian Student at UNC, Henry Owl
Orange County Indexed has not yet linked an indexed work directly to Henry Owl. The biography and the dated events on this page provide sources about Henry Owl’s life and work. Suggest a source.
Life and Orange County connections
Dated events connected with this person, in date order. See these 3 dated events in the chronology →
- UNC begins marking Hinton James Day each February 12 The university started Hinton James Day in 1945, during the sesquicentennial of its first student's arrival. It falls on February 12 and now also honors other Carolina firsts, including Sallie Walker Stockard and Henry Owl. People: Henry Owl, Sallie Walker StockardSearch the index · UNC-Chapel Hill: 230 years ago, he became the first Tar Heel · Also: Internet Archive: North Carolina Historical Review 22
- UNC renames Aycock Residence Hall for Hortense McClinton On the chancellor's recommendation the trustees voted to put McClinton's name on the residence hall that had carried Governor Charles B. Aycock's name until it was removed in July 2020. The Carr Building became the Henry Owl Building the same day. People: Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Charles B. Aycock, Henry OwlSearch the index · ABC11 WTVD: UNC names buildings after two trailblazers
- Hortense McClinton Residence Hall is dedicated UNC dedicated Hortense McClinton Residence Hall and the Henry Owl Building in a ceremony, and the School of Social Work held a dinner for McClinton, then 103, that launched a legacy scholarship in her name. People: Henry OwlSearch the index · Spectrum News (Associated Press): UNC-Chapel Hill to rename dormitory, student affairs office
Places in this person’s story
Buildings, schools, churches and other sites named in the dated events on this page, the most often named first. The map shows the 1 with a known location.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Site locations from the N.C. State Historic Preservation Office survey, Open Orange, Orange County GIS and OpenStreetMap; town and community pins show approximate locations.
- Carr Building (Henry Owl Building) University buildings and grounds · Chapel Hill · 2 events here
- Hortense McClinton Residence Hall (formerly Aycock) University buildings and grounds · Chapel Hill · 2 events here
Research sources
Sources and research tools for this person. For ready-made searches of other catalogs, see Search further.
Background
- 225 years of Tar Heel: Henry OwlUNC-Chapel Hill University histories, exhibits, and research guides
- Henry Owl Fellowship honors American Indian pioneer
Records of the time
- North Carolina Historical Review 22Internet Archive Digitized books, newspapers, and records, readable online
Collections and databases
- NC LIVE: prepared search for Henry Owl Library card Search NC LIVE for this subject and Orange County. You can change the search terms. Sign in through your North Carolina library to access the materials.
- Ancestry Library Edition In the libraryOrange County Public Library Census, birth, death and marriage records, and more, free on the public computers at OCPL libraries
Local help
- Rebecca B. Wall Local History Collection, Orange County Public Library The county library’s local-history room at the Main Library in Hillsborough: books, journals, maps, and microfilm of county records from 1752
- Local History Help Hours and request formOCPL Local History Liaison Meet with the Local History Liaison at the Main Library, usually Mondays from noon to 3 p.m., or send a question using the online request form
Search further
Search other catalogs and collections for this name. Results may include other people with the same name and have not been reviewed by the Friends.
Books about Henry Owl
- WorldCat (opens in a new tab) Library catalogs worldwide
- OCPL (opens in a new tab) Orange County Public Library
Find copies at other libraries
- Chapel Hill Public Library (opens in a new tab) Public library in Chapel Hill
- Durham County Library (opens in a new tab) Public library next door in Durham
- UNC Libraries (opens in a new tab) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Duke Libraries (opens in a new tab) Duke University, Durham
- NC Cardinal (opens in a new tab) The State Library of North Carolina and public libraries across the state
Photographs, papers, and newspapers
- DigitalNC (opens in a new tab) North Carolina newspapers, yearbooks, and photographs
- DPLA (opens in a new tab) Digital collections from libraries, archives, and museums across the country
Historical records and collections
- Chronicling America (opens in a new tab) Historical newspapers from across the country, through 1963
- Internet Archive (opens in a new tab) Digitized books, directories, and local histories
- HathiTrust (opens in a new tab) Full text of digitized books
- ArchiveGrid (opens in a new tab) Papers held by archives across the country
These searches use Henry Owl’s name without birth or death dates, so results may include namesakes. Links open in a new tab.
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