Carolina Nursing through the decades: a historic timeline
An illustrated online timeline of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing, issued by the school in 2025. One page with portraits.
Storyline
The University’s medical building, 1937–1939
The University’s new medical building from William deB. MacNider’s appointment as dean in 1937 to the formal opening in December 1939: the PWA grant, the choice of a site on the Pittsboro road, the move of medicine and public health, and the building’s cost.
In briefBetween 1937 and 1939 the University built a new building for its school of medicine and Division of Public Health, with state money and a Public Works Administration grant. William de Berniere MacNider became dean of the medical school in 1937, and that summer a site was chosen near the junction of the Pittsboro and Raleigh roads and Washington announced a grant of $185,000. The school of medicine moved in at the start of the fall quarter of 1939, and the Division of Public Health admitted fourteen graduate students to its master of public health course. The building, formally opened that December, cost $428,000 and was named for MacNider.
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No works in the index are currently linked directly to this storyline. The works below provide background on UNC & Campus Life.
The full story
In 1937 William de Berniere MacNider succeeded Charles Staples Mangum as dean of the medical school; the trustees' executive committee recommended him late in May. By July 30 the faculty committee on buildings and grounds, with a special trustees' committee, had chosen a knoll near the junction of the Pittsboro and Raleigh roads, between the high school and Kenan Stadium, for a new medical building. By August 27 Washington had announced a Public Works Administration grant of $185,000 for the new public health and medical building, to cost about $411,000 with the $200,000 the legislature had voted. On November 22, after an inspection by W. C. Coker's committee, the competition-winning architects Atwood and Weeks and consulting architect Arthur C. Nash, the University fixed the site on the wooded crest east of the Pittsboro highway near University Drive. The school of medicine moved in at the start of the fall quarter of 1939, and the Division of Public Health moved in that year and admitted fourteen graduate students to a full year's course leading to the master of public health. On December 4, 1939 the University formally opened the building, which cost $428,000, the state giving $275,000 and the PWA the rest. It was named for MacNider.
In the chronology
Events in this storyline, in date order. See these 6 dated events in the chronology →
- William de Berniere MacNider serves as dean of the UNC School of Medicine MacNider succeeded Charles Staples Mangum, who had asked to be relieved, as dean of the medical school in 1937: the trustees' executive committee recommended him late in May and the full board was to act on June 4. He resigned the deanship in 1940 to return to research; the Weekly reported his resignation on June 7, and W. Reece Berryhill became acting dean on July 1. People: Charles Staples MangumSearch the index · NCpedia: MacNider, William de Berniere · Also: Chapel Hill Weekly, June 4, 1937, p. 1; Chapel Hill Weekly, September 24, 1937, p. 1; Chapel Hill Weekly, June 7, 1940, p. 1; Chapel Hill Weekly, July 5, 1940, p. 3
- The University picks a wooded knoll for a new medical building The faculty committee on buildings and grounds, with the approval of a special trustees' committee, chose a knoll near the junction of the Pittsboro and Raleigh roads, between the high school and Kenan Stadium, as the site for a new medical building. The plan depended on a PWA grant of $163,000 to add to the $200,000 the legislature had voted; without it the state money was to go to enlarging the present building.Search the index · The Chapel Hill Weekly, July 30, 1937, p. 1
- The PWA grants $185,000 toward a new University medical building Washington announced a Public Works Administration grant of $185,000 for the University's new public health and medical building, to cost about $411,000 with the $200,000 the legislature had appropriated. A trustees' committee had chosen a wooded site across the highway from the high school near the fork of the Pittsboro and Raleigh roads. People: William B. UmsteadSearch the index · The Chapel Hill Weekly, August 27, 1937, p. 1
- The University chooses the site for its new medical building After an inspection by the faculty buildings and grounds committee under W. C. Coker, the competition-winning architects Atwood and Weeks, and consulting architect Arthur C. Nash, the University fixed the site on the wooded crest east of the Pittsboro highway near University Drive. Work on the foundations was expected to begin about February. People: William Chambers Coker, Arthur Cleveland Nash, William de Berniere MacNiderSearch the index · The Chapel Hill Weekly, November 26, 1937, p. 1
- The Division of Public Health begins its full-year graduate course In the 1939-40 year the division moved into the new Medical and Public Health Building, later MacNider Hall, gave its last short course that fall, and admitted fourteen graduate students under a redesigned curriculum, a full year's course leading to the degree of master of public health. Since early 1936 it had trained physicians and sanitary engineers in three-month short courses, two a year, which the Weekly said averaged about fifty students. Emil Chanlett entered the master's program in sanitary engineering that year. People: M. J. (Milton Joseph) RosenauSearch the index · Robert Rodgers Korstad, Dreaming of a Time: The School of Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1939-1989 (1990), scan p. 46 · Also: Chapel Hill Weekly, September 10, 1937, p. 1; Chapel Hill Weekly, October 1, 1937, p. 5; Chapel Hill Weekly, August 18, 1939, p. 1
- MacNider Hall is completed as the first building of the medical school complex The first building constructed in UNC's medical school complex was completed in 1939 and named for MacNider, then dean. The school of medicine moved in at the start of the fall quarter of 1939, and the building was formally opened on December 4, 1939; it cost $428,000, of which the state gave $275,000 and the Public Works Administration the rest.Search the index · Carolina Story: William de Berniere MacNider (1881-1951) and MacNider Hall · Also: Chapel Hill Weekly, September 22, 1939, p. 3; Chapel Hill Weekly, December 8, 1939, p. 1
Places in this history
Buildings, schools, churches and other sites named in the dated events on this page, the most often named first.
- UNC School of Medicine University schools and programs · Chapel Hill · 2 events here
Background on UNC & Campus Life
Background reading on UNC & Campus Life. These works cover the broader subject and may not discuss this storyline. Follow a link to find a copy or view the material.
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Research sources
Sources and research tools for this storyline. Research guide: Follow an event across several accounts.
Background
- Dreaming of a Time: The School of Public Health, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1939-1989, by Robert R. Korstad (1990)Internet Archive Chapter 2, pages 30 to 34, tells how the PWA grant for the 1939 medical and public health building was won.
- William de Berniere MacNider (1881-1951) and MacNider HallUNC-Chapel Hill University histories, exhibits, and research guides
Collections and databases
- NC LIVE: prepared search for The University’s medical building, 1937–1939 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.
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
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