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The Centennial Quilt

Common Roots: The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical Centennial Story quilt took almost three years to make, has fifty-nine colorful blocks depicting a variety of the events and people that figured prominently in the life of this great institution, and provided interesting and highly creative avenues of expression for the more than 100 persons who lent their talents as artists to design the blocks or as crafters to do the stitchery and quilting.

An Artistic Legacy

Whatever their contributions to the Quilt, each participant included in their work a generous portion of love and care.

Imagine someone spending more than two hundred and fifty hours carefully placing stitches in nine by nine inch blocks of fabric.

The quilters included faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members. The youngest quilter was ten years old. Work on the Quilt brought together many persons who had never before worked on a common project.

Just as there are wide variances in the ages of the quilters, there are wide variances in the designs, fabrics and techniques that were used to make the Quilt. A wide range of topics are covered in the block-by-block renditions of vignettes from the life of the University during its one-hundred-year existence. Major events such as the Sit–Ins, the Student Space Shuttle Project, the University Mascot and collages of student organizations are included.

Image of the quilt created in 1992 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of A and T's founding.

The Panels

Starting from the top left, going across to the right and then proceeding to the next row:

Row #Panel #Block TitleCrafterArtist
1 1 The Centennial Logo Mary Robbins
2 The Paul Robeson Theater Margaret B. Headen
3 Air Force ROTC Mattye Reed
4 Aggie Pride Margaret B. Headen
5 The Agricultural Extension Program Mary B. Robbins
6 The Arthur F. Jackson Computer Center Mary J. Jackson Arthur F. Jackson, Jr.
7 The Mattye Reed African Heritage Museum Margaret B. Headen
8 School of Business & Economics, Business for a Global Economy Audrey White & Doris Huntley Copy of a greeting card.
2 9 The Ronald E. McNair Bust Linnie B. Foster
10 The University Choir Linnie B. Foster
11 The School of Graduate Studies Floydelia F. Spruill A. Wesley Spruill, Jr., CD
12 The Student Space Shuttle Program Mary Reese Martin
13 The Lewis C. Dowdy Administration Building Aurelia E.J. Wiggins
14 The Centennial Flag Elizabeth Evans
15 The Marching Band Linnie B. Foster
16 The Garrett House Lola Jones Spease
3 17 Murphy Hall Josephine Patterson
18 A Salute to Our Graduates Linnie B. Foster
19 1957 Name Change: Agricultural & Technical College of North Carolina Mattye Reed
20 The Sit–Ins Carolyn Davis–Ruff
21 Bluford Library Sabina Alexander Louise F. Cummings
22 1891 Original Name: Agriculture & Mechanic Arts for the Colored Race Mattye Reed
23 The Adam Watson House, Mary W. Wynn Louise F. Cummings
24 The School of Technology Thelma Vines
4 25 Jesse Jackson Linnie B. Foster
26 Noble Hall Aurelia J. Wiggins
27 The Dudley House Louise F. Cummings
28 The School of Education Dorothy P. Barnett
29 The A.W. Williams Robotics Laboratory Jacqueline M. Williams
30 Holland Hall Lola Jones Spease
4&5 31 Presidents & Chancellors (this block is the center of the quilt) Mattye Reed
5 32 The University Seal Mattye Reed & Mary Robbins
33 The School of Agriculture Ashaki Shropshire & Alfreda J. Webb Keith D. Wiggins
34 The Pan–Hellenic Council Sabina Alexander & Linnie B. Foster
35 The State of Emergency Linnie B. Foster
36 The Register Marcia Cash
37 The Alma Mater Hymn Lillie S. King Linnie B. Foster & Sterling Gilbert
6 38 The School of Nursing Thelma W. Vines Jeffrey J. Waddell
39 The School of Engineering Sabina A. Alexander & Louise Cummings School of Engineering
40 1915 Name Change: The Negro Agricultural & Technical College of North Carolina Mattye Reed
41 “Our Miss Ginny” Marilyn E. Pinckney
42 Coltrane Hall Mary B. Robbins Elaine Wharton
43 1967 Name Change: The North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University Mattye Reed
44 The School of Industries, 1951–1967 Sabina Alexander & Lillian Holloway Louise Cummings
45 The Army ROTC Mattye Reed
7 46 Old Dudley Building Mattye Reed
47 College of Arts & Sciences Stephanie A. Santmeyers
48 Harrision Auditorium Josephine S. Patterson
49 The North Carolina State Flower Alberta W. Cuthbertson
50 Collage of Student Organizations (I) Anita Rivers & Iva Bookers (Arrangers)
Dorothy Bailey & Dorothy Harris (Collectors)
51 Aggie Sports Linnie B. Foster
52 Collage of Student Organizations (II) Anita Rivers & Iva Bookers (Arrangers)
Dorothy Bailey & Dorothy Harris (Collectors)
53 The University Flag Dora Lee Fairley
8 54 Greensboro Visions Lillie S. King
55 Sebastian Infirmary Thelma W. Vines Jeffrey W. Waddell
56 The Farm Margaret B. Headen Joana Phillips, ASID
57 The Campus Entrance Anita M. Rivers
58 The New Bluford Library

Linnie B. Foster
59 The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer Linnie B. Foster
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