Breaking ground and building a legacy

Hanging in the Harris Alumni Center is a shovel tied to one of the defining moments in UNC Charlotte’s history. Bonnie Cone — “Miss Bonnie” to the generations she inspired — used it on Nov. 21, 1960, when more than 200 people gathered to break ground on Charlotte College’s new campus.  

Exactly where that shovel struck the earth has been lost to time, but its impact is unmistakable. The first two buildings constructed on the new site — Kennedy and Macy — still stand more than six decades later, enduring symbols of the University’s beginnings and the vision that shaped its future.

Then

The Kennedy Building was named for Woodford A. Kennedy, known as the “spiritual father” of Charlotte College for his dedication to the institution. Kennedy also selected the location for the groundbreaking ceremony.

The Macy Building was named for Pierre Macy, Charlotte College’s first professor of French and the first chair of the Foreign Language Department.

Now

Today, both buildings continue to serve the University while connecting the modern campus to its earliest days.

Kennedy houses faculty and staff offices. A Constellation Garden now stands in front of Kennedy as a place of remembrance honoring the students whose lives were lost and those who were injured in the campus shooting on April 30, 2019.

Macy remains an academic building, housing programs including religious studies; global studies, international and area studies; and Africana studies.

From those first two buildings, UNC Charlotte has grown into the University and campus that Niner Nation knows today. Kennedy and Macy are physical reminders of the vision, determination and people who helped build Charlotte from the ground up.

Written by: Lily Warlick