Meredith History Moment: College Charter Granted

Meredith College commemorates February 27, the date its charter was granted by the North Carolina legislature in 1891. 

After the charter was granted, it took until 1899 for the institution that grew into Meredith College to open. The school operated in downtown Raleigh until 1926, when it moved to its current Hillsborough Street location.

In the opening of A History of Meredith College, Mary Lynch Johnson quotes Richard Tilman Vann, who said, “If you ask about the beginning of Meredith, no one can answer you. It is the incarnation of an idea. Events may be dated and chronicled, but who can trace the genesis of an idea?”

Each year, the Meredith College community celebrates the College’s birthday on February 27. Over the years, commemorations have ranged from lectures to birthday parties.

In honor of 135 years of educating women and in preparation for the launch of a new strategic plan in the fall, Meredith College is celebrating its mission in 2026. Look for monthly Meredith History Moments throughout the series.