NCstate - Spring 2016

Memories

A Piece of the Rock

In the summer of 1962, Harrelson Hall was under
construction and quite a marvel for us who were
on campus. My best friend, Bill, and a roommate
lived in a small apartment on Hillsborough Street,
and they decided that one of the granite slabs
used as an accent under each window in Harrelson
Hall would make a great coffee table top. There
were lots of them on the job site; they wouldn’t
miss one, would they? So the plan was imple-
mented on a dark night. Unfortunately, the campus
police were lurking nearby and the miscreants
were caught in the act. The contractor pressed
charges, so they were hauled into court. I went
along for moral support. Bill and his roommate
pled guilty. The judge looked at them for a while
and said, “Six months on the roads,” (there were
chain gangs then) before adding, “suspended on
one year’s probation and payment of a fine.” The
pause between “six months on the roads” and
“suspended” were the longest 30 seconds I ever
A photograph of NC State’s round building
graced a postcard when it first opened.

P H O T O G R A P H S C O UR T E S Y O F S P E C I A L C O L L EC T I O N S , N C S U L I B R A R I E S

experienced. That episode cost Bill a semester, but he went on to graduate and was my best man, as I was his. —JIM MORRISON ’ 64

We’ll Miss It

I loved that building. Definitely a poor design and terribly inefficient, but I really liked its character.

Won’t be the same without it in the middle of the Brickyard. —RACHEL MOONE Y SPENCE ’00

My first memory of NC State was Harrelson Hall. I saw the round building and wanted to know more.

After moving in, I explored campus and later learned that Harrelson and I would have a long relationship.

My first class was there—Calculus 1, with Professor
J. M. Anthony Danby. I learned how steep the stairs
were and decided to try the ramp the next time,
but I didn’t like the ramp. I had many classes in
Harrelson, mostly math classes. I came to know
which stairwell to use depending on where my
class was. I loved the uniqueness of
Harrelson and I am sad to see it go. It
will forever be a part of my heart and
time at NC State. —SARAH DAVIS ’95

I hate to see it go. When I think about
the NC State campus, Harrelson Hall
is one of the landmarks I remember,
along with the Free Expression Tunnel
and the Bell Tower. I had quite a few
memorable classes in Harrelson, and
perhaps what I remember most is
that having a class there was a great
place for me to hide while I was pledging to be a
member of Kappa Alpha Psi. Farewell Harrelson.

Thanks for the memories. —REGGIE DORSE Y ’85

I will be saying a tearful goodbye to Harrelson.

When I arrived at NC State in the fall of 1962 as a Naval Enlisted Scientific Engineering Program (NESEP) student, Harrelson was new and unique.

I remember the steep stairs and the walking ramp, and of course my classes were all on the upper floors! Thankfully, I was done with them by my third year. Most importantly, I will miss Harrelson because it was the scene of one of the most memorable moments in my life. On Nov. 22,

1963, I was walking up the ramp when a student coming down announced to all that President Kennedy had been shot. I vividly recall that scene some 50 years later, but the rest of the day is a blur.

For that reason, I’ll always recall Harrelson fondly, having long ago forgotten the treks up the ramp to class. —CHARLES (CHUCK) STEENBURGH ’ 66

Ramping Up

Every class I ever had in Harrelson was on the top floor. I hated that ramp! The building was certainly unique, though, and I hate to see it go.

—CHERRON GARRET T ’01

I took more classes than I can remember in that funky building. I do recall the challenge of not falling down amid the herd between classes on rainy days when the ramp was slippery.

—C. STERLING HOWELL ’00

What Goes Around Comes Around Harrelson Hall was a landmark building that left an impression—for better or worse—on students and faculty. No matter what their major, from engineering to English, few made it through their college career without experiencing Harrelson. When we learned that the walls of Harrelson were about to come tumbling down (demolition is scheduled to start in mid-May), we reached out to alumni, many of whom say they’re sad to see the building go. (Others, not so much.) Here are some of your stories.