Elizabeth City State University was established by the
North Carolina General Assembly on March 3, 1891, as the
State Colored Normal School at Elizabeth City, in response to a bill calling for the creation of a two-year
Normal School for the "teaching and training [of] teachers of the colored race to teach in the
common schools of North Carolina."
Peter Weddick Moore was its first leader. The school provided training for teachers of primary grades. The campus quadrangle and six surrounding buildings are included in the
Elizabeth City State Teachers College Historic District, listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1994. In 1937, the school made the transformation into a full four-year teachers college and was officially named
Elizabeth City State Teachers College, while expanding its role to include the training of principals as well. In 1939, the college awarded its first
bachelor of science degrees in its program of
elementary education. Within the following twenty-five years, the college expanded its offerings to include a vocational-technical program and a total of thirteen academic majors. In December 1961, the college gained membership in the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1963 its name was changed to
Elizabeth City State College. In 1969, its name was changed to Elizabeth City State University to reflect expansion and the addition of graduate programs. When the
University of North Carolina System was formed in 1972, ECSU became one of the system's sixteen constituent universities and entered into its current phase of development and organization. ECSU is home to the only four-year aviation science degree program in North Carolina. In 2020, Elizabeth City State received $15 million from
MacKenzie Scott. In 2026, Scott donated an additional $42 million which is the largest donation in the university's history.
2025 shooting On April 27, 2025, a shooter opened fire on campus during a school event. One person was killed and six others were injured, including three students.
List of Chief Executive Officers Source: •
Peter Weddick Moore, Principal, 1891–1928, President Emeritus, 1928–1934 •
John Henry Bias, President, 1928–1939 • Harold Leonard Trigg, President, 1939–1945 • Sidney David Williams, President, 1946–1958, President Emeritus, 1969–1974 • Walter Nathaniel Ridley, President, 1958–1968, President Emeritus, 1988–1996 • Marion Dennis Thorpe, President, 1968–1972, Chancellor, 1972–1983 • Jimmy Raymond Jenkins, Chancellor, 1983–1995, Chancellor Emeritus, 1995–present • Mickey Lynn Burnim, Chancellor, 1995–2006 • Willie J. Gilchrist, Chancellor, 2006–2013 •
Charles L. Becton, Interim Chancellor, 2013–2014 •
Stacey Franklin Jones, Chancellor, 2014-2015 • Thomas Conway, Interim Chancellor, January 1, 2016 - 2018 • Catherine Edmonds, Interim Chancellor, July 1, 2024 - present ==Campus==