McCorkle Place is one of the most historic areas of campus and is known for its beauty and lush trees. It is also home to many monuments, such as the Speaker Ban Monument, which honors student leaders who spoke out against the 1963 Speaker Ban Law and highlights the University’s tradition of free speech. Also located in McCorkle Place is the Unsung Founders Memorial. It honors the countless enslaved and free people of color who helped construct the University’s oldest buildings—many of which are in this part of campus–and served its students and faculty during the University’s early years.
McCorkle Place is named for Samuel McCorkle, a Presbyterian minister and educator who grew up in Salisbury, North Carolina. He studied at David Caldwell’s academy in Greensboro and graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1772. He campaigned in the late eighteenth century for a state-supported university in North Carolina.