Averette Gaston Floyd

Averette Gaston Floyd was a native of North Carolina, hailing from Fairmont in Robeson County, and entered the college in 1917 as an agriculture major. He was called into the armed services sometime near the end of his first year at North Carolina State, interrupting his college studies. He returned to NC State in 1919 as a sophomore, and eventually served as president of not only his junior class and the Athletic Association, but as the first student body president for the entire college. The _Technicia_n described him in glowing terms, writing that, "State College shall ever be indebted to A. G. Floyd, her first Student Government President, who by his untiring efforts and keen sense of right and wrong has done more for his college than probably any student in many years."

Images

Years at State

Student Body President, 1921-1922

Accomplishments

Floyd was the first student body president for the university. With the help of the Student Council, he managed to create a stable Student Government, which has lasted to the current day. The student code of conduct, which students are familiar with today, has its origins in the articles ratified to the student constitution by Floyd and the original Student Council.

Floyd campaigned heavily during his term in office against cheating during examinations, making it very clear that any academic dishonesty would not be tolerated; he helped ratify several sections of the constitution, which made cheating a crime worthy of expulsion from the college. In addition, he worked with Dr. Taylor, a professor who offered Bible studies on campus, to promote awareness of the severe immorality of cheating and how damaging even a single dishonest individual was to the college.

Citations

“David B. Vansant to Head Student Body” Technician Vol. 2, No 13 (April 15 1922), p1.

Technician Vol. 2, No. 11 (March 15 1922), p1-12.

“Freshmen Plan to Burn Their Caps” Technician Vol. 2, No 12 (April 1 1922), p1.

“Floyd is Elected Captain and J.E. Teague Maaager [sp] of ‘Wolfpack’ Next Year” Technician Vol. 2, No. 5 (December 15 1921), p7.

Technician Vol. 2, No. 3 (November 15 1921).

Technician Vol. 2, No. 4 (December 1 1921).

Agromeck (Raleigh: North Carolina State University, 1921), p203.

Agromeck (Raleigh: North Carolina State University, 1922), p63, 223, 271.