- Biographical Note:
- Walter Jerome Mathews has been traditionally called the first student at NC State, primarily because he is considered to have been the first one to arrive on campus in October 1889. Mathews was born on 20 August 1870 in Buncombe County and grew up on a farm near Asheville. His education at NC State focused on mechanics, and he was part of the college’s first graduating class (1893). He had a career in construction, eventually owning his own business in Goldsboro, where he also served a term as mayor. He died in Goldsboro on 28 August 1967, shortly after his 97th birthday.
