About the NC Yearbook Index

Thank you for wanting to learn more about the NC Yearbook Index! This page has more detailed information about the database that will help you better understand what data is included.

 

What years are included?

  • Most of the entries are from 1950s and earlier, but this will be expanded over time

What yearbooks are included?

Why are only seniors indexed?

  • Usually, students progress through each year of college and then graduate. For sake of time, I’m including the senior classes; though I understand there are times when students may not complete all four years at one institution. There are some exceptions in the index – for example, all classes of the 1963 yearbook of North Carolina Central University will eventually be included since at the time I created the index it was the only digitized issue. I decided to do all four years because it was a predominantly black college and African-American students are underrepresented in the index. Also, I will sometimes include graduate classes and hope to expand to include more of them in the future.

Are pictures included?

  • You will need to go to the yearbooks directly to view the pictures. This site is an index only.  Most records contain a hyperlink to the yearbook online where you can browse and find a photo (usually) of the person of interest. Sometimes, only names are listed in the yearbook without a corresponding photo.

I am looking for African American students, how do I find them?

  • Given that many colleges in North Carolina were not integrated until the 1960’s, the emphasis on yearbooks earlier than this means there is an underrepresentation of African-American students. However, some yearbooks from African-American schools are included such as those listed below; I will expand over time :
    • Bennett College: 1962-1965
    • North Carolina Central University: 1929-1946 and 1963 yearbooks
    • Elizabeth City State University: 1944-1966
    • Johnson C. Smith University: 1929-1946 (when volumes available)
    • NC Agricultural & Technical College: 1939-1949 (various years)
    • Shaw University:1943-1951 (some years missing)

I see a mistake, how do I get it fixed?

  • Sometimes I have made a mistake in the transcription, and sometimes the yearbook publishers make mistakes. If you find a mistake, email me at taneya@gmail.com