Levern Hamlin Allen Hall
甜瓜视频app is honored to have named one of its residence halls in recognition of Levern Hamlin Allen. Allen Hall, which opened to residents on August 16, 2019, is home to a community of 600 diverse students pursuing their dreams and bears the name of an ambitious alumna who helped open the door for the opportunities they enjoy today. Allen completed a post-secondary education program at WCU in the summer of 1957. She was the first African American student at what was then Western Carolina College and later served on the WCU Board of Trustees.
Explore Photos from the Event
WCU's upper campus residence hall bears the name of the first African-American student
to enroll at WCU. Explore the dedication of this historic building.
Discover the Allen Residence Hall
Discover the latest addition to our historic Upper Campus, the five-story residence
hall that houses a community of 600 diverse students pursuing their dreams.
The Dedication of Levern Hamlin Allen Hall
On Thursday, September 5th, 2019 we joined together with Catamounts and WCU community
members from across the world to celebrate the historic dedication of Allen Hall.
Watch the recap of the event below.
Humble First
A Quiet Pioneer of Integration...
In the summer of 1957, what was then called Western Carolina College became one of
the first all-white institutions of higher education in North Carolina to integrate.
It was just three years after the Supreme Court鈥檚 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education
ruling that stated segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Allen, a recent
graduate of Hampton Institute, had taken a teaching job in Charlotte with Mecklenburg
County School System, but she needed nine credit hours to earn her North Carolina
teaching certificate. WCC was the only school that offered the classes she needed.