The institution was founded in 1935 as the Norfolk State Unit of Virginia Union University (VUU). 1 Eighty-five students attended the first classes held in 1935. In 1942, the school became independent of VUU and was named Norfolk Polytechnic College. 1 Within two years, by an act of the Virginia Legislature, it became a part of Virginia State College (now Virginia State University). 1 In 1956 Norfolk State College granted its first bachelor's degrees.
In 1969 the college divided from Virginia State College and was named Norfolk State College. When the college was granted university status in 1979, it changed its name to Norfolk State University.
Located on the former site of the 50-acre (202,343 m2) Memorial Park Golf Course, which the city of Norfolk sold to the school for one dollar, the campus now encompasses 134 acres (0.5 km2) of land and 31 buildings at 36°50′59″N76°15′46″W / 36.84972, -76.26278 (36.8495922, -76.2627174)34 The Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall is a large health, physical education, and ROTC complex with a seating capacity of 7,500. Other facilities include a 30,000-seat football stadium; a television studio and radio station, an African art museum, and a multi-purpose performing arts center. Research facilities include a life sciences building with a planetarium and a materials research wing with crystal growth, organic synthesis, laser spectroscopy, and magnetic resonance equipment.
Student activities
Campus organizations
The below list includes organizations registered with the Norfolk State University Office of Student Actitvities for the 2007-2008 academic year. 5
The University offers organized and informal co-curricular activities including 63 student organizations, leadership workshops, intramural activities, student publications and student internships.
Marching band
The Marching Spartan Legion Band performs at campus events and during Norfolk State football games. They were featured performers in the Honda Battle of the Bands in 2007 and 2008.
National fraternities and sororities
All nine of the National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations currently have chapters at Norfolk State University. These organizations are:
Norfolk State operates WNSB(FM) radio, which broadcasts in stereo 24 hours a day from the campus and covers all of the Hampton Roads, Virginia area, reaching the Eastern Shore of Virginia, northeast North Carolina and the Richmond, Virginia suburbs. 6 Established on February 22, 1980 (1980-02-22) and known as "Hot 91.1", WNSB's programming is also boardcast via the internet. [1]67
This list of notable faculty and staff contains current and former faculty, staff and presidents of the Norfolk State University.
This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness. Sourced additions are welcome and you can help by expanding it.
Current interim head men’s basketball coach at Norfolk State University and former head coach at Delhi Tech (Delhi, N.Y.) and Ulster County Community College (Kingston, N.Y.)
This is a partial list of notable alumni which includes graduates, non-graduate former students, and current students of Norfolk State University or predecessors such as Norfolk State College.
This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness. Sourced additions are welcome and you can help by expanding it.
A photo of Randall Robinson and his wife in Haiti in 1994 at the inauguration ceremony of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
former director of the Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Corps Operations and the NOAA Commissioned Corps. She was the first woman and the first African American to hold this position.