Light on the Hill - by William D Snider (Paperback)

About the Book

Light on the Hill: A History of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Book Synopsis

In 1795 the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill became the first state university in the United States to open its doors to students. As the celebrated institution prepared to observe its bicentennial, William Snider provided a rich chronicle of its history.

Snider describes the signal events of the university's first two hundred years: the chartering and siting of a charming campus and village; the trying years of the Civil War and Reconstruction, during which the University closed its doors; the period of remarkable renewal in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; the achievement of national and international stature in the 1920s and 1930s; the challenging 1960s; and the period of expansion and innovation in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Throughout, Snider provides fine portraits of individuals prominent in the life of the university, from William R. Davie and Joseph Caldwell to Harry Woodburn Chase, Frank Porter Graham, and William C. Friday. His book evokes for all who have been part of the Chapel Hill community memories of their own associations with the campus and a sense of the greater history of the institution of which they were a part.


In a bicentennial history of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, William D. Snider leads us from the chartering and siting of a charming campus and village in 1795 through the struggles, innovations, and expansions that have carried the school to national and international prominence. Throughout, Snider provides fine portraits of individuals significant in the life of the university, from William R. Davie and Joseph Caldwell to Harry Woodburn Chase, Frank Porter Graham, and William C. Friday. His book evokes for all who have been part of the Chapel Hill community memories of their own associations with the campus and a sense of the greater history of the institution of which they were a part.

From the Back Cover

In 1795 the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill became the first state university in the United States to open its doors to students. As the celebrated institution prepares to observe its bi-centennial, William Snider provides a rich chronicle of its history. Snider describes the signal events of the university's first two hundred years: the chartering and siting of a charming campus and village; the trying years of the Civil War and Reconstruction, during which the University closed its doors; the period of remarkable renewal in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; the achievement of national and international stature in the 1920s and 1930s; the challenging 1960s; and the period of expansion and innovation in the late 1970s and 1980s. Throughout, Snider provides fine portraits of individuals prominent in the life of the university, from William R. Davie and Joseph Caldwell to Harry Woodburn Chase, Frank Porter Graham, and William C. Friday. His book evokes for all who have been part of the Chapel Hill community memories of their own associations with the campus and a sense of the greater history of the institution of which they were a part.

Review Quotes

Light on the Hill is a must-have addition to any UNC alumni's library."--Salisbury Post

Alumni, friends and supporters of the university, general readers, and historians of higher education will find Light on the Hill insightful, informative, and, unquestionably, illuminating."--North Carolina Historical Review

Besides being a reference for historians, this volume will rekindle fond memories for the thousands of young men and women from Manteo to Murphy who have studied at Chapel Hill during the past 200 years."--Greensboro News & Record

Snider has created a history book which is truly entertaining."--Sanford Herald

This history comes to life by way of Snider's accessible prose style and comprehensive coverage. . . . Snider's historical account sustains reader interest by transforming sound research into a chronology which blends intelligent and terse storytelling with pertinent and vivid historical quotations. Also of interest is the way in which the history moves forward on the strength of Snider's concise but lively portraits of university presidents."--Virginia Quarterly Review