History of the College
See a few pivotal moments from the College of Design’s 75-year history.

Brooks Hall is Built
Landscape Architecture Accreditation Attempt
The first Landscape Architecture program in the South to apply for accreditation, but failed.
Division of Architecture and Landscape Design Established
Division of Architecture and Landscape Design established.
Landscape Architecture program removed from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Architecture program from the College of Engineering to create new division.
Harrye B. Lyons is the first design librarian
Mrs. Harrye Black Lyons serves as the first design librarian from 1947 to 1968. The Design Library inhabits the space that was the original reading room of D. H. Hill Jr. Library. The library was renamed the Harrye B. Lyons design library shortly after her death in 1968 by Dean Kamphoefner.
Matthew Nowicki is the acting department head of Architecture
Matthew Nowicki serves as the acting architecture department head.
Landscape Architecture Department is Established
Landscape Architecture department is initiated, with Edwin G. Thurlow as the department head. The Bachelor in Landscape Architecture is inaugurated as the first five-year undergraduate landscape architecture program in the country.
Notable Faculty Join the School
Matthew Nowicki joins the faculty as the acting architecture department head until his death in 1950.
Duncan Stuart joins the faculty until 1991.
George Matsumoto joins the faculty until 1961.
James W. Fitzgibbon joins the faculty until 1953.
Edward W. Waugh joins the faculty on/off until 1961.
The Visiting Lecture Program begins.
Buckminster Fuller Serves as a Visiting Lecturer
R. Buckminster Fuller is a guest lecturer at the School of Design until 1955. He worked with students to design uses of the geodesic dome for a cotton mill, military installations and the Ford Motor Company. He received an honorary Doctor of Design degree from NC State in 1954. In 1983 he is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.
Department of Architecture Receives Accreditation
The Department of Architecture receives accreditation.
School Graduates First Class
School graduates the first class with a Bachelor’s in Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
First Issue of The Student Publication
The first issue of The Student Publication of the School of Design was published as a tribute to Matthew Nowicki.
View it via the NC State University Libraries’ Rare and Unique Digital Collections
Eduardo Catalano Named Head of Architecture Department
Eduardo Catalano is named head of the architecture department.
Landscape Architecture Program Receives Accreditation
The Landscape Architecture program is accredited.
George E. Patton Wins Rome Prize
George E. Patton wins the 1949 Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture.
Matsumoto Wing is Built
Matsumoto Wing is Built
George Matsumoto was an architecture professor (1948-1961) and was one of the founding professors of the School of Design. He was the architect behind the 1954 wing addition to Brooks Hall.
Read more about George Matsumoto on the Bricklayers website.
Classes move to Brooks Hall
Classes move from the “barracks” to Brooks Hall. The dedication of Brooks Hall takes place, with Pier Luigi Nervi as the keynote speaker.
Robert Burns wins Paris Prize
Robert Burns wins the 44th Paris Prize in Architecture. Edwin F. Harris is the 1st alternate for the 44th Paris Prize in Architecture.
Austin Baer Appointed Product Design Department Head
Austin Baer was appointed full professor and head of the newly created Department of Product Design. Clark Macomber and William J. Baron were appointed full-time faculty. Dr. John Hertzman joins the faculty during Professor Baer’s tenure.
Dr. Hertzman Furnishes The School of Design
Dr. Hertzman designs and builds metal, wood and fiberglass benches and tables for the School of Design.
William Warren Edwards Wins Dumbarton Oaks Fellowship
William Warren Edwards (Landscape Architecture) wins the 1958 Dumbarton Oaks Fellowship.
George Nelson and Charles Eames are visiting lecturers.
George Nelson and Charles Eames are visiting lecturers.
W. Taft Bradshaw Wins Dumbarton Oaks Fellowship
W. Taft Bradshaw (Landscape Architecture) wins the 1959 Dumbarton Oaks Fellowship.
E. Wayne Taylor wins the Rome Prize in Architecture.
E. Wayne Taylor wins the Rome Prize in Architecture.
Lloyd G. Walter wins the 47th Paris Prize in Architecture.
Lloyd G. Walter wins the 47th Paris Prize in Architecture.
Richard Saul Wurman Joins Faculty
Richard Saul Wurman serves on the faculty until 1962. Wurman is an American architect and graphic designer and creator of TEDTalks.
Richard A. Moore Appointed Landscape Architecture Department Head
Richard A. Moore appointed Landscape Architecture department head.
Victor Papanek Appointed New Department Head of Product Design
Victor Papanek succeeds Professor Baer as department head of product design. Papanek is the author of Design for the Real World (1971), a go-to reference in the discourse on designing for the pluriverse.
Dr. Walter Baermann Appointed New Department Head of Product Design
Dr. Walter Baermann appointed head of the Department of Product Design, succeeding Victor Papanek. Armand Cooke, Vincent Foote, and Harry Mackie were appointed to the faculty in product design.
Don Masterton Appointed Product Design Department Head
Don Masterton appointed as the new head of the Department of Product Design.
Dow Chemical Donation
Dow Chemical Corporation gives the Department 3 railroad boxcar loads of styrofoam logs for student projects.
First Visual Design Studio is Taught
The first Visual Design studio is taught. The first project was a poster for the School of Design Student Publication art auction, with Gerald L. Eckstein creating the winning design.
Robert Burns Appointed Architecture Department Head
Robert Burns is appointed Achitecture department head.
Lewis Clarke Appointed Acting Department Head for Landscape Architecture
Lewis Clarke is appointed acting department head for Landscape Architecture.
M. Sally Schauman Graduates From Landscape Architecture
M. Sally Schauman is the first woman to graduate from Landscape Architecture.
Kenneth Moffett wins the 55th Paris Prize in Architecture
Kenneth Moffett wins the 55th Lloyd Warren Fellowship Paris Prize in Architecture.
Master in Landscape Architecture Program Initiated
The Master in Landscape Architecture program is initiated and approved by the university. The BLA is replaced with a 4-year Bachelor in Environmental Design in Landscape Architecture degree.
Richard R. Wilkinson Is Appointed Landscape Architecture Department Head
Richard R. Wilkinson is appointed the department head of Landscape Architecture.
Product Design Additions
Product Design goes to 2-2-2 academic program. The Bachelor of Environmental Design in Product Design is approved.
Urban Design Program Established
Department of Architecture establishes the Urban Design Program as a joint academic program with the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Henry Sanoff Co-Founds EDRA
1969 Henry Sanoff co-founds the Environmental Design Research Association in 1968, with the first meeting held in 1969. Sanoff served as faculty from 1968 until 2006.
Establishment of Graduate Programs
Graduate programs established in each of the three departments in the school.
Arthur J. Clement Graduates
Arthur J. Clement, the First African American to graduate from the School of Design, graduates with a Bachelor of Architecture. He is a retired First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Over the past twenty years, Art has completed numerous campus heritage studies. Mr. Clement currently serves on the advisory committee for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative. He also served on the board of trustees for the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.
First Woman to Receive a Degree in Product Design
Deanne Bell (Beckwith) is the first woman to receive a degree in Product Design.
Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture or Landscape Architecture is Offered
In May of 1971, the first degrees in Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture and Bachelor of Environmental Design in Landscape Architecture are offered. Students graduating in May of 1971 were able to graduate with these degrees from a program that had been developing over the past three years.
First Master of Architecture Degrees Awarded
The first Master of Architecture degrees are awarded to Gary Coates, Richard McCommons, and Theresa Rosenberg.
Landscape Architecture Accreditation
The Master of Landscape Architecture program is accredited by the ASLA.
Vincent Foote Appointed Interim Head of the Department
Vincent Foote serves as interim head of the Department. Minors in Visual Design, Furniture Design.
Textile Design Inauguration for Undergraduate Product Design Majors
Textile Design was inaugurated for undergraduate Product Design majors.
Richard Curtis Graduates
Richard Curtis graduates from the college with a Bachelor of Product Design. He would go to become one of three founders of USA Today and serve on the NC State Board of Trustees. He is known for infographics — especially the weather map — that established newspaper graphics worldwide. He also worked with technology companies in developing the “electronic darkroom” that made it possible to send photographs from around the world for the production of a daily newspaper.
Deanne Bell Joins the Textile Design Program
Deanne Bell hired to establish the Textile Design Program.
Department Approval from IDSA
Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) approves Department.
Austin Lowrey Joins the Visual Design Program
Austin Lowrey hired to establish Visual Design Program as a separate undergraduate curriculum within the Department of Product Design.
Henry Sanoff receives the Progressive Architecture Award
Henry Sanoff receives the Progressive Architecture Design Awards Program in 1974, 1978 and 1983.
New Administration for the Architecture Department
A 3-person committee serves as interim administration of the Architecture department.
John Loss Appointed as Program Director for Architecture
John Loss is appointed program director for Architecture.
Arthur L. Sullivan Appointed as Program Director of Landscape Architecture
Arthur L. Sullivan is appointed as program director of Landscape Architecture
Linda Sanders Appointed Interim Program Director of Architecture
Linda Sanders serves as the interim program director of Architecture.
School of Design Addition is Completed and Later Renamed Kamphoefner Hall
The School of Design Addition is completed in 1978. In 1991, the building is renamed Kamphoefner Hall after the founding dean of the college.
Martin Harms Appointed Architecture Program Director
Martin Harms is appointed the Architecture program director.
Department Title Change
Department of Product Design becomes the Department of Product and Visual Design.
Austin Lowrey Joins the Visual Design Program & More Graphic Design Courses Established
Austin Lowrey is hired to establish the visual design program as a separate undergraduate curriculum within the Product Design department. Studio and core courses in graphic design are established.
Bachelor of Architecture Program Re-established
The Bachelor of Architecture program is re-established.
Robert Burns Appointed Architecture Program Director
Robert Burns is appointed the Architecture program director.
“Department Head” Title Restored
“Department Head” title was restored, following the change to “Program Director” in 1973.
Robert Burns Appointed Associate Dean and Architecture Department Head
Robert Burns is appointed as the Associate Dean and Architecture department head.
Wolfgang Weingart Visits the School of Design
Wolfgang Weingart makes the first of several visits to the school.
Honorary Doctorate Recipient Harwell Hamilton Harris
Harwell Hamilton Harris receives an honorary doctorate of fine arts from NC State University.
Raleigh Chapter of AIGA Forms
Graphic Design faculty and alumni establish the Raleigh chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts – the eighth chapter of the organization. Since its founding, AIGA has grown to 72 chapters, nationally.
Haig Khachatoorian Appointed as New Department Head of Product Design
Haig Khachatoorian appointed Department Head of Product Design.
ACSA Honors Harwell Hamilton Harris
Harwell Hamilton Harris is named an ACSA distinguished professor.
Deborah W. Dalton Appointed Acting Landscape Architecture Department Head
Deborah W. Dalton is appointed acting department head of Landscape Architecture.
Visual Design Program In Novum Magazine
Visual Design program is profiled in the Novum magazine series on graphic design education.
Product Innovation Lab is Founded
The Product Innovation Lab (PIL) was originally co-founded by Professor Haig Khachatoorian (Design), Dr. Mitzi Montoya-Weiss (Management), and Dr. Clare Maday (Engineering) in 1987, and was active until 2016. This was a graduate-level project course conducted with student teams comprising Industrial Design (ID), Marketing (MBA) and Mechanical Engineering (ME) disciplines. The course ran over 20+ years and served the sponsors…citizens of North Carolina, as well as Fortune 500 / 100 level sponsor companies.
Caroline Carlton Is Appointed Design Librarian
Caroline Carlton is the newly appointed design librarian.
The School of Design Hosts the GDEA National Conference
The School of Design hosts the Graphic Design Education Association (GDEA) national conference.
Center for Universal Design
The Center for Universal Design (CUD) at the School of Design is established by Ronald Mace under a grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research in 1989. Although the CUD halted operations in 2008 due to financial challenges, its legacy and philosophy continue across ten design research labs at the college.
Arthur R. Rice Appointed Landscape Architecture Department Head
Arthur R. Rice is appointed as Landscape Architecture department head.
ID Magazine Profiles Student Work
Student work is profiled in ID Magazine article on graphic design education.
Department of Product and Visual Design Separates
The Department of Product and Visual Design splits into two separate departments with new names: Industrial Design and Graphic Design. Previously, the degrees both fell under Product Design, and with this split, each program maintained a separate degree title. Visual Design Program Coordinator Meredith Davis becomes head of the Department of Graphic Design, and Haig Katchatoorian remains department head of Industrial Design.
Paul Tesar Appointed Architecture Department Head
Paul Tesar is appointed as the Architecture department head.
Meredith Davis Becomes Head of the Department of Graphic Design
Meredith Davis becomes the head of the Department of Graphic Design. She serves in the position until 1997. Davis is the author of Design as a Catalyst for Learning (1997), Design in Context: Graphic Design Theory (2012), Teaching Design (2017), Introduction to Visual Communication Design (2017) and The Future of Design Education (expected June 2023).
Christos Saccopoulos Appointed Architecture Department Head
Christos Saccopoulos is appointed the Architecture department head.
Sigma Pi Kappa Award Recipient Robert Stipe
Robert Stipe received the Sigma Pi Kappa International Honor Society of Historic Preservation’s first Award for Scholarship and Leadership.
The School of Design Hosts the GDEA National Conference
The School of Design hosts the Graphic Design Education Association (GDEA) national conference.
Summit on K-12 Design Education
The College of Design hosts the 1992 Summit on K-12 Design Education, funded by the Worldesign Foundation and the three Kenan Institutes. Meredith Davis chairs the conference, which involves high-level k-12 administrators from five states.
The Architecture Department Hosts the ACSA Southeast Regional Meeting
The Architecture department hosts the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Southeast regional meeting.
Sigma Lambda Alpha Chapter Established
The Alpha Sigma Chapter of the landscape architectural honor society Sigma Lambda Alpha is established.
Coalition for Community Conservation Established
The Coalition for Community Conservation is established as a joint venture between the Department of Landscape Architecture and the Conservation Trust of North Carolina.
Department of Art and Design and the Department of Industrial Design Merge
The Department of Art and Design and the Department of Industrial Design combine to form the Department of Design and Technology. Glenn Lewis serves as Department Head.
New Graphic Design Curriculum & Graduate Students Win Aldus Competition
A new graduate curriculum in graphic design is developed. Five graphic design graduate students win awards in Aldus flashpoint competition.
Graphic Design Graduate Student Work Featured in Emigre Magazine
Graphic design graduate student work is profiled in Emigre magazine.
Percy Hooper Appointed as Interim Head of Department of Design & Technology
Percy Hooper appointed as the Interim Head of Department of Design & Technology.
New Imaging Course in Graphic Design Program
A new imaging course sequence is inaugurated in the undergraduate graphic design program.
Anne Burdick Guest Edits for Emigre Magazine
Anne Burdick guest edits two issues of Emigre magazine.
AIGA Profiles Brad Brechin’s Final Project Work
The AIGA journal of graphic design profiles final project work by Brad Brechin (MGD).
School of Design Promotional Materials Accepted Into American Center of Design 100 Show
School of Design promotional materials, designed by graduate students, are accepted into the American Center for Design 100 show.
Andrew Blauvelt Receives GDEA Educator Award
Andrew Blauvelt receives the national GDEA educator award.
Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal Recipient Robert Burns
Robert Burns is the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal Recipient.
Jay Tomlinson Appointed Visiting Landscape Architecture Research Assistant and Design Research Center Director
Jay Tomlinson is appointed as a visiting research assistant professor of Landscape Architecture and director of the School of Design, Design Research Center.
Meredith Davis’ Identity Program
Meredith Davis designs an identity program for NC State University.
Graphic Design Student Work Profiled in Print Magazine
Student work in the new imaging sequence of graphic design is profiled in Print magazine.
Faith Rifki Appointed Architecture Department Head
Fatih Rifki is appointed the Architecture department head.
The School of Design Hosts the AIA Education Summit
The School of Design hosts the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Education Summit.
Department of Landscape Architecture Co-hosts the CELA Annual Conference
The Department of Landscape Architecture co-hosts The Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) Annual Conference in Asheville, NC.
Product Design Graduate Program Featured at the American Center of Design Conference
The graduate program in product design is featured at the American Center for Design’s “Making History” conference.
Michael Faoro Awarded First Medallion of Design Excellence
NC State awards the first AIGA Medallion of Design Excellence to Michael Faoro (BGD).
Roy Brooks Wins American Center for Design Scholarship
Roy Brooks (BGD) wins first place in the American Center for Design national scholarship.
Alicia Chastain Designs Reflections and Actions
Alicia Chastain (BGD) designs Reflections and Actions, written by Robert Burns.
Andrew Blauvelt Becomes Head of Graphic Design
Andrew Blauvelt becomes the head of the department of Graphic Design and serves in the position for one year. He wins the AIGA medal in 2022.
Henry Sanoff receives the Holladay Medal
Henry Sanoff receives the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal of Excellence, the highest faculty award at NC State.
Department of Design and Technology Reverts
Department of Design and Technology reverts to the Department of Industrial Design and the Department of Art + Design.
Haig Khachatoorian Appointed as Head of Industrial Design
Haig Khachatoorian appointed Head of Industrial Design.
A European Partnership
The School of Design hosts a joint meeting of the European Association of Architecture Educators and the Architecture Research Centers Consortium.
Joani Spadaro Serves as Department Head of Graphic Design
Joani Spadaro Serves as Department Head of Graphic Design for one year from 1998-1999.
Meredith Davis Serves as Department Head of Graphic Design
Meredith Davis serves as the department head of Graphic Design from 1999-2002 while a national search is conducted.
Ph.D. Program Admits First Student Cohort
The Ph.D. in Design program admits its first student cohort.
Martha Scotford publishes Cipe Pineles: A Life of Design
Martha Scotford publishes Cipe Pineles: A Life of Design, one of the first monographs on an American woman graphic designer. Martha is one of the earliest graphic design historians in a field that hadn’t published a comprehensive history until 1983.
Graphic Design Programs Accredited by NASAD
The Bachelor of Graphic Design and Master of Graphic Design programs are first accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, one of only a few single program accreditations by NASAD. Meredith Davis did significant work to contribute to the program’s successful accreditation.
Bryan Laffitte Appointed as Head of Industrial Design Department
Bryan Laffitte appointed Industrial Design Department Head.
Denise Gonzales Crisp Becomes Department Head of Graphic Design
Denise Gonzales Crisp joins the faculty and becomes department head of Graphic Design after a national search. She serves in the position until 2006. She remains on the faculty until 2022.
Three Decades of Community Design, by Henry Sanoff, is published
Henry Sanoff writes Three Decades of Design and Community in 2003. The book presents analytical descriptions of the work of many graduates of CDG program/NCSU under Henry Sanoff’s guidance, and sets an example of how service learning and outreach and programs can benefit the surrounding communities, and can be incorporated into studio pedagogy.
Santiago Piedrafita Becomes Head of Graphic Design Department
Santiago Piedrafita Becomes Head of the Graphic Design Department. When the Graphic Design and Industrial Design departments merge in 2009, he becomes head of the new department.
Roger Clark Publishes School of Design: The Kamphoefner Years
School of Design: The Kamphoefner Years 1948-1973, Reflections and Recollections completed by Roger H. Clark from work begun by Robert Burns.
Department of Industrial Design and the Department of Graphic Design Merge
The Department of Industrial Design and the Department of Graphic Design combine into the Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design.
Santiago Piedrafita Appointed as Head of the Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design
Santiago Piedrafita appointed Head of the Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design.
Design + Build Programs Launch
The College of Design launches its award-winning Design + Build programs in Architecture and Landscape Architecture, training students to adapt to every part of the design-make-design cycle.
Graphic Design Department Hosts AIGA Conference
The Graphic Design Department hosts the national American Institute of Graphic Arts conference on design education, titled “New Contexts/New Practices.” The conference was widely recognized as one of the organization’s most successful in history.
Tsai Lu Liu Joins Faculty
Tsai Lu Liu joins the Industrial Design faculty and is appointed as Head of the Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design
IBM Hires Entrie MGD Class
IBM hires the entire MGD graduating class for the launch of its new design center in Austin, TX as part of the largest design transformation of an American corporation in fifty years.
Department of Landscape Architecture Changes Name
The Department of Landscape Architecture changes its name to the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning to reflect the growing focus on environmental planning processes, methods and practices. The department also expanded its curriculum to offer an interdisciplinary certificate program, the Graduate Certificate in Disaster Resilient Policy, Engineering and Design. The program aims to educate the next generation of practitioners and scholars to reduce the rise in disaster losses and assist communities to adapt to a changing climate.
Graphic Design is Reclassified as STEM
The Graphic Design program is reclassified as a STEM discipline to reflect its content as a technological practice and ongoing collaboration with firms such as SAS, IBM, Red Hat, and Citrix.