Appalachian State University

Appalachian State University, a comprehensive regional university that boasts over 17,000 students, had its humble beginnings as Watauga Academy in 1899. Blanford Barnard “B.B.” Dougherty and his brother Dauphin Disco “D.D.” established the school for mountain children in the western North Carolina town of Boone. Located in what was considered the “lost provinces,” the small school provided a much-needed education for the then economically depressed population. B.B. Dougherty, who remained president of the school for 56 years, envisioned an institution that would eventually serve not only the region but the state. Today, the school’s reach extends well beyond North Carolina borders, attracting students and faculty from throughout the Southeast and the rest of the country. This book documents the visual history of Appalachian State, focusing on its transformation from a local academy to state-supported teacher training school, then a normal school and a four-year teacher’s college, and finally a top-ranked university. Each of these transformations is illustrated in its own chapter with images of campus buildings, events, faculty, staff, and students.