What is it that binds us to this speech? Charles Kuralt’s 1993 UNC Bicentennial Address

“What is it that binds us to this place as to no other? It is not the well or the bell or the stone walls . . . ” – Charles Kuralt These words, spoken in Charles Kuralt’s iconic voice, … Continue reading

“What is it that binds us to this place as to no other? It is not the well or the bell or the stone walls . . . ” – Charles Kuralt

These words, spoken in Charles Kuralt’s iconic voice, will be familiar to anyone who has watched a UNC sporting event on TV the past few years. The speech provides the background narrative to the promotional spots run by the university during televised football and basketball games. This speech was given by Kuralt on October 12, 1993, during the celebration of UNC’s bicentennial.

Kuralt (class of 1955) began his journalism career as a student at UNC. He was editor of the Daily Tar Heel and did some of his earliest broadcast work with WUNC radio. During a long career with CBS in New York, he was known nationwide for his On the Road segments on the evening news and later as the anchor of CBS Sunday Morning.

Kuralt, a native of Wilmington, never lost touch with North Carolina. He wrote about the state in his book North Carolina is My Home and was an active alumnus, frequently returning to Chapel Hill and remaining an avid fan of Tar Heel basketball. Kuralt was the featured speaker at the 1985 graduation ceremony, during which he talked about the importance of UNC for the rest of the state: “And so, in concentric circles, as if from a pebble tossed from a pool, the influence of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill moves outward to the farthest corners of our state, and far beyond its boundaries.”

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(Charles Kuralt’s speech during commencement 1985, from the Charles Kuralt Collection, 1935-1997, #04882, Southern Historical Collection.)

 

Kuralt expanded on this theme, and on his own deep appreciation for UNC, in his 1993 address, delivered in Kenan Stadium before a large audience that included President Bill Clinton and Governor Jim Hunt. In a memorable opening, Kuralt said “I speak for all of us who could not afford to go to Duke, and would not have, even if we could have afforded it.”

The now famous lines from the TV commercials come early in the speech: “What is it that binds us to this place as no other? It is not the well or the bell or the stone walls. Or the crisp October nights or the memory of dogwoods blooming. Our loyalty is not only to William Richardson Davie, though we are proud of what he did 200 years ago today. Not even to Dean Smith, though we are proud of what he did last March. No, our love for this place is based on the fact that it is, as it was meant to be, the University of the people.”

A video of Kuralt’s address is available online from UNC-TV (his speech begins at 11:30 into the recording). The full text, from a book about the bicentennial, is here:

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Charles Kuralt’s Speech During the Bicentennial Observance Opening Ceremonies [Tepper, Steven J. The Chronicles of the Bicentennial Observance of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 1st ed. Chapel Hill: The University, 1998: 219-220.]

21 November 1864: “I would willingly enter the army this winter with the consent of my parents, still if Father can raise the funds I presume I will be allowed to graduate.”

Item Description: Letter from John Steele Henderson to his mother, Mary Ferrand Henderson. He writes that he needs more money for his tuition or he will be forced to leave the University of North Carolina.  He is due to come … Continue reading

Item Description: Letter from John Steele Henderson to his mother, Mary Ferrand Henderson. He writes that he needs more money for his tuition or he will be forced to leave the University of North Carolina.  He is due to come … Continue reading

26 October 1864: “Have you been down the factory to see the prisoners?”

  Item Description: A letter from John Henderson while he was at the University of North Carolina to his young siblings. He went on to become a member of Congress.   Item Citation: From Folder 36, in the John S. … Continue reading

  Item Description: A letter from John Henderson while he was at the University of North Carolina to his young siblings. He went on to become a member of Congress.   Item Citation: From Folder 36, in the John S. … Continue reading

26 October 1864: “Have you been down the factory to see the prisoners?”

  Item Description: A letter from John Henderson while he was at the University of North Carolina to his young siblings. He went on to become a member of Congress.   Item Citation: From Folder 36, in the John S. … Continue reading →

  Item Description: A letter from John Henderson while he was at the University of North Carolina to his young siblings. He went on to become a member of Congress.   Item Citation: From Folder 36, in the John S. … Continue reading

UNC Law Students Research Law of the Old South at Wilson Library

26 Brophy Kleinman_thumb26 Brophy Kleinman_thumbLast year, students in a UNC School of Law seminar used the Library’s rare publications and archival documents to investigate how the law was applied to moral issues in the antebellum South. Continue reading

26 Brophy Kleinman_thumb26 Brophy Kleinman_thumbLast year, students in a UNC School of Law seminar used the Library’s rare publications and archival documents to investigate how the law was applied to moral issues in the antebellum South. Continue reading

Wilson Library Invites Commencement Visitors for May 10 Open House

View reunion class yearbooks, take in a slide show celebrating the class of 1964, and enjoy exhibitions about UNC and Civil War history. Continue reading

wilson_oh_thumbwilson_oh_thumbView reunion class yearbooks, take in a slide show celebrating the class of 1964, and enjoy exhibitions about UNC and Civil War history. Continue reading

Making a People’s Theatre: Proff Koch and the Carolina Playmakers

Playmakers poster_thumbPlaymakers poster_thumbThe original Carolina Playmakers—a precursor to today’s Playmakers Repertory Company—will be the focus of an exhibit this spring in the Wilson Special Collections Library. Continue reading

Playmakers poster_thumbThe original Carolina Playmakers—a precursor to today’s Playmakers Repertory Company—will be the focus of an exhibit this spring in the Wilson Special Collections Library. Continue reading

The Order of the Golden Fleece: “To Restore Unity to Campus Life”

Explore the history, traditions, and accomplishments of the UNC honor society in an exhibit at Wilson Library. Continue reading

fleece_charm_thumbfleece_charm_thumbExplore the history, traditions, and accomplishments of the UNC honor society in an exhibit at Wilson Library. Continue reading

North Carolina’s Freemasons and the Cornerstones of UNC

An exhibit about North Carolina’s Freemasons and the role they played in the creation of UNC will be on view in Wilson Library through Dec. 23, 2013. Continue reading

freemasons_thumbfreemasons_thumbAn exhibit about North Carolina’s Freemasons and the role they played in the creation of UNC will be on view in Wilson Library through Dec. 23, 2013. Continue reading

22 August 1863: “You say Father says I must “come down a peg or two;” I am willing, if he can prove to me that I am spending more than the necessary amount of money to carry me through this session.”

Item Description: Letter dated August 22, 1863 from John S. Henderson to his mother, sent from the University of North Carolina. The letter features a disagreement about living expenses between father and son (via his mother) that would likely resonate with … Continue reading

Item Description: Letter dated August 22, 1863 from John S. Henderson to his mother, sent from the University of North Carolina. The letter features a disagreement about living expenses between father and son (via his mother) that would likely resonate with … Continue reading