Did you know? UNC Charlotte is celebrating 80 years in the Queen City — and it's marking the milestone by putting roots down, literally.

The university hosted an oak tree planting ceremony on campus as part of its anniversary celebration. It’s also partnering with local nonprofit TreesCharlotte to plant 80 trees across Charlotte in honor of the university’s 80 years.

"These trees honor those roots while also representing the growth and possibilities still ahead of us," UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon Gabor told CLTtoday.

The celebration also comes as the university prepares to celebrate Niner Week — check out the schedule of events.

Putting down roots

Today, UNC Charlotte welcomes more than 33,000 students. But 80 years ago, the university was a much smaller operation. On Sept. 23, 1946, the Charlotte Center — then under the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — opened its doors to 278 students, most of whom were returning World War II veterans.

A black and white photo of a school building with a "Charlotte College" sign. — UNC Charlotte became Charlotte College in 1949. | Photo via UNC Charlotte

The Charlotte Center was initially meant to be temporary. In 1949, the state planned to close its network of postwar colleges, but the community pushed to keep the Charlotte Center.

"It had just 2 full-time employees and several part-time instructors, including a very smart, spirited, and strong-willed high school math teacher by the name of Bonnie Cone," said Gabor.

Cone became one of the defining figures in the university's history, helping guide the school through its early years and its transition to a four-year institution. She served as acting chancellor through June 1973.

Since the school's opening, major milestones have been reached, including:

1961: Charlotte College moved to two buildings on its (now) ~1,000-acre campus in University City.
1963: The North Carolina General Assembly approved Charlotte College as a four-year, state-supported institution.
1965: Charlotte College officially became UNC Charlotte, joining the statewide UNC System as its fourth campus.
1993: The UNC Board of Governors approved UNC Charlotte's first doctoral programs.
2025: UNC Charlotte achieved Carnegie R1 status.
2026: The university broke ground on the state's first school of construction.

A rendering of a black warehouse with a dirt construction area behind it. — Students will gain real-world knowledge of construction projects at the new school's field lab. | Rendering via UNC Charlotte

UNC Charlotte has grown from those original 278 students into a university with more than 33,000 students — and the city's only R1 public research university.

"It's an anchor institution," Gabor said. "We're proud to be in Charlotte; we're proud to serve this community."

Here's to another 80 years, Niner Nation.