Irwin Holmes (2020) - NC State Athletic Hall of Fame

Irwin Holmes

One of four African-American undergraduates to enroll in fall of 1956, the first in college history.
First African-American graduate of NC State University (1960, electrical engineering).
One of first two black student-athletes to participate in an Atlantic Coast Conference-sponsored event when they ran in a freshman track meet in February 1957.
Inducted into engineering honor society Eta Kappa Nu in 1959.
First African-American athlete to be named captain of a varsity sport at a Southern college or university.
Namesake of Holmes Hall, newly renamed building on NC State’s main campus.

General Information

While Holmes spent most of his sports career as a tennis player, he and fellow African-American freshman Manuel Crockett of Raleigh’s Ligon High School actually integrated ACC athletics in a freshman indoor track meet against North Carolina in what is now known as Dorton Arena. They both ran in the 600-yard dash, becoming the first African-Americans to participate in an ACC-sponsored event.
In his first freshman match, Holmes earned a forfeit victory because his opponent’s coach didn’t want his player to face a black opponent.
When Holmes was elected co-captain of the tennis team in 1960, he was included in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” feature for becoming the first African-American captain of an ACC varsity team, a true honor for someone who spent the little money he earned selling Durham newspapers to pay for his annual subscription to the sports magazine.