The Project

To celebrate its 125th anniversary as a textile college, the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University commissioned author Shona Simpson to write a history of the college. The targeted audience for the book was the college’s donors, faculty, students, and alumni, as well as industry representatives, with the goal of informing the audience of the remarkable innovation and work done at the college, which is the only remaining textile college in the country. Over the course of a year, Simpson researched the creation and early years of the college and conducted forty-five oral interviews with alumni, faculty, students, and donors. She then pieced together a compelling story that traced how the college had survived, when no other US textile college had; and how it had grown into a leading driver for innovation in the new world of textiles. This innovation includes work on sustainability, biomedical textiles, e-textiles, cutting-edge fashion design, protective textiles, and much more. It also includes cutting-edge research into how to establish a circular economy for textile manufacturing jobs based in North Carolina and the United States.

The book traces the emotional path the college made as it grew from its first 8 students in 1879 into a thriving, vibrant driver of the textile industry, one of the most important industries in the country.

Much of the book was based on oral histories with many of the college’s stakeholders. This resulted in a living story that was told in the voices of the people who have been important to the college–and to whom the college has remained important throughout their lives.

The Design of the Book is Distinctive

The Wilson College of Textiles 125th Anniversary book was designed to highlight the university’s classic tartan plaid, designed by Wilson College professor Alan Donaldson. The plaid became the background for the cover and was a repeated design element in the book. The school’s anniversary logo is displayed on the cover with the number 125 embossed and a metallic foil border. To further emphasize the textile industry, we used a cloth band on the spine matching the red in the plaid. The title was embossed in white on the red material with a bold 125 at the bottom, reminding the readers of the book’s historical significance. We used a historic photo for the front-end sheet and a modern campus view for the back-end sheet. The text includes a complete review of the school’s history through the present day, displays full-color images, and lists the full 125 years of graduates. This special edition includes a slipcase that repeats the classic school plaid, a thin strip of red, and the metallic foil border on the anniversary logo.

Commercially Printed

Printing specs:

Pages: 8.5 x 11, 368 plus end sheets, plus casebound cover

Text: 100lb. matte white, four process color throughout

Endsheets included historical photos of the campus

Hardcover: 3 piece case with 95 lb. gloss C1S white, front and back panels, plus Rainbow Linen Red spine strip with 2” of show over 120 pt. board; 4 process color plus matte lay flat scuff resistant nylon lamination on the panels plus black print on the spine strip plus silver foil stamping, plus raised embossing.