Buncombe County

NC State is Here

New Belgium Brewing Company: Old Tuffy’s Home

Located in downtown Asheville since 2015, the New Belgium Brewing Company established a partnership with NC State in the summer of 2019 to brew Old Tuffy Premium Lager, an all-malt, NC State-branded brew that is now available in retail outlets statewide.

New Belgium pays NC State royalties the sale of the 12- and 19-ounce cans to provide annual support for student success initiatives, research projects and further development of the newly created fermentation science program. New Belgium has also partnered with the university to develop a student-focused responsible consumption of alcohol program.

The five-year agreement has an option for a five-year renewal. NC State will also receive a small portion of the proceeds of the sale of Old Tuffy to further support the university’s mission. [Read more about Old Tuffy beer.]

Pride of the Pack

The First Student

Walter Jerome Mathews was so tired of hollering at the family mule on his father’s farm outside of Asheville, he decided to make something of himself in another field. He hopped aboard a train in the fall of 1889 and headed to Raleigh, the state capital, where a new land-grant school was almost ready to open.

NC State tradition has it that he was the first of 44 students to enroll in the North Carolina School for Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. He was among the 38 students in A&M’s inaugural graduating class in 1893, earning a degree in mechanics.

Mathews went on to pursue a career in construction, eventually owning his own business in Goldsboro, where he also served a term as mayor. He died in Goldsboro on Aug. 28, 1967, shortly after his 97th birthday.

Since 2006, the Alumni Association Student Ambassador Program has awarded the Mathews Medal, the highest non-academic distinction award for NC State students, to seniors who have made significant contributions to the university and created a lasting legacy.

A Decorated Hero

David Swain Grant of Asheville left NC State for Europe to volunteer for the the International Red Cross in 1915. When the United States entered World War I two years later, Grant joined the U.S. Army’s 4th division as a 2nd lieutenant in the 39th Infantry Regiment.

On Aug. 15, 1918, Grant was killed by machine gun fire while heroically leading his platoon into battle near St. Thibault, France.

For “extraordinary heroism” Swain was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the French Croix de Guerre.

“While leading his platoon in an attack upon the enemy’s fortified position, with utter disregard for his own personal safety, Lieutenant Grant advanced steadily at the head of his platoon through severe [machine gun] and artillery fire, thereby being an inspiration to his men. When the order was given to continue the advance in small detachments, Lieutenant Grant led the first of these against the enemy’s fire until he fell mortally wounded,” said his DSC citation. “Although he realized the seriousness of his wound, he refused to be cared for and directed the disposition of his platoon until he made the supreme sacrifice.”

Swain is one of the 35 NC State students, alumni and faculty honored in the shrine room of the Memorial Tower. [Read more about the names in the Belltower.]

Music Man

John Widman, who grew up near Asheville, is a master luthier who crafts handmade guitars, banjos and ukuleles. After graduating from NC State in 1984 he worked as a photographer and graphic designer before establishing Widman Custom Electrics in Arden, North Carolina.

Widman prides himself on creating simple instruments that stand out for their exemplary performance. Among his top sellers is the Gigmaster, an electric guitar made of quartersawn maple, swamp ash and Indian rosewood.

Mountain Man

Junius G. Adams, a native of Statesville, was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 1906 after studying law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He practiced law in Asheville and later served as a judge on the city’s police court.

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