Nathan Carter Newbold

Nathan Carter Newbold (December 27, 1871 – December 23, 1957) was the Director of Negro Education in the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction from 1921 to 1950. Newbold advocated for increased educational opportunities for African-American children in North Carolina within a racially segregated school system.

Biography Nathan Carter Newbold was born in Pasquotank County, North Carolina near Elizabeth City. He was a school teacher and principal in Eastern North Carolina. Newbold then served as superintendent of schools in Asheboro, Roxboro, and Washington County. In 1913, Newbold moved to Raleigh to serve as the state's first agent for Negro Education. Newbold served as Director of Negro Education until he retired in 1950.

Legacy

Newbold High School was named in honor of Nathan Carter Newbold in 1952. The segregated high school served African-Americans until it closed in 1968 during desegregation. The school now serves as G. E. Massey Elementary School.

On April 25, 2025, a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker was dedicated for Nathan Carter Newbold. The marker stands at the corner of Hillsborough Street and West Park Drive, two blocks south of Newbold's former residence in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Barry F. Malone wrote a dissertation on him and education in Jim Crow era North Carolina.

The North Carolina Digital Collections have some of his correspondence available online. North Carolina Central University has a collection of his and his family's papers. Duke University has a collection of his papers.