Prominently placed on the UNC Asheville campus and located just off University Heights, there is a building named Dykeman Hall. The building itself often goes overlooked, but more astonishing and saddening is the fact of how few students know the woman for whom this building is named.
Wilma Dykeman herself once occupied the same position as many of the university’s current students, having attended UNCA from 1937-1938 when the school operated as Asheville-Biltmore College. While at the university, Dykeman saved up money by working at the Kress five-and-dime store in downtown Asheville, North Carolina (now Kress Emporium). Her goal was to, after graduation, head to Northwestern University’s School of Speech in Evanston, Illinois with the dream of being an actress.
Dykeman is not known today for any breakout acting roles. She is instead recognized for her contributions to the literary landscape and as an early supporter of environmental integrity and social justice…