The Department of Entomology at North Carolina State prides itself in having well-rounded programs in research, teaching, and extension entomology that give its graduate students, in addition to the particular research area they choose, exposure to many aspects of the field through our strengths in biodiversity and natural history, agricultural pest management, urban and structural pest management, and the overarching areas of molecular biology, genomics, behavior, chemical ecology and other subjects that bring basic research to bear intimately on applied research topics. Several historical factors have shaped the Departmental philosophy and have resulted in our current mix of highly collaborative faculty and program strengths. Particularly noteworthy and instructive are the amazing accomplishments of Zeno P. Metcalf, first head of the Department and specialist in the systematics of Homoptera; the work of Robert L. Rabb in ecology and IPM that led to a departmental philosophy of blending basic and applied work both within and between programs; the work of Charles L. Wright that led to the endowments from Blanton J. Whitmire which in turn allowed the development of a world class program in structural and urban pest management; Ernie Hodgson's NIH training grant, the longest running at NCSU that has allowed training of generations of insect and mammalian toxicologists; and the more recent teaching innovations of Ron Kuhr, John Ambrose and others that demonstrate the role insects can play in the teaching of biological principles and how this can be of value to a department of entomology. This presentation will give details on these and other historical aspects of our Department and how they have served to shape the departmental mission and its many accomplishments.