Throwback Thursday: 1984 UNCW politics, Azalea queen, and a famous delivery dog
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A look back at WWAY archives from March of 1984 shows how student attitudes toward politics, community traditions, and even one unusual working dog reflected life in the Cape Fear at the time.
The first edition of a new series, Throwback Thursday, revisits stories from WWAY’s past, beginning with a report from the University of North Carolina Wilmington examining political interest among students.
The report found many students were focused more on classes, careers, and campus life than on politics.
One student interviewed for the story said political events did not play a major role in daily life.
“It doesn’t affect me that that much. It’s like it’s happening, but I’ve got other stuff to do, so it’s not that important in my life,” the student said.
The story noted that student political attitudes had changed since the Vietnam era, when college campuses were often more active politically.
Fast forward to last year, and campus life looked different after controversial activity following the death of Charlie Kirk led to false reports of a gunman on campus. Classes and campus activities were temporarily canceled.
Another 1984 story focused on the North Carolina Azalea Festival and the announcement of that year’s celebrity queen.
The festival named actress Sharon Wyatt, who portrayed Tiffany on the television show General Hospital, as Queen Azalea.
The festival that year also featured performers including country music star Barbara Mandrell and Johnny Mathis, along with a circus event set up on Shipyard Boulevard.
Recently, actress Elaine Hendrix was named Queen Azalea for 2026. Performers for the upcoming festival include Dustin Lynch and Lil Jon.
The archive segment also highlighted a dog named Baron, a German shepherd who helped run errands for his owner’s body shop in Shallotte.
The three-year-old dog would pick up and deliver parts, sometimes making as many as 10 trips per day.
“If he don’t take something back from down here, he just raises cane. I ain’t lying. He loves, he loves, he loves to take parts back,” a shop worker said in the 1984 report.
The segment is part of a new weekly Throwback Thursday series that will feature stories from WWAY’s historical news archives. That archive can be accessed here.
