Charles G. “Terry” Zug III (1938–2025)

Charles G. “Terry” Zug III died on January 19, 2025 after a long illness. He was 86.

Terry Zug was professor emeritus of folklore and English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he once led the folklore program. He was the author of several books, including Turners and Burners: The Folk Potters of North Carolina, The Traditional Pottery of North Carolina, and Five North Carolina Folk Artists. He also coedited Arts in Earnest: North Carolina Folklife.

He became interested in North Carolina pottery in 1969 shortly after moving to Chapel Hill. In 1974 he began documenting the craft and traveled throughout the state recording the reminiscences of potters, former potters, and members of potters’ families who recalled the old craft in remarkable detail. He was also instrumental in the founding of the North Carolina Pottery Center, which opened in 1998 in Seagrove, NC and was the first state pottery center in the nation.

Terry joined the American Folklore Society in 1975 and has remained a member for fifty years.

Read more about Terry’s life on his obituary on Legacy.