Red Hat 30th anniversary: Celebrating Red Hat Day in North Carolina

Thirty years ago the world looked very different. Grunge music was everywhere, the Dallas Cowboys won the Super Bowl, Jurassic Park was the highest-grossing film, the first Beanie Babies were sold, sun-dried tomatoes were the hottest food trend and Red Hat was incorporated. 

When Bob Young and Marc Ewing came together to create Red Hat, they couldn’t have imagined what the company would become and the impact it would ultimately have on enterprise IT. From our humble beginnings at our first corporate headquarters in Durham to North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus to our current global headquarters in downtown Raleigh, we’re proud to have played a part in the technology sector’s growth across North Carolina and the drive towards open source and hybrid cloud globally. We are now the world's leading provider of enterprise open source solutions but we have stayed true to our North Carolina roots. 

To help us celebrate three decades of open source innovation, State of North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper declared March 26, 2023, as Red Hat Day across North Carolina. 

Thank you to the Governor for recognizing our 30th anniversary with Red Hat Day. And thank you to the customers, partners, associates and community members who made this possible. Here’s to the next 30!

We’re including the full text of their proclamations below.  

Red Hat Day 

WHEREAS: Red Hat was incorporated on March 26, 1993, by its founders Bob Young and Marc Ewing; and,

WHEREAS: Red Hat has contributed significantly to North Carolina over 30 years, growing from its first corporate headquarters in Durham and its home on the North Carolina State University campus to its current global headquarters in downtown Raleigh; and,

WHEREAS: Red Hat has grown into the world's leading provider of open source solutions, using a community-powered approach to provide trusted and high-performing technologies to its customers;

WHEREAS: Red Hat has long-standing commitment to promoting innovation and encouraging the growth of the technology sector in North Carolina, in the U.S., and around the world; and

WHEREAS: Red Hat’s success would not be possible without the contributions of its world-class associates and their shared dedication to excellence; and

WHEREAS: Red Hat continues to serve our community as an exemplary employer and corporate leader for generations to come; and

WHEREAS, North Carolina is proud to celebrate Red Hat, Inc., on the occasion of its 30th anniversary;

Now, Therefore, I, Roy Cooper, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim March 26, 2023 as “Red Hat Day” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.