THE VOICE OF GASTON COLLEGE
Vol. VII No. 9
GASTON COLLEGE, DALLAS, N.C.
September 20, 1972
Gaston College Enrolls 2030 For Fall Quarter
Rare Louis XV Antique Chest Donated To Gaston
Tech Is Only Division
To Show Increase In 1972
Starr Named
To New Post
by
Gwen Harrison
ACCEPTING DONATION — Mr. Walter J. Newcomb, seated, of
the Gaston College Board of Trustees, discusses the donation of the
Louis XV antique chest by Mr. Henry Van Sleen. Mr. Van Sleen, a local
jeweler, donated the chest recently and the Board of Trustees made the
formal acceptance at the August 28 meeting.
Priceless^’ Chest Is One
Of Only Two Known To Exist
by
Vicki Routh
When a man celebrates his
birtliday, he may usually expect
to receive the normal array of
presents and well-wisliing. But Mr.
Henry Van Sleen is an exception:
he recently celebrated his
birthday by giving to Gaston
College a priceless antique — a
Louis XV chest, which is the only
one of its kind in tiie entire
United States. Only one other
such chest is in existence, and it is
on display in a museum in
Holland.
About a montit ago Mr. Van
Sleen celebrated his 88tli
birthday, and he felt tiiat this was
the right time to make the
necessary arrangements to present
the chest to the college. The
citest, which was made for the
Frencli king wiio ruled from 1715
until 1774, stands nearly nine feel
high and is seven feet wide. Its age
is estimated at 250 years.
While no price can be equated
with the value of the piece, the
chest is estimated to be worth
over $15,000, according to Dr.
Woody Sugg, Gaston president.
“We at Gaston are extremely
pleased by Mr. Van Sleen’s
generous gesture,” Sugg said. “We
would like to point out that
Gaston College is the ideal place
for such antiques because they
can be cared for and seen by large
numbers of people. It persons
with valuable antiques should
prefer not to donate them to the
college, the items could be
brought here t) n a loan
arrangement to be displayed fora
certain period of time.”
Bringing the Ltiuis XV chest to
the college is going to present
quite a problem, according to
Sugg. The furniture is so large that
is must be disassembled, piece by
piece, by an antique expert and
them brought to the college and
put back together.
One item of special interest
concerning the chest is that, since
It was made for Louis XV
between 1720 and 1750, the chest
would traditionally include the
many secret compartments and
hidden drawers that typified
furniture of that period.
Historically the chest
represents a most interesting and
important time period. Louis XV
inherited a country weakened by
weak foreign policy and internal
government, but instead of
improving matters, Louis devoted
most of his time to two of the
most famous mistresses in history
— Madame de Pompadour and
Madame du Barry. The successor
of Louis XV, Louis XVI, married
Marie Antoinette, and possibly
the chest in question was owned
and used by these rulers.
Mr. Van Sleen is a native of
Holland and came to the Lhiited
States when he was about twenty
years old. He obtained the chest
through his grandfather’s family.
He brought the chest to this
country in 1938 after he had gone
back to his native Holland for a
visit. At present the chest is
located in a house in Gastonia.
Wlien it is brought to the Gaston
College campus it will be put on
display in the Learning Resources
Center. The expected delivery
date is mid-way in the Fall
Quarter.
Michael L. Starr
Michael L. Starr, who was with
Learning Resources Center of
Gaston College, has a new
position. He is now the director of
Public Relations for the College.
He has moved into the position
formerly held by Dr. Robert
Howard, who is now devoting
fulltime responsibilities as Dean of
Evening Affairs. Starr assumed
full responsibility at the beginning
of the Fall quarter.
As Director of Public
Relations, Starr is responsible for
news releases; this includes
information which is supplied to
newspapers, radios, and televisions
as well as the printing of a
calendar of events which will be
available on campus for students
and faculty.
Anyone who desires
information about various clubs
or school activities printed is
encouraged to talk with Mr. Starr
in the Administration Building in
room 117.
Mr. Starr is the son of the Rev.
and Mrs. George C. Starr, Jr. He is
a graduate of U.N.C. at Chapel
Hill with A.B. degree in radio,
television, motion picture, and
political science. He has been with
Gaston College 11 months.
by
Pat O’Brien
Gaston College enrollment for
the fall quarter has reached the
anticipated 2000 mark with a
combined total of 2030 in the
three divisions according to Bruce
Trammell, registrar. Although the
total is approximately 100
students less than last year’s
enrollment, the Technical Division
shows an increase with over 250,
the Vocational Division has over
300, and the Academic Division
has almost 1400. More than 500
students are veterans.
“For the next couple of
years,” Trammell says, “I feel
we’ll hold around the 2000
mark.” He also states that he
believes the figure will increase by
1975.
Commenting on the slight
decline in this year’s enrollment,
Trammell feels that at present
more people are dropping out of
high school. Also many students
now feel that a Liberal Arts
education does not prepare them
for earning a living.
Despite these reasons Trammell
expects this year’s enrollment
eventually to equal or surpass last
year’s figures.
Trammell noted that over the
past six years the enrollment
pattern has remained basically
stable. There have been no
remarkable increases or decreases,
except those usually connected
with peak unemployment, the
Vietnamese war, or job
opportunities.
In 1967 Gaston had a total
enrollment of 1566 students; in
1968 the number rose to 1607; in
1969 1625 enrolled; in 1970
Gaston passed the 2000 mark
with 52 to spare; in 1971 the
all-time higli was 2147.
In a divisional breakdown, the
Academic Division enrolled the
following total students: 1967,
1002; 1968, 1036; 1969, 1125;
1970, 1432; 1971, 1552. The
Technical Division enrolled 318 in
1967; 281 in 1968; 260 in 1969;
236 in 1970; 233 in 1971. In the
Vocational Division there were
246 students in 1967; 290 in
1968; 290 in 1969; 384 in 1970;
and 362 in 1971.
Concert By Gaston Faculty
Members Set For Sept. 21
For those students and faculty
members who don’t know it yet,
the Gaston staff is loaded with
ability, and this talent will be
demonstrated fully at 11 a.m. on
September 21 in the Gaston
Learning Resources Center. That’s
the library, to those new students
who are not acquainted with the
terms here.
The concert will consist of a
variety of excellant music ranging
from opera to Broadway show
music. Performing will be Sam
Durrance of the Music
Department, Jimmie Babb of the
Vocational Division, and Harry
Herd, also of the Vocational
Division. Their selections will
include numbers from such
Broadway shows as “South
Pacific,” “The Sound of Music,”
“Oliver,” “Oklahoma!,” and
others.
Durrance, prior to coming to
Gaston College, was a professional
singer. He sings in French,
German, Portuguese, Italian, and
English. Herd, also trained in
opera, was once auditioned for
the Metropohtan Opera. Babb has
sung extensively in this area and is
regarded as one of the outstanding
talents in this area.
Joe Hamrick
Everette Warren
John Merritt
RETURNING FACULTY MEMBERS — Months ago Gaston temporarily lost three faculty members-
Joe Hamrick of the Vocational Division, Everette Warren of the Business Department, and John Merritt,
chairman of the Art Department. This fall the college regained all three - with interest. Hamrick returns
from U.N.C. at Raleigh, where he has been pursuing his doctorate in education. He is now Student Financial
Aid officer Warren has been working toward his Doctorate of Business Education, which he hopes to
complete ne,\t summer. He has been enrolled at Texas Tech. Merritt has also studied at U.N.C. in Raleigh,
where he is working toward his doctorate. He will serve now in the Continuing Education Divisron.