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Volume XII, Number 5
GARDNER-WEBB COLLEGE, BOILING SPRINGS, NORTH CAROLINA
G. W. Elects M
a
REV. SUTTLE, "HERO" OF NEW BOOK
By JOHN ROBERTS
Don’t let the preacher kid you when he prays for rain.
He has probably already checked the weather report.
So reads a section of “Canaan In Carolina,” a biography
of the Rev. John W. Suttle of Shelby which was released for
sale April 7 at Gardner-Webb College.
The author is Dr. W. Wyan Washburn of Boiling Springs.
At Sandy Run Baptist Church many years ago, accord
ing to the book, a prayer service was to be held to ask God for
rain to quench the thirst of dying crops,
s the crowds assembled, a few
clouds and thunder storms
be seen In the distance, but such
clouds had been forming daily for
several weeks only to drift away
without a shov/er.
“Shall we go in and begin the
service?” asked one of the preach,-
ers. “No let’s wait a few more min
utes. The wind is coming from the
wrong direction.” commented a col
league.
Another rain- story in the color
ful biography is attributed to a
Rutherford county preacher whose
prayer for rain was followed by a
flood that washed away all meadow
“Let’s get some other preacher to
pray for dry weather,” begged a
farmer. “’This one is good on prayer,
but he shore don’t know nothing
about farming.”
The Rev. John W. Suttle, who
celebrated his 86th birthday April
7 at his West Marlon Street home
in Shelby, is a package of statistics
hard to believe.
Tipping the scales as less than
100 pounds, he has accomplished the
impossible in over 65 years as a
country pastor of 39 Baptist church
es. In addition he has other such
credits as:
President of the Baptist State
Convention 10 years ago.
Moderator of the Kings Mountain
Baptist Association for 40 years.
Gardner-Webb college trustee for
45 years, serving several years as
board chairman.
Baptized 10,000 converts.
(Continued on Page 5)
G.-W. Receives
Griffin Library
Gardner-Webb College is to re
ceive the entire library of the late
Clarence Griffin, Forest City editor
and historian.
The collection of some 4,000 vol
umes will be placed in the North
Carolina room of the library, which
contains histories, documents, and
genealogies of the state.
Griffin has given hundreds of
books to Gardner-Webb during the
past six years. They are housed in
this room, which also displays a
portrait o fthe donor.
His library was valued at $20,000
in 1952 when he began transferring
portions of it to Gardner-Webb. His
wUl provides that the entire collec
tion be given to the Baptist college.
A widely recognized scholar and
historian, Griffin was a member of
the North Carolina Historical Com
mission. A large part of his books
center around the countifes of Gas
ton, Cleveland, Rutherford, Polk,
and McDowell.
“Clarence Griffin gave his library
to Gardner-Webb because of his
great love for the college and for
the people ol Rutherford County,”
Dr. P. L. Elliott, Gardner-Webb
president, stated in announcing the
gift. “He had an unbounded en
thusiasm for the community service
program which is at the heart of
Gardner-Webb. It was this which
led him to give his valuable library
to Gardner-Webb, despite his keen
Interest in other schools as well.”
Student *60(17
Officers Elected
For 1958 - 1959
To head the student council as
president for next year is Mike Lo
gan. Phyllis Wilson is the newly
elected vice-president. Janice Ander
son is elected new secretary.
In the publications department
Ken Beane was elected as Pilot
editor. The Pilot is the G. W. news
paper. To assist him "as business
manager is Sonja Hedrick.
As editor of the yearbook, the
Anchor, Francis Hamrick will be as
sisted by Jerry Jackson, newly elect
ed business manager.
The outgoing student body offi
cers nominated the candidates, and
after approval by the faculty, the
student body elected the new offi
cers "by ballot. Competition between
all candidates was keen, and cam
paigns were carried out diligently in
a clean, respectable manner.
een
Smiling prettily are escort Reid Armstrong and the G. W.
May Queen Christine McSwain.
Christine McSwain Is May Queen
By KATHERINE LANCASTER
In a recent meeting of the sophomore class of Gardner-
Webb College, Miss Christine McSwain, daughter of Mr. and
G. W. FORENSIC SQUAD HAD
VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR
In The Pilot This Issue
Are you a lazy student? See Mrs. Paul McSwain of Kings Creek, S. C., was elected May
page 2. Queen and reigned over the May Day festivities on the campus
Dr. P. L. Elliott has an article on May 3.
page 2. Read it. jjigg McSwain, who was chosen from a field of candidates
Pilot salutes two students on page fey receiving the highest number of votes, appears a fitting
representative of a college which places emphasis on religious
Are you spring dreaming? See atmosphere and training. She has chosen for her major relig-
page 5 for coments of those who are. ious education with the intention of becoming a Christian
Sports on pages 5 and 6. educational director.
In her extra-curricular activities,
Christine is active in several areas
of campus life. Not only Is she a
cheerleader for the college basket
ball teams but she was chosen last
fall as freshman class sponsor for
the Gardner-Webb football team.
She is active in student govern
ment, being a member of the stu
dent executive committee. In line
with her religious interests, she is
an active member of the Christian
volunteer band and a member of
the college choir.
Although Cly-lstine has only at
tended Gardner-Webb last summer
during summer school and during
this, her sophomore year, being a
transfer from Limestone College,
she is an active member of the soph
omore clas and a candidate for
graduation this spring.
As for physical qualifications for
Queen, Christine Is a brunette with
dark brown hair and brown eyes.
She is five feet, seven inches tall,
and by her own admission weighs
around 125 “pounds. Although Miss
McSwain was hesitant about giving
any figures on her measurements,
even casual observation reveals that
she was not misplaced in Queen’s
Gardner - Webb’s forensic squad
has had a banner year in four tour
naments during the current acad
emic year.
Four freshmen girls, all novices,
participated in the Wake Forest Col
lege Novice Toiumament In Novem
ber, 1957. The team (affirmative)
composed of Kay Meadows and Fai-
rylee Davis defeated teams from
Duke University, the University, of
Readmg left to right, first row: Instructor Miss KayMcGee, Fairylee Davis, Dianne Privette, Freida Stanley,
Prances Hamrick. Katherine Scruggs, Grace OUis, Doris Walters, Nina Scruggs, Carolyn Sparks, Becky Calla
han, Sandra Gibson. Second row: Janelle Queen, Pat Crawley, Joann Wright, Betty Jo Hamrick, Winnie Ben-
field, Suzanne Hargett, Christine McSwain, Betty Bridges, Pat Rector, Carolyn EUer, MaxAnn Hamrick, Ruth
Ann Poole, Polly McIntosh. Third row: Charles Huey,John Jordan, George Joyner, Frank McFarland, (Char
lie Dabbs, Carey Greene, Jim Hardin, Charles Christmas, Ham Hudson, Lloyd Greene, Bill Greene.
G-W COLLEGE CHOIR ON SPRING TOUR
The choir’s initial appearance was
in New Hope Baptist Church in Earl.
Seven other visits included Baptist
churches in Cleveland, Gaston, and
Rutlierford counties.
The musical program includes
four parts and consumes one hour.
Two parts consist of selected an
thems. Another part is made up
of a group of numbers from orator
ios, performed by small ensemble
groups. A fourth part consists of
selected spirituals.
Miss Kay McGee, director of the
choir, is instructor in fine arts at
Gardner-Webb. She is a graduate Dean Bridges received
In music from Furman University
and has had private study in New
York. The piano accompanist Is
(Continued on Page 4)
North Carolina, and Appalachian
State Teachers College. Entered in
the tournament were Georgetown
Universitly, the University of North
Carolina ,the University of South
Carolina, the University of Pitts
burgh, Di;ike University, Appala
chian State Teachers College, Wake
Forest, Lenoir Rhyne, and Gardner-
Webb, the only junior college.
The entire forensic squad partici
pated In the Mountain Forensic
Tournament at Boone In December,
1957. Eight colleges—the University
of South Carolina, Carson-Newman,
Lenoir Rhyne, East Tennessee State,
Maryville, Tennessee Tech, Appala
chian, and Gardner-Webb—partici
pated in the forensic events and
debate. Mars Hill entered only the
forensic events. Kay Meadows won
two Individual honors. She was
judged the second best debater in
the Women’s Division on total
points, and she also took second
place honors in the Women’s Di
vision of after - dinner speaking.
Dean Bridges was awarded a first-
place honor in men’s extemporan-
eoiK speaking for his speech on
“Ike’s Illness.” All of Gardner-
Webb’s debating teams were honor
ed in one way or another. The
highest honors In debate went to
Mrs. Carolyn Eller and Glenda Par-
ton, who were given a wranen’s ne
gative team award of first place. The
affirmative women’s team of Fairy-
lee Davis and Kay Meadows and
the negative team of Prances Ham
rick and Bill Greene received sec
ond place certificates. Three third-
place awards were given Gardner-
Webb debaters. The affirmative
team of Katherine Scruggs and
third-place
award. Both of Gardner-Webb’s to
tal teams—four debaters in the wo
men’s division and four debaters In
(Continued on Page 5)
Christine’s Maid of Honor was
Joan Cline, who received the high
est number of votes from the fresh
men class. Reid Armstrong was es
cort to the queen.
’The sophomore attendants were
Shelba Jean Packard, Margaret
House, Sara Spangler, Jayne Smith,
and Carolyn Sparks. ’The escorts
were Roscoe SpeUman, Jack An
thony, Hamilton Hudson, Reg Tur
ner, and Joe Kennedy.
The freshmen attendants were
Becky CantreU, Ann Garrett, Phyl
lis Wilson, Betty Jean Wall, and
Lib Smathers. The escorts were Pat
Guyer, Wesley Hughes, Ronnie No-
blitt. Bill Carden, Fred Snipes, and
Mike Roper.