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The Eagle Bulletin
Number 3
Serving the university
serving the alumni
serving the students
July 1985
Diamond Anniversary celebration continues
Durham chapter to host
National Alumni Convention
Above is NCCU alamnns, Dr. S. DaDas Simmons,
sn0a|rf>r for the Cojjvention’s Marosn as.-J
Gray Banquet Saturday, July 13, at 8 p.m.
Russell delivers
commencement address
by Reginald Smltb
NCCU’s 75th Diamond Anniversary Commencement was
held Sunday May 12, at 9:00 a m. at O’Kelly Stadium.
The graduates of the class of 1985 were extra special
because their class marked 75 years of Truth and Service.
To mark this special ocassion. Attorney Patricia A.
Russell, delivered the commencement address.
Russell, who is currently one of the hottest speakers on the
national circut, is also president of Patricia A. Russell Con-
stultants.
But not only does attorney Russell have extra ordinary
abilities as a national public speaker—she is a member of the
U.S. Supreme Court, the District of Columbia, and the Na
tional Bar Association.
In May of 1981, Congressman Louis Stokes of Ohio
entered her speech “If Not You—Who?, If Not
Now—When? in the Congressional Records.
Attorney Russell’s address to the graduating seniors was
most fitting as she constantly reminded them of the challenge
ahead.
Three Honorary Degrees were conferred.
Mr. Marshall B. Bass was conferred the Doctor of Laws
from NCCU. Mr. Bass is a corporate vice-president at R.J.
Re3molds and responsible for the corporate wide administra
tion of federal contract compliance and equal employment
opportumty programs. He also develops and implements
non-discriminatory personnel policies and practices as weU as
coordinates R.J. Jleynolds minority business enterprise pro
gram.
The Doctor of Humanities was conferred to Miss Pauline
F. Newton, an alumnae of NCCU.
See COMMENCEMENT p. 2
Graduates representing at least 60 of
NCCU’s 75 years of history are expected to
return to Durham for the Diamond Anniver
sary* Alumni Convention beginning July 11.
NCCU opened its doors for a chkutauqua on
July 10,1910. Under its founder and first presi
dent, the university operated under five dif
ferent names between 1910 and 1947, when Dr.
James E. Shepard died.
There may be no representatives of the Na
tional Religious Training School anrf Chautau
qua’s classes of of 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, or
1915 in attendance. Those classes were small
and many of the members hkVe died. The
university still has active alumni froim.the Na
tional Training School, 1915-1923, and from
the Durham Normal State School, 1923-1925.
In 1925, North Carolina College for Negroes
became the first state-supported liberal arts col
lege for black people in the United States.
Before Dr. Shepard’s death in 1947, the name
of the institution was changed to North
Carolina College at Durham. It became North
Carolina University in 1969 to reflect the
graduate and professional programs.
The Diamond Anniversary Alumni Conven
tion, also the university’s tenth annual National
Alumni Convention, will overlap by two days
with the Diamond Anniversary Chautau-
Qus—five days of lectures and discussions be
ing planned by a committee under Dr. Cecil L.
Patterson to examine NCCU’s future on its ses-
quicentennial, 75 years from today.
Most alumni convention activities are
scheduled for the Sheraton University Center.
They include workshops on July 12 and 13, a
luncheon on July 12, and the Maroon and Gray
Banquet on July 13.
Speaking at the Friday luncheon will be Dr.
Tyronza R. Richmond, Dean of the NCCU
See CONVENTION p. 2
Scholarship to honor Ellis
by Quantella Williams
The Durham Chapter of
NCCU Alumni has established
a scholarship in honor of the
late Clarence H. Ellis.
Ellis served the Durham
Chapter for many years and
held the office of president
during the 1983-1984 term.
It was during his tenure as
president that the chapter
established the “Charitable
Giving Through Life In
surance’’, project.
The funds for the scholar
ship resutled from the life in
surance proceeds of
$31,010.18 which the chapter
donated to the NCCU Foun
dation for administration of
scholarships.
The Scholarship Committee
of the Durham Chapter is
responsible for formulating
guidelines for the administra
tion and and selection.
The committee has set the
following guidelines: the
scholarship shall be used
primarily for recruiting high
school students that the com
mittee feels exemplify Ellis’
character and aspirations.
Before a final selection w
made, individuals will be inter
viewed by a Committee com
prised of key represenatives of
the association and the univer
sity. Once accepted, the reci
pient will be recognized
publicly.
The recipient shall be called,
A Clarence Ellis Scholar. He
or she will be eligible for the
award the entire four year
tenure at NCCU, providing
that requalification is
validated. The first scholar
ship will be awarded at the
beginning of the 1986-1987
academic year. This scholar
ship is one of the most signifi
cant projects implemented by
the Durham Chapter. We are
therefore motivated to con
tinue support and fundraising
for this worthy cause.
Presently, the chapter has
life insurance policies totaling
a $100,000 that will be used to
financially uplift scholarship
programs at the university. If
just a small fraction of Alumni
would make the committment
that the Durham chapter and
others have made, in time
there would be millions of
dollars to support the long
S« SCHOLARSHIP p. 3
Whal’a Smile!
SMdra Staton, NCCU alumnae takes time out of her busy
schedule to flash a big Eagle smile for the photographer.
For more on Staton turn to page 3.