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Beknont Abbe^ College
Vol. V, Number 5
Belmont, North Carolina 28012
.lune. I!»77
1876 BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE 197
DURING ITS CENTENNIAL YEAR, BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE
WISHES TO PERPETUATE ITS GRATITUDE TO THE BOARD OF
ADVISORS AND TO THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED AS CHAIRMEN
SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THIS BOARD:
R.GRADY RANKIN
J.HAROLD UNEBERGER
RUSH S.DICKSON
JOHN C.ROBERTS
CHARLES D, GRAY. SR.
J. PAUL FORD
LEWIS £. CHITTUM
EDWARD F. GALLAGHER
COL. FRANCIS J. BEATTY
BASIL L.W'HITENER
EDWARD J. DOWD, JR.
Honorary {^aque is dedicated
A plaque honoring members
of the Abbey’s Board of Ad
visors and its chairmen was
dedicated recently by Abbot
Jude Cleary and Fr. John P.
Bradley.
The plaque was formally
presented at a cocktail party
held in the library following a
meeting of the Board of Ad
visors. The plaque is placed on
the wall in the foyer of the
Administration Building. A
light was installed above the
plaque.
The plaque says: “Belmont
Abbey College, 1876-1976.
“During its Centennial Year,
Belmont Abbey College wishes
to perpetuate its gratitude to the
Board of Advisors and to those
who have served as chairmen
since the inception of this
board:
“R. Grady Rankin, J. Harold
Lineberger, Rush S. Dickson,
John C. Roberts, Charles D.
Gray Sr., J. Paul Ford, Lewis
E. Chittum, Edward F.
Gallagher, Col. Francis J.
Beatty, Basil L. Whitener,
Edward J. Dowd Jr.”
Where is he? What’s he doing?
First alumni directory
coming to your aid
The first comprehensive elude full name, major, class
biographical reference volume year, occupation, business and
of all Belmont Abbey College home addresses, business and
alumni will be available soon.
The directory will list alumni,
alphabetically, geographically
and by class year. It will in-
home telephone numbers.
In the coming months, all
alumni will receive question
naires to be completed and
Harper advises grads
“Don’t Go! ”
D. C. slates party
Washington, D.C. area
alumni of B.A.C. have ten
tatively scheduled a reception
on Capitol Hill fti mid-August.
The reception will be social in
nature, and the organizers hope
it will be a preliminary to a
larger function later in the year,
perhaps at Christmas.
All Washington area alumni
are invited to attend. A letter
containing details will be sent to
all listed Washington area
alunini soon.
For further information,
contact Greg Hollingshead
(’76), at 703-451-3754 of 5906-F
Bayshire Road, Springfield,
Va., 22152. If you know of some
Washington area alumni not
receiving "Crossroads,”
contact Hollingshead with their
names and addresses.
Nineteen seventy-seven
graduates of Belmont Abbey
College heard the first woman
commencement speaker in the
college’s 101-year history
during the 99th graduation
exercises held May 15 in the
Wheeler Center.
The graduating class of 124
included the first women to
complete four years at the
college since it b^ame fully co
educational in the fall of 1973.
Commencement speaker was
Dr. Mary-Angela Harper,
executive director of the
National Association of Boards
of Education, National Catholic
Educational Association,
Washington, D. C.
Both Dr. Harper and Sister
Mary Jerome Spradley, R. S.
M., president of Mercy
Hospital, Charlotte, received
honorary degrees.
Dr. Harper lold the graduates
that she wished she could
protect them from the pain of
the world they are entering.
“There are problems and
conflicts waiting for you in the
outside world,” Dr. Harper
warned. “I wish with all my
heart that I could protect you
from them. 1 feel like Bob Hope
when he spoke to a George
Washington University
graduating class and said, ‘My
advice to you graduates about
going into Ihe world is - don’t
go’”
But while she admitted (hat
she could not shroud Ihe
graduates with her motherly
instinct of protection. Dr.
Harper advised Ihem to accept
Ihe limitations that go with the
l('on(iiiiieil On 7)
An Invitation to Charlotte-area Alumni
returned to our alumni direc
tory publisher. Before going to
press, the publisher has agreed
to contact by telephone all
alumni to confirm the accuracy
of the information.
The directory will be
available in both a soft cover
and deluxe hard bound edition.
It’s concise, yet complete
sketches will tell you where
your fellow alumni are and
what they are doing. The
directory will make it con
venient for you to reach your
friends by mail or phone. The
geographical index will tell you
which Abbey alumni live in your
own town. When you are in a
new area you’ll be able lo see
which classmates live there.
Recalling Ihe names of
forgotten classmates will be
made easy by simply thumbing
through Ihe class year index.
Copies of Ihe new directory
may be ordered by. Belmont
Dear Fellow Alumnus:
LET’S GET TOGETHER!!! I
As you are all aware, we have recently completed Ihe celebration
of Belmont Abbey’s Centennial. Throughout the year, Ihe Abbey has
contacted many of the Alumni and solicited your support for Ihe
centennial fund raising drive; which, by the way proved to be a great
success, realizing and surpassing their anticipated goal. We feel
hopeful that the Abbey will be able to prosper and continue lo furnish
the education which we received for many years to come.
The response for this drive was so successful that it made us aware
of a large number of graduates who care about the Abbey and its
future, but it also brought lo our attention the fact that there is a
large number of alumni in Mecklenburg County who share a com
mon background.
With this in mind, we strongly desire lo form a social program
whereby we can really learn lo know each other and have fun doing
it.
Our initial plan is to kick off this social happening by having a
dinner and dance with cocktail hour (B.Y.O.B.) on September 24lh,
1977 to be held at the Carolina Crossroads room of the Rodeway Inn
on 1-77 and Woodlawn Road. We will have a live band for boogying
and we will also supply mixers for your individual alcoholic
preferences. Regretfully, we have to charge because our newly
formed bank account is sitting on big zero. The price for the entire
evening will run around $20.00 lo $25.00 per couple. “NOT BAD’’!!
Let’s face it; we all had a great time at the Abbey and there is no
need for it to end just because we graduated; and this goes for all
graduates, even you guys from Ihe Iwenlies and Ihirlies, etc. We
hope this will be one of many consiruclivc evenis lhal Ihe Alumni
Association will be putting on for us and our families; HUT WE
DEFINITELY NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION.
We realize some of you may hesitate, thinking you don’t know any
other alumni; please don’l; because after Ihe 24lh of September, you
will be friends with some of Ihe finest group of college grads in Ihe
country.
WE KNOW YOU’RE OUT THERE!!!!
Let’s not let this opportunity pass; come on - Participate and gel
lo know one another again. You have nothing lo lose and everything
lo gain. F urthermore, if you would actually like lo help with plan
ning of our first program, give us a call at 545-9609.
SEE YOU ON THE TWENTY FOURTH OF SEPTEMBER!!!!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!!
Bohert A. Ilenlv
.Mecklenburg County Alumni 'b:iirm:in
Here’s a listing of some of the people coming:
Alvin A. LK>naon
Johanna B. Mims
Joseph G. O’Neill, Jr.
John J. Peck
Kenneth G. Quick
Robert E. Shade, Jr.
Richard D. Vitolo
Abbey College alumni ONLY.
Orders will be taken by the
University Press, 200 Park
Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia
22046, during the telephone
verification process.
All alumni are urged lo return
Ihe Alumni Questionnaire Form
as soon as it arrives. This will
avoid our having to mail a
second request.
James G. Babb, Jr.
Michael D. Collins
Robert L. Cranford
Harry Creemers
Ernest H. Dwight
Thomas P. Elliott, Jr.
Richard A. Guicheteau
Robert A. Healy
Zean C. Jamison, Jr.
Add your name to the
many planning to attend.
If you’d like to attend
the Mecklenburg alumni
gathering September 24,
call the Alumni Office at
825-3711, or write us at
Belmont Abbey College,
Belmont, N. C. 28012.