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Page A6-The Chronicle, Thursday, September 20,
c
Close-Up
Her school nc
By ALBERT NICKERSON
Chronicle Staff Writer
McLean Stenographic and Tutoring Service is
located in a small, red, brick building on Patterson
Avenue, standing in the shadows of R.J.. Reynolds
Tobacco Co.
Although the business is small, it has performed a
prodigious service to the community by providing
45 years of secretarial training to young men and
women of the city.
Former graduates and friends gathered in the
small, two-room school on Sunday to honor its
founder, Naomi McLean. Some brought cards,
other flowers, and some just brought warm, good
wishes to McLean, who was affectionately called
"Mrs. McLean" by her former students.
Visitors to the historic school saw hundreds of
photographs and other memorabilia of the institution,
which has been located on Sixth and Patterson _
avenues since 1943. There was a two-hour ceremony
in which friends, acquaintances, and well-wshers
paid tribute to her. Dr. Marion R. Blair, pastor of
Wentz Memorial United Church of Christ, gave
some informal remarks about McLean and pinpointed
the significance of her work. "She was the
kind of person who recognized greatness in us when
others didn't," said Dr. Blair.
The program also included selections by former
graduates, such as "Bless This House" and
"Farewell Dear Graduates".
"They told me I was crazy when I started my
* i i % i t *
scnooi, ivicLean saia. i ne list ot honors in her
name are numerous and include a listing in "Who's
Who of American Women 1974-75." She also has
Program profiler
Gwendolyn Brooks, Pulitzer Society of Midlan
prize-winning poet and poet^ thcJCitumba Libe
laureate of Illinois, and Lois .
Mailou Jones, painter, teacher She is the recip
and promoter of visual arts, will honorary doctor;
be in Winston-Salem on Satur- ones from Nortl^
day, Sept. 29 and Sunday, Sept. sity, the Univer
30 for poetry reading, painting sylvania, Duke 1
exhibitions, a film and a conver- University of Wis
sation between both artists. The University, the
program is sponsored by the Massachusetts i
Delta Arts Center at 1511 East University of New
Third St. and the Reynolda her numerous w
House Museum of American Art. 44A Street in Broi
Jones will be at Reynolda n*c Ahcn?" "Mai
House on Sept. 29 at 3:30 p.m novel; "Bronzev
and will be at the Delta Arts Girls," "The Bea
Center for a reception and exhibi- Mecca, i
tion from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. poem; 'The Tig<
Jones will also be at the Delta .Gloves," "Prim<
Arts Center on Sunday at~3rtt~ aiM* To Disembi
p.m.
^ t She has judget
Qn Sunday, Sept. 30, Brooks contests and writii
wiH have a poetry reading at and has lectured
Reynolda House at 3:30 p.m., pQCtry seminars
followed by a poetry reading at at colleffes an
Delta Arts Center at 5:30 p.m. around the count
and a conversation with Jones at
the Delta Arts Center at 6:15 A Gewndolyn 1
p.m. A reception for both artists Center has bee
will follow at Delta Arts Center Western minois
at 7 p.m. The Gwendo
Brooks grew up in Chicago. Auditorium has 1
She currently is a member of the Her at Jenner Ele
National Institute of Arts and in Chicago. He
Letters and is honored with the distinction is ha>
Shelby Memorial Award by the dolyn Brooks Ele
Poetry Society of America, the in Harvey, 111., n
!
People On The Move
i
[
Scippio has new <
Mrs. Theldora Small .Scippio each morning,
recently was elected president of Mrs. Scippio b<
the local chapter of the National other organizatic
Council of Negro Women. She is National Associai
a graduate of the University of ty Women, the h
Tennessee in Knoxville, with a of Negro Wome
bachelor's degree in sociology. Ladies of Distin
She is listed in the 1976-77 edition member of the
of Who's Who Among Cettege Alpha sororit>
and University Students. ? daughter of the R
Mrs. Scippio is currently a and Mrs. Thelm*
sales representative for Dorsey
Laboratories. She was recently * wl
r , . .. law firm of Bevi
one of 12 sales representatives _ ^
r .v i * a on Sept- ! Thc
from across the country selected A .
... to suite 630 in
to attend a special sales meeting
i i k7u u cu National Bank B
in Lincoln, Nebraska. She also
serves as executive director of the The National C
Home of Hope breakfast pro- Women held its
gram, which feeds hungry people tional and Mem
1984
Peo
Community Calendar, Close-Up, So
>tes 45 years
written columns for the Afro-American newspaper
and presently is a columnist for the Chronicle.
"I'm proud of my school, because we have accomplished
a lot," McLean said.
"The class was important because it taught me
the basics," said Virginia Smith, a member of the
class of 1944. More importantly, the class schedule
was flexible and McLean arranged special sessions
for the students. It was this personal and informal
touch which McLean offered the students which
"She was the kind of person who recognized
greatness in us when others didn't."
? Dr. Marion Blair
was all-important.
After Mrs. Smith completed the course, she obtained
a job as a sectreary at Atkins High School
and later was employed by North Carolina Mutual
Life Insurance Co.
Now, she is manager of the Wachovia Bank office
on Patterson Avenue.
McLean was born on Nov. 16, 1918. She was the
daughter of James Archibald and Mattie Belle
(rtairston) McLean. She attended Winston-Salem
Teacher's College ancLLivingstone College before
graduating from Central Christian College in
Virginia with a bachelor's degree. She also attended
the Phyllis Wheatley Business Institute before, it
closed.
There were no black business schools in the area
when she opened hers in 1943, she said.
? poet and noted,
O
id Authors and Lois Mailou Jones, a professor
ration Award. emeritus of design and watercolor
painting in the College of
ient of over 40 Fine Arts at Howard University,
ates, including was born in Boston. She studied
vestern Univer- at the Museum School of the
sity of Penn- Museum of Fine Arts in Boston,
University, the where she was the recipient of the
consin, DePaul Susan Minot Lane Scholarship,
University of and continued her studies at the
ind the City Designer's Art School in Boston.
York. Some of Her studies have been at such
ritings include schools as Howard University,
1 7AV111 p " "An. P Aliimkia I A ?
.MTutv, nu- wiuiuvia wtuTvisii/, nwauciuia
ide Martha/1 a Julian and Academie de la
ille Boys and Grande Chaumiere.
in Eaters/1 "In
i book-length From 1928-29, the artist served
er Wore White & head of the art department of
sr for Blacks11 Palmer Memorial Insitute, a
ir] schooLfor black students found* ~
ed by Charlotte Hawkins Brown.
1 major poetry lu 1930, she joined the staff of
ng competitions Howard University, where she
and conducted was active until 1977. She taught
and workshops many students who have become
d universities prominent black artists, in
ry. eluding David Driskell and
Elizabeth Catlett. She received v
brooks Cultural two Howard University research
n founded at ,
University and
Carver seniors h
mentary School
r most recent The Carver Senior Citizens met
zing the Gwen- at the Rupert Bell Recreation
mentary School Center on Sept. 11. They
amed after her. reported a very enjoyable trip to
one
since
elongs to several
>ns, such as the I
tion of Universilational
Council J
n, and the Top
She a
Alpha Kappa
f and is the (Jam*
ev. Moses Small W V
i E. Small. .... \
Lskpui joined the 1
erly R. MitcheU jheldora Small Sclpplo
firm has moved
tJlf ,.First Union Sunday, Sept. 16 in the First Baptist
Church at 700 Highland Ave.
Council of Negro The theme for the celebration
annual Interna- was "In Christ There Is No East
bership Tea on Or West."
/
i
xr
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*
pie
cial Notes, Community News
I Q
Naomi McLean: A school she started 41 years s
James Parker).
She started with one typewriter and few manuals,
holding classes in the afternoon. As part of the instruction,
she gave shorthand, typing, applied
secretarial skills and keypunch. Before desegregation,
she would have 40 to 50 students in a class.
Another graduate was Roberta Nelson. She
graduated in 1964 after taking the typing, shorthand
and machine transcript course. "She was a
very tough teacher and she made you do your
homework until you got it right."
Nelson credits the school with giving her the opportunity
to obtain her first job. After graduating
from the school, she got a job with the personnel
grants and traveled to Haiti to
survey contemporary African tl
Art. The artist has published two S
books, "Caribbean and AfroAmerican
Women Artists" , and f An "Inform
"Lois Mailou Jones Peintures, Main Gallery at
1937-1951." She has received and Jerry Schw
numerous awards for her ac- I and their chore
complishments as an artist, a hibition in SEC
teacher and a promoter of visual fpaforniaace, i
arts. choreographer*!
afterwi per for
Jones' works are included in
the collections of numerous
museums and galleries, including ^y from 10 a.
the Metropolitan Museum of ff f
Art, the Hirschhorn Museum and Wessure, please
Sculpture Garden, the Museum
of Fine Arts in Boston, the lyFhe Student 1
dumi: /-,?ii?*1? i- - kt-.! 1
runups ^uuecuun, mc i>auonai llhtttffiiDOQSOl
Museum of American Art and Winston ShopP
the Palais National in Haiti. She
has received major retrospective " |B
exhibitions at the Museum of
Fine Arts in Boston (1973) and at The local N
the Phillips Collection in l^^thtg^>day
Washington in 1979.
For rfiore information, call Ally interestt
725-5325 or 722-2625. |||pkedto pit
old meeting r
Atlanta on Aug. 24. The group thif program S
will visit the Rev. Anna Lester's Economics Ext
church on 23rd Street for their be "Analyze Y<
Sickle cell III
walk slated
The Greensboro Senior Club Xgluilt6etiMg*
of the National Association of Big -Brothcrs/1
Negro Business and Professional Jgcl
Women's Club will sponsor a
walkathon for the Triad Sickle f^Big Bwtbff 1
Cell Anemia Foundation on Sept.
TK? T~,~A 11 a fMi^*
i u? uiau oickic \~cu nucmiii nuo< ncttsc w
Foundation provides sickle cell Fayette Street.
disease screening and supportive
counseling for sickle cell victims |
in a six-county area. ^.ipceptlltS aj
Registration forms for the available for
walkathon may be picked up at science, music
the Triad Sickle Cell Anemia swimming and
Foundation office at 1102 East snacks in the
Market St. Call tne foundation noon. Center h
office at 274-1507 for more infor- week, payable
* -T =*T' SZbF&R
mmgrr i^^^hhm^^^hrs
igo is still producing_quaUty_&ludents (photo-by
a
department of the local school system. Later, she
received a job with R.J. Reynolds in its personnel
department. Now, 14 years later, she is senior office
assistant in the personel department.
44Yes, I credit the school with giving me the opportunity
to get a good iob." said Nelson.
McLean said that although she doesn't have as
many students now, she doesn't plan to retire. She
is now performing other services such as preparing
resumes, research papers, and other professional
services.
"I feel just fine and 1 enjoy my work," she said.
"I have no reason to retire and look forward to next
year's anniversary."
ivi ivi um 11
CALENDAR
h$ft' % IjNfe-&ifofc*?i
ATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
ance at an Exhibition" wfllvba held in SECCA's !
8 p.m. Dancers and choreographers Sharon Kinney
ender will create a dialogue between the andiencd
ography, which wili be based on the sculpture exCA's
Main Gallery. A informance, as opposed to a
k designed to inform the audience about^ thitts
[ intentions through discussion and commentary^
mmmm- 1
t Winston Jr. Cadet Rescue Squad D will meet to- I
m. to 1 p.m. it Bowen Park at 2Sth and Bowen I
iny boy or girl wants to leam CPR or take blood I
r a bake sale today from ^1^. to 2 p.m. at the BastJ
afdtOOpjtnu in'tiK^N^CR bff^ a" 28^7 New I
sad in the Jet Way Shopping^iter. AH youth of-j
rs?