Dr. Whitaker's Message to the Alumni
A RECENT SECOND READING of A History Of Cho
wan College by Edgar V. McKaight and Oscar Creech
reveals much about the sweat, toils, foibles, and ac
complishments during the 116 year history of Chowan.
IN THE PREFACE to the aforementioned history, I
wrote, “It is timely and appropriate that A History Of
Chowan College should be written at this junc'ure in
the life and work of the College. It is important both
as a guide to the future and as a memorial to the pa
tient and persistant labors of the men and women who
over the years, have participated in its struggles, ach
ievements, and service in the field of Christain higher
education.” There is always a sense in which “What
is past is prologue.” What of the future of Chowan
College?
Long-Range Planning
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES has authorized a
“Long Range Planning Committee” to give attention to
the future of the College. The committee is made up of
members of the faculty, administration. Board of Trus
tees, and the Alumni Association. A landscape arc
hitect of wide experience has been employed. The
study is currently underway. I do not know what re-
commndations will be brought by this committee to
the Board nor what recommendatons will be altered,
disapproved or approved. It is important and signif
icant that, at this juncture in the life and work of the
college, there is thought to be given to the future of
the college.
ATTENTION SHOULD be called also to the fact that
quite soon, the faculty will become engaged in a self-
study under the guidance and supervision of the South
ern Association of Colleges and Schools, our accredit
ing agency. This is being done under the newly inaug
urated plan of the Association whereby each member
institution will undergo a self-study every ten years.
Mrs. Daisy Lou Mixon, Professor and Chairman of the
Department of Religion, has been chosen to serve as
General Chairman of the Self-Study. This study will re
quire depth of thought, imagination, and long hours of
labor. It will culminate in the vistation on the campus
of a committee of the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools in the fall of 1967. We are approaching this
venture of self-analysis not as a chore, t h o u g h we
know it will take much work, but in knowledge of the
fact that it will “reveal ourselves” to us in terms not
College? Is our curriculum adequate, or should it be
and do as an institution of Christain higher education.
Many Questions
THERE ARE MANY questions facing us on many
levels. What is the purpose and function of Chowan
College? Is our curriculum adequate, or should it be
revamped, with deletions and additions? Are we meet
ing the needs of our area as a “community college”?
What size should the college be, in light of our resour
ces and good educational procedure, within the next 10-
15 years? In terms of the anticipated number of stu
dents to be served, what additional building facilities
and educational equipment will be necessary? What
are the existing and anticipated resources available
both for the operation of the college and for additional
facilities? Where shall additional buildings, if any, be
located? Should any thought be given to four-year sta
tus in the light of forseeable limited resources, but also
in light of rapid establishment of comprehensive com
munity colleges with state and local tax funds? There
are questions ad infinitum. But this is as is expected
in a dynamic and growing institution of learning.
IT IS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED and accepted
that we have two immediate needs ahead of us; a
new library and extensive renovation and restoration
of The Columns. Along with these two obvious needs is
the correlative need for doubling the size of our library
volumes within the next five years. Currently we are
constructing a new infirmary which will cost a mini
mum of $100,000.00 equipped. Mrs. W. S. Penny of
Raleigh is providing 51% of the contract price of the
structure. But we need now from other friends of the
College the additional funds to complete construction.
An excellent opportunity is afforded here for a me-
moral gift in order to equip this much needed medical
facility. Equipment is expected to amount to about
$5,000.00. Also, we must upgrade our faculty in terms
of adaitional graduate study on the part of our pre
sent faculty and by the addition of other qualified
people who hold the Ph. D. degree.
CHOWAN HAS RENDERED tremendous service
over a period of 116 years. The alumni, the business
establishments and the friends of Christian education
to say nothing of the Baptist State Convention of
North Carolina, must see to it that the quality and ex
tent of the future service are not diminished but rather
strengthened and extended. To this task all of us must
set our hand.
Alumni Encouragement
I HAVE BEEN encouraged by the fact that the
Board of Directors of the Alumni Association has re
KEY
1—Preiident'i Home
2— A' Men'i Dorm
3—' B M«n'» Dorm
4—F. O. Mixon Oorm
5—Science BIdq.
Adminiifrsfiort BIdg.
7—Columni 8ldg.
8—Student Center
9—Music BIdg.
10—Gymnesium
11—Tennis Courts
12—Maintenance BIdg.
13—Football and Baseball Stadium
14—Seating Areas
15—Athletic Track
I fr—Cafeteria
I 7—Library
IB—Fine Arts BIdg.
19—Graphic Art*
20—Robert Marks Hall (Classrooms)
21 ^’’A” Woman's Dorm
22—"B" Woman's Dorm
23—"C" Women’s Dorm
24—Chapel
26—Cedar Lane
26—New Drive
27—Walkway
28—"A" Parking Area
29—"B" Parking Area
30—"C" Parking Area
31—”D" Parking Area
32—"E" Day Student Parking
33—Outdoor Chapel
34—Penny Infirmary
KEY
Black—Present Buildings
Shaded—Proposed Construction
Broken Linet—To Be Removed
Chowan Collage hat a campui consist
ing of 121.6 acres. The main campus and
athletic field* consist of W) acres. The east
campu*. which I* the college farm, con
tain* 61.6 acres.
♦
fwlain Entrance
Diajfram Chowan ( ollcj^v ( ainpiis
sponded to the challenge that this year,
for instance, a strong effort shall be
made to provide at least $5,000.00
through the Alumni Loyalty Fund this
year in order to purchase additional vol
umes for the library. This is the type of
approach needed to “get under the load”
and bring to pass what we need and
what we want to do in the interest of
this beloved institution. Higher educa
tion, nation wide, is becoming more and
more expensive. Chowan College must
have more and additional funds in order
to fulfill its mission.
OUR STUDENT BODY is more cap
able in terms of ability—college board
scores, I. Q. and, hopefully, in motiva-
lion—than has been ture within the last
15 years. This fact is attested to by
members of the faculty who have been
here during this period of time and by
student performances here, at senior
colleges and universities, and in gradu
ate schools. In order that they may ac
complish their full potential, the friends
of the college have the moral respon
sibility and challenge to see to it that
they are provided with the best in terms
of faculty, library and laboratory facil
ities, and other types of teaching aids
and equipment. This we must and will
do.
I WRITE WITHOUT the benefit of the
full study and recommendations of the
Board of Trustee’s “Long—Range Plan
ning Committe”, but it is immediately
obvious that we must launch forth in a
development program which wiU pro
vide a minimum of $500,000.00 for a new
library and, at this moment, an unde
termined but large amount of money in
order to renovate and restore The Col
umns. Competent engineers tell us The
Columns building will not be standing 20
years from now without major restora
tion!) We must begin now to organize
and plan for this effort. It will require
planning, work, and response in giving.
Good will or “best wishes in your effort”
will not do the job.
(Continued on Page 5)
P.AGE TWO
THE CHOWANIAN