Alumni Return for Spring Festival
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Recognized for Service, Loyalty
AArs. Sandra G McCoy, outgoing president of the Alumni
Association, tries out her Chowan rocker with a young
friend. The rocker was presented to Mrs. McCoy for her
outstanding service and loyalty to her Alma Mater during
the Spring Festival alumni luncheon.
Chowan College crowned its queen of spring Satur
day, April 25 during its Spring Festival celebration that
included special activities for everyone. Sophomore
Priscilla Hughes of Jacksonville was selected queen and
Lisa Davis of Bowling Green, Va. was chosen freshman
princess.
Registration and reception for parents and other
guests was held from 9:45-10:50 a.m. on Pine Walk in
front of the home of President Bruce E. Whitaker.
Alumni registration and reception was held in Marks
Hall. Reunions were planned for the classes of 1926,
1931,1936,1941,1951,1956,1961,1966,1971, and 1976.
Alumni Officers Elected
Alumni officers were elected during an 11 a.m.
general meeting in Marks Hall auditorium. The alumni
luncheon was held at 11:45 a.m. in the President’s Din
ing Room of Thomas Cafeteria.
Art and photography exhibits were also scheduled.
Works by Chowan art majors were on display in the
Chowan Art Gallery in Daniel Hall. Selected works by
high school students from three states were featured in
the Chowan Teaching Gallery in Green Hall. The
Chowan Student photography exhibit was held in
Whitaker Library.
Victor Claiborn and The Sound Masters presented
bluegrass music on the front lawn. The Chowan College
Choir and Stage Band presented the Spring Concert
beginning at 1 p.m. in McDowell Columns auditorium.
The Student Government Association, sponsors of the
Spring Festival, served ice cream on the front lawn, the
site of the coronation ceremony at 4 p.m.
Among alumni enjoying Spring Festival
activities was Dr. James E. Dula, Jr.,
class of 1951, of Williamsburg, Va. It
was Dula's first visit to Chowan' since
his student days. After viewing the
many new buildings, he remarked he
was "very impressed" with the pro
gress at Chowan.
Gift from Garrett Estate
Fund Established for Needy Students
Chowan College has received a gift for the
establishment of a scholarship fund for
needy and deserving students and a gift for
the general endowment fund from the will of
the late Roland Lemuel Garrett of Elizabeth
City.
Garrett, a Camden County native, died on
Aug. 16,1979 at the age of 85. He served on
Chowan’s Board of Trustees for three terms
and was a trustee at the time of his death.
He served on its Standing Committee on
Religious Life-Denominational Relations
and was a member of the Chowan Endow
ment Committee.
Chowan President, Bruce E. Whitaker,
said the college benefitted from his “wise
counsel, strong leadership and faithful
stewardship. He played an important role in
the progress, growth, and service of Chowan
College.”
Whitaker said Chowan “is deeply grateful
for his gift through his estate. Through his
generosity, his influence will continue to live
on to provide opportunities for Christian
education for future generations of young
men and women.”
Added Chowan’s president, “Mr. Gar
rett’s gift in support of both general endqw-
ment and the scholarship fund is of the ut-
Band Festival Held
The Rev. Patrick Dudley Neal, class of
1968, president of the Chowan Alumni
Association for the 1981-82 year,
presents a framed certificate of ap
preciation to past president, Sandra
Gatling McCoy, class of 1962, during
Spring Festival alumni luncheon.
The Fine Arts Department of Chowan Col
lege sponsored the first stage Band and
Choir Festival in McDowell Colunuis
auditorium in April.
The festival featured nine high school
choirs and nine high school bands. Each
group performed for 20 minutes.
The choir festival featured Murfreesboro,
Norlina, Williamston, Fike of Greenville,
Bertie, Washington, Manteo, Edenton and
Menchville.
The band festival spotlighted Smithfield
Junior High, Manteo, Northern Nash,
Washington and Greenville, Rocky Mount,
and from Newport News, Va., York and
Menchville.
Chowan music professor Bob Brown said
professional entertainment was provided by
the Carolina Clubmen and Lucien Mon
tagna, who played during the changes of the
bands.
The Carolina Clubmen are Jimmy and
Tommy Aycock and Ray and Earl Aber
nathy. Montagna is a Norfolk resident.
Brown said the choirs and bands offered
“some great musical entertainment. We are
very fortunate to have so many outstanding
musical groups in our area.”
most importance in helping Chowan con
tinue its Christian service as one of the na
tion’s finest private, two-year colleges. It
comes at a time when so many young men
and women need financial assistance in
order to be able to attend college.”
Garrett was postmaster of Elizabeth City
from 1943 until 1964 and also owned a hard
ware store. He lived in Elizabeth City and in
Pasquotank County most of his life. He was
the husband of the late Mrs. Nina Wiggin
Garrett.
He also was chairman of the Board of
Albemarle Savings and Loan Association
and retired in 1978 as its president. He was a
former No.l Citizen and known as “Mr.
Albemarle.” He was a director of Peoples
Bank.
During his long civic and business career,
he served on the Boards of the Salvation Ar
my, Pasquotank and Camden Library
Board, the Museum of the Albemarle and
was a former president of the Elizabeth City
Kiwanis Club.
In addition to his service at Chowan, he
was a former trustee of the Elizabeth City
State University. He also served on the Ex
ecutive Board of the Eastern Lung Associa
tion for Eastern North Carolina and was a
life member of the Cosmopolitan Club and
former president of the Chamber of Com
merce.
He was a life deacon, former Sunday
School superintendent, and chairman of the
Board of First Baptist Church, Elizabeth Ci
ty-
FotJuly, 1981
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