Newspapers / Piedmont Aviation Employee Newsletter / Nov. 1, 1961, edition 1 / Page 3
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NOVEMBER, 1961 THE PIEDMONITOR PAGE THREE StaHon Spotlight Rocky Mount-Awake And Growing In Heart of 'Tobacco Land'' A “tobacco city,” a “tourist center,” a “growing agricultural and industrial city,” — these are some of the descriptions given to Rocky Mount, November’s featured station. That Rocky Mount is expand ing in industrial activity can be seen from the display in its Chamber of Commerce office of a shovel bearing the legend: “This shovel has been used to break ground for these indus tries during the last 18 months. May we use it for you?” New Companies The names on the shovel’s handle show that within the 18- month period the Futorian-Strat- f o r d Furniture Company, the Rocky Mount Undergarment Company, the Superior Cable Corporation, the Dorothy Curtain Company, and the Dunlee Corp- Station Manager Frank Slone is Piedmont's local liaison between the airline operations and the City of Rocky Mount. Slone transferred to his present post from Lynchburg. oration have all started new fa cilities in or near the city. Soon to be added to that list is Piedmont Airlines which re- ■cently moved into new quarters built by the city at Municipal Airport. The station handles four flights a day and is headed by Frank Slone. Slone termed Rocky Mount “an extremely co operative and friendly city,” and praised airport and city officials for their help and support in set ting up the station. Added In March Rocky Mount was added as a point on Piedmont’s system in March, 1961. The service was the result of a CAB decision which awarded the Norfolk-Knoxville route to Piedmont with Rocky Mount as one of the cities to be served along the route. Rocky Mount is in an area rich with history. The city was founded in the early 19th cen tury and was originally a settle ment which grew up around one of the first North Carolina cot ton mills, built in 1818. Railroad Built In 1845 the Wilmington-Wel- don Railroad was built about two miles east of the mill settle ment. At that time the railroad was the main connection for Rocky Mount to the outside world. Today the main business section is still divided by the railroad, now the main line of the Atlantic Coast Line Rail road. The small settlement was in corporated as a town in 1867; by 1907, with a population of 7500, it was incorporated as a city. Today Rocky Mount lists a population of 32,147. The area which surrounds the city is basically farm land, and the economy of Rocky Mount has been built around farming and small industries. The city’s to bacco market is a good example of this blending of agriculture and business. Sales High One of the largest in the South, the market opens on August 22 of each year and, lasts through the first week in November. In 1960 sales totaled nearly $41 mil lion. This year, mid-October fig ures had reached over the $37 million mark with predictions that final totals would surpass 1960. Rocky Mount residents are keenly aware of the importance of education and religion in the lives of themselves and their children. The new North Caro lina Wesleyan College is evi dence of their determination to provide fine educational facili ties. T' The Airport Commission meets to discuss aviation and its future in Rocky Mount. Commission members are (left to right) J. C. Gardner, City Manager Bill Batchelor, Commission Chairman Ray Bandy, City Attorney Jim Trotter, J. D. Winstead, Josh Horne, and W. B. Harrison, Jr. One member, Revis Nelson, was not present when the photograph was taken. CoUege Supported Several years ago the citizens raised $2 million to pay for ini tial construction at the college plus $50,000 a year for main tenance. The school, in operation for the last two years, is co-edu- cational with a four-year degree program. Establishing the college was a tremendous undertaking. More than 1,500 workers representing every phase of community life engaged in the campaign for pledges of money to help get the new school on its feet. The residents and businesses of Rocky Mount responded gen erously. Two Degrees Granted The college will grant the de grees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science. One class per year will be added until Carolina Wesleyan becomes a four year college in 1963. Within the next ten years it is expected that in addition to 200 day stu dents enrolled there will be 600 dormitory students. Dormitories are now under construction. All the college buildings are built of a special type of brick made in wooden molds. The architecture is East Carolina Colonial, without ornate trimmings or columns. Accord ing to architects, the buildings resemble those built in colonial times by settlers in the Roanoke and Albemarle sections of North Carolina and around Jamestown and Williamsburg in Virginia. Able Leaders The college has a number of prominent men at its head. W. »ii Jasper Smith was chosen to guide the development of the new school in 1956, and is now serving as Business Manager. The Reverend Thomas A. Col lins of Raleigh was named Presi- d e n t of Carolina Wesleyan in March, 1959. A ministerial mem ber of the North Carolina Annual Methodist Conference, he had served the six preceding years as Executive Director of the Con ference Board of Missions. In February, 1960, Dr. Jack Moore was named Dean of the college. Before joining the school he had served for seven years as Dean of Kendall College, Evanston, 111. ing countryside with an 18-hole Donald Ross Golf Course with grass greens. Contributing to the develop ment of Rocky Mount is its Chamber of Commerce and its Junior Chamber of Commerce. The Jaycees have won several national awards as top club of the nation plus many awards for individual community im provement projects. Aids Aviation The Airport Commission, com posed of a number of the area’s business and civic leaders, is working for improvements at the airport and increased interest in Agent E. B. Fields (left) and Lead Agent Henry Minnick prepare to work an incoming flight. In the back ground is the new building into which Piedmont recently moved. Students stroll on campus of North Carolina Wesleyan College near Rocky Mount. The four-year coed school is a “dream that has ma terialized" for citizens of the area. Religious Facilities The city has extensive re ligious facilities. With 87 chur ches in the area, including a Jewish Temple and two Roman Catholic Churches, Rocky Mount truly has a house of worship for nearly every faith. Civic clubs and other organi zations also make their contribu tions to Rocky Mount. There are approximately 26 clubs in the area, including many with a na tional affiliation plus those of a purely local nature. The Carolina Cotillion Club of Rocky Mount is one of the oldest social clubs in North Carolina, having been organized in 1880. The annual “June German,” a formal dance lasting all night, has become nationally known. Still on a social note, the Ben- venue Country Club, located three miles from the heart of the city, occupies 500 acres of roll- aviation. Piedmont Station Manager Frank Slone, in describing the people of Rocky ' Mount, gave what is perhaps a good summary of the attitude of the city as a whole: “It’s a good place for a family,” he said. “'I?he people are helpful and friendly, and they certainly make you feel at home!” Get-A-Horse Dept. Recent stopwatch tests in the Manhattan district of New York showed it took only 4% minutes longer for a horse and buggy to get across town than it did for a chauffeur-driven limousine. A motor scooter beat a hack by 10 seconds to come in first. The cab was second, 3:08 minutes ahead of the chauffeur-driven car.
Piedmont Aviation Employee Newsletter
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Nov. 1, 1961, edition 1
3
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