LOUISBURGCOLlLGc
LOUISBURG, N.C. 27549
Cniuiiiita
VOL. XXV
LOUISBURG rnT.I.FGE N. C.. THURSDAY. DECEMBER 16. 1%=;
No. 2
Lettermen, Entertainment Highlight Of Year
Honored
Miss Ruth Merritt, Louisburg College
English Professor, is shown above, center,
receiving plaudits from friends and stu
dents in ceremonies naming the new girls’
dormitory in her honor here last Friday
night. Others pictured, left to right:
President Cecil W. Robbins, Mrs. Tommy
Patterson, Mr. Patterson and Miss Diane
Jones of Durham, President of the Women’s
Student Council and Vice President of the
Student Body.
-Photo by Jeff Bartholomew.
Building Named For College Professor
The Board of Trustees of
Louisburg College met Novem
ber 12 In the new Trustee
Conference Room to hear a
delegation of students request
that the new Women’s Dormi
tory, erected In 1963, be named
for and In honor of Miss Ruth
Merritt, English Professor at
Louisburg since 1941.
Miss Merritt, a native ofWln-
fall, North Carolina, attended
secondary and high schools In
Windsor, Mount Olive and Rich
Square. She attended Littleton
Junior College In Littleton,
North Carolina, and later re
ceived the A.B. from Duke
University and the M.A. de
gree from Scarrltt College.
She has done further graduate
work at the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro, Duke,
Perdue University and Peabody
College.
Since coming to Louisburg
College In 1941, she has been
active in virtually every phase
of the college program. Ini
tially she organized the frame
work for the publication of the
student newspaper. Columns,
which was first published Oc
tober 24, 1942. Miss Merritt
has always been interested in
religious drama, directing
many plays which have been
presented at the College and
in various churches.
At special ceremonies Fri
day evening, President Cecil
W. Robbins stated, “The pri
mary concern of Ruth Merritt
is her students. She has spent
her life for them, giving extra
help and wise counsel through
every waking hour of the day.
The students of Louisburg Col
lege are to be commended for
choosing so noble and deserv
ing a servant as Ruth Merritt,
whose name will forever be
carried at the Institution she
loves.”
Miss Diane Jones of Durham,
president of the Wo men’s
Council, was spokesman for the
group, who told the Trustees
of Miss Merritt’s love and de
votion to the college, and par
ticularly, of her consideration
of students. Miss Merritt form
erly served as High School
English teacher and as a mis
sionary in Brazil before coming
to Louisburg. After hearing
the request and the many tes
timonials for Miss Merritt, the
Board of Trustees passed
unanimously that hereafter the
new Women’s Dormitory be
known as Ruth Merritt Hall.
Profile On William F. Wagner
Mr. William F. Wagner has
been a teacher at Louisburg
College since 1961. His duties
Include teaching Spanish and
advising the yearbook staff. The
years Mr. Wagner has spent
In Louisburg are only part of
an exciting and varied career
which he has experienced.
Mr. Wagner was born In San
Angelo, Texas and spent his
early years In Texas and Cali
fornia. His family moved to
Richmond, Virginia where he
attended Saint Christophers
Prep School during his high
school years. After complet
ing prep school, Mr. Wagner
Joined the Navy for a period
of five years. Of these five
years he spent two and a half
years on a submarine. Fol
lowing this tour in submarines
Mr. Wagner decided to become
a frogman and spent the next
two and a half years as a frog
man traveling all over the
world. During his five years
In the navy, he traveled through
out the Orient and the Far East.
Mr. Wagner enjoyed the navy
See WAGNER page 2
Initiated Into Phi Theta Kappa
In the entertainment highlight
of the year, the famous Letter
men performed twice In the Col
lege Auditorium. The first
show was an Impromptu session
given on November 8, the full
concert being given on the fol
lowing Monday night.
The Lettermen, long noted for
their own style of music, were
scheduled to perform early In
the month, but an Illness of
Bob Engemann left the group
without an Integral part. Never
theless, Tony Butala and Jim
Pike sang and Joked their way
through and off-the-cuff per
formance lasting for an hour
and a half. At the end of the
jam session, the Lettermen had
an autograph and questlon-and-
answer period. The bull session
lasted for some time, and many
students took advantage of It to
get a closer glimpse of the life
and thinking of an entertainer.
Fortunately, the Lettermen
were able to schedule another
show to be given on Monday,
November 15. This time Tony,
Bob, and Jim more than made-
up for the previous week by
presenting their complete con
cert. The performance was
so extraordinary that two stand
ing ovations were given to what
some call the best singing group
In the country.
An unusual sidelight was the
excellent performance of the
electric bass player of theWll-
son Brown Trio, Dennle Mlnnor.
He lUled In admirably during
the first performance and sang
several folk tunes to the enjoy
ment of the audience at both
concerts. Mlnnor stole the show
with his effortless folk ren
ditions of “Marla” and “Scotch
and Soda.”
During the past few years the
Lettermen have been entertain
ing audiences the width and
length of the country. They
have been received best on the
college campuses because, as
Jim Pike pointed out, we have
grown up together. Within the
short time the boys have pro
duced more thin a dozen hit
singles and albums. At the
present time they have one hit
on the charts, and they are to
release new albums within the
next few weeks.
The success of the fresh,
magnificent vocal group did not
Just develop overnight. The
Lettermen had been together
for some time before one of
their single releases became
a hit. The trio Is also a per
forming group as well as a
vocal group. Their routines
are accented with medleys of
songs and Jokes that leave the
audience In stitches. C»ne
listener was heard to remark
as he left, “No, they weren’t
great, much!”
The boys try to fill the gap
between rock-n-roll and clas
sical music by giving the pub
lic, young and old alike, what
they want to hear. The Let
termen blend their voices on
the old, standard ballads In
combination with today’s in
strumentations. They sing folk
songs, old songs, new songs,
but always in the Lettermen
style.
Individually, the Lettermen
had been in vocal groups for
several years, Tony Butula in
a quartet and Jim Pike and
Bob Engemann In trios, before
they formed their own group.
Jim and Bob knew each other
through singing at Brigham
Young University, and they met
Tony on the west coast. Thus
was born the Lettermen. A
sidelight Is the fact that each
toy was a letter winner during
his high school days.
To open the program the Wil
son Brown Trio gave a jazz
version of "The ‘In’ Crowd”
featuring a solo by Wilson
Brown at the piano. This Is
the back-up group which Is ac
companying the Lettermen on
their tour. The Lettermen
began their show with “More,”
the theme song from the mo
tion picture “Mando Cane.”
Particularly exceptional was a
medley of songs from West
Side Story; this proved the
group’s versatility. One of
the funniest medleys was a
take-off on the various rock-
n-roll groups which were popu
lar a few years ago.
Out of the many requested
songs several were sung, and
the curtains fell only because
the voices were beginning to
falter at the end of an excel
lent performance.
Surrender Observed
On October 19,1781, the allied
armies of France and the Unit
ed States received the sur
render of the British forces
at Yorktown, Virginia. This
momentous event, which vir
tually ended the hostilities of
the American Revolution, was
commemorated here at Louis
burg College on the one hundred
eighty-fourth anniversary. The
surrender, which is not often
celebrated, Is most significant,
for It was the toll and blood
shed of the American Revolution
that molded our nation.
Sponsored by the history de
partment, the service was at
tended by faculty and students
of the college and has become
an annual occasion. The com
memoration, dedicated to those
who have fallen In the defense
of our liberty, consisted of
readings from the works of
Patrick Henry, Thomas Jeffer
son, and Thomas Paine, and
amid a volley of musket fire
a thirteen star flag of the
American Revolution was
raised. The service con
cluded with a reading of
Washington’s prayer for the
nation.
Lettermen
Honor
Society
Initiates
Three Phi Theta Kappa Initiates are pictured in the front
row before the initiation table. They are left to right:
Christine Roberson, Louisburg; Judith Anne Wilder, Louis
burg; and Linda Allred, Slier City. Initiating officers of
Gamma Upsllon Chapter are In the back row (1 to r) William
L. Harris, Jr., Henderson; Mrs. Janet L. Wester, Louisburg;
Mrs. Jane Wilder, Louisburg; and Danny Thomas, Onancock,
Virginia.
Two local girls, students at
Louisburg College, were among
the three Initiated Into Phi Theta
Kappa, National Junior College
Honorary Scholastic Society,
Tuesday evening at Louisburg
College.
Judith Anne Wilder, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Wilder
of Route 1, Louisburg; Ethel
Christine Roberson, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. M. L. Robert
son of Route 3, Louisburg; and
Linda Carol Allred, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. John Allred
of Siler City, became members
of Gamma Upsllon Chapter of
Phi Theta Kappa in a ceremony
presided over by Mrs. Jane W.
Wilder of Route 2, Frankllnton,
president. She was assisted
by Mrs. Janet L. Wester of
Route 4, Louisburg, Daimy
Payne of Onancock, Virginia,
and William Lee Harris, Jr.,
of Route 4, Henderson.
Following the welcoming of
the new members. Dr. C. W.
Robbins spoke briefly of the
high achievement of Phi Theta
Kappa members. They should
be proud of their attainment
and always cherish It, he stated.
Miss Ruth Merritt and Miss
Elizabeth Johnson, sponsor,
were present.
Louisburg College Gets $5,000
Plus Valuable Paintings
President Cecil W. Robbins
announced the $5,000 gift, plus
valuable paintings, bequeathed
to the College by Mrs. Martha
E. Conway of St. Petersburg,
Florida, the former Martha
Mann of Louisburg, who passed
away recently, at Friday’s
Board of Trustees meeting,
president Robbins also an
nounced an additional grant of
$10,000 by the Mary Duke Bid
dle Foundation of New York
City to be used for the recently
completed library.
The Board heard a report by
President Robbins, who called
for a continuing Development
Fund emphasis with phase two
of this fund beginning in 1966
for the construction of a
Science Building, an Infirmary
and a Student Union Wing.
Dean John B. York reported
on Academic affairs and point
ed out that 676 students are en
rolled for the first semester
of this academic year.
Mrs. Genevieve Perry,
treasurer, gave a financial re
port, and David E. Daniel,
Director of College Relations,
reported that of $278,181.56
pledged In the Development
Fund program In 1962, $247,-
818.68 has been paid and that
only $4,000 Is In arrears.
Dr. Herbert Herring, mem
ber of the Bjard and College
Consultant, presented an ex
tension of the College retire
ment plan to Include all
employees of the college. The
extended plan passed unani
mously.
Dr. James E. Hillman,Chair
man, presided at the meeting
and after luncheon, led the
Trustees In a tour of the re
cently completed Library.
Adult Education
At Louisburg College
Adult Education In an evening
program was begun at Louis
burg College one year ago.
Meeting two evenings a week,
the program offers a variety
of college courses for audit
or for college credit.
It was thought that many
adults In the area would be
Interested in continuing their
college education which may
have t>een Interrupted, that
some would want to begin col
lege work, or that some would
want to gain knowledge In a
field of Interest for personal
edification.
Adults have been coming to
the college each Tuesday and
Thursday evening from 7:30
until 9:00, taking such courses
as English, Accounting, Psy
chology, Typing and Shorthand.
To date adults from a three-
county area—Franklin, War
ren, and Vance—have par
ticipated.
The program has given this
opportunity to fifty-five per
sons In the first semester and
around forty-two the second.
Adults eighteen years of age
or older can take any course
in the Louisburg College cur
riculum If there are ten or
more people to register
for that course. The college
Is prepared to continue and
enlarge the program as a ser
vice to citizens of Franklin
and surrounding counties.
The Spring semester of Adult
Education will begin Tuesday
evening, January 25, at 7:30.