GRADUATION, MAY 18, 1969
ARCHIVES
the CECIL W. ROBBINS UCn
UOUISBURG COLLECt:
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Vol. XXVIII
LOUISBURG COLLEGE, LOUISBURG, N. C., MONDAY, MAY 12,1969
No. 9
Graduation Events Taking Place
MR. SHEARON HARRIS
ALUMNI BANQUET
The annual Alumni Banquet
here at Louisburg College will
be held on Saturday, May 17,
at 7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.
The purpose of this banquet is
to support and keep up the
fmanci^ interest in the college
through fellowship. The Chapel
Choir will sing.
This year, Louisburg is
pleased.to welcome as speaker
for the banquet, Mr. Shearon
Harris, President of the Caro
lina Power & Light Company.
Mr. Harris is a native North
Carolinian. He was born in
Vance County, the son of a
Baptist minister, completed
•high school at Beaufort, North
Carolina, and received his bach
elor of arts and bachelor of law
degrees at Wake Forest College.
From 1939 until 1957,
when he joined Carolina Power
& Light, he practiced law in
Albemarle, North Carolina.
Mr. Harris holds the Army’s
Bronze Star and Legion of
Merit citations for service in
the European Theatre during
World War II.
He served as principal clerk
in the North Carolina House/)f
Representatives in 1941 and
1943 and was Representative
from Stanly County in 1955.
A prominent Baptist lay
man, he is involved greatly in
fnany aspects of churches and
schools throughout J^orth Car
olina.
Mr. Harris was elected Presi
dent of Carolina Power & Light
Company in 1963, and Chief
Executive Officer January 1,
1969.
BACCALAUREATE
•
Sunday morning, May 18, at
11:00 a.m. the Baccalaureate
Service will take place. The
Rev. Norwood L. Jones will
deliver the address. Mr. Jones
was born in Johnston County,
N. C. - He is a graduate of
Clayton, N. C. High School;
Louisburg College; High Point
College and Duke Divinity
School, Duke University.
He served as Director of the
Wesley Foundation at Auburn
REV. NORWOOD JONES
University in Auburn, Ala
bama.
All together Mr. Jones has
served in five pastorates in the
North Carolina Conference and
is currently minister of Louis
burg Methodist Church.
Serving in a variety of Meth
odist related conferences has
given him experience to make
him a fine minister.
This service dedicated to
Louisburg’s gradutes should be
very fulfilling and worthwhile.
The Chapel Choir will be
smging.
Dally Thought
.. Our liberty depends on
freedom of the press, and that
cannot be limited without
being lost.”
GRADUATION
Thp day is close at hand
when Louisburg College will
lose its sophomore class and
one year business students in
graduation. There will be
around 180 sophomores and
thirty-five one year business
students taking part in com
mencement exercise. The
Chapel Choir which looses six
of its memV'ors wjjl sing their
final selections of the ’68-’69
scJj)ool year.
Dr. Thomas A. Collins, Pres
ident of*North Carolina Wes
leyan College will be the guest
speaker for the Commence
ment address. A native of Wil
mington, Dr. Collins graduated
from Asbury College, Asbury
Theological Seminary, and
Emory College. He was award
ed an honorary doctorate by
High Point College.
Before being elected first
President of North Carolina
Wesleyan College, he served as
pastor, teacher, and school
principal.
Dr. Collins is involved in
various cultural and com
munity clubs and services
throughout North Carolina and
Rocky Mount.
Commencement exercises
will take place Sunday, May
18, at 2:30 p.m.
JeVi Holland
DR. THOMAS COLLINS
Most people are ready to
take a chance if it costs them
nothing.
MISS MERRITT
Column's Founder Honored
Hditar's Nolo,
I'or many yaars Miss Ruth
Morrill has f’ivo.n of her lime
and enerf’ies to the publication
of (Columns. Her help has been
deeply felt by all editors, past
and present, ils well as their
staffs. It is therefore with/'reat
f'ratitude that this last issue of
Columns be dedicated to her.
To show what Miss Merritt
has meant to countless stu
dents over the years. Columns
has asked Mrs. U'’. S. Gardner,
formerly Charolette Usher,
who was editor of Columns in
1945, to write a few words
about Miss Merritt for this
In June 1945, some of the
staff members of Columns had
stayed a few extra days on
campus to put out the final
commencement issue with the
help of oUr wonderful guiding
sponsor. Miss Merritt. I had
written an editorial in tribute
to my beloved teacher and
friend for this final issue; how
ever, in her great modesty Miss
Merritt would not permit it fo
be printed. She later wrote me
a charming letter thanking me
most kindly for it and explain
ing that although Mrs. Patten,
the wife of our president at the
time, had pleaded with her, she
felt she. just could not let her
name go in. Now, twenty-four
years later, I feel awe at the
privilege of being allowed,
though of course behind Miss
Merritt’s back, to express in
Columns my deep appreciation
and love for this wonderful
woman. Thank you Columns
staff for this privilege.
In 1944, Miss Merritt was
the sponsor for both campus
publications, The Oak and
Columns as well as for BeU Phi
Gamma and the ‘Y’. Miss Mer
ritt was such a part of the total
campus life when I was there.
She has meant so much to me
since in an ever growing friend
ship. My husband, W. S. Gard
ner, was her student too, also
my brother, Griffin Usher. 1
am sure I am among many
who, having come to know her,
See MERRITT Page 8