Published b\ Elizabeth Clt\ Slate College for Students and Alumni
VOLUME 27
ELIZABETH CITY, N. C., FEBRUARY 1966
NUMBER 6
75 Years of Progress
Our Fifth President
It was January 4, 1891 when
we got started. We were brave,
courageous, and careful. We were
especially careful about the men
who were chosen to lead us up
the way to better college ed
ucation for all. It is a tough
toad but we are still building,
however, we are building belter
than ever now because of leaders
like our current President, Dr.
Walter N. Ridley.
Let’s trace Dr. Ridley’s his
tory to see just why Elizabeth
City Slate College needs a man
like him.
TTie man started in Newport
Mews, Virginia, his parents be
ing Mary Haywood and John H.
Ridley, both natives of North
Carolina. Then, from John Mar
shall Elementary, and Hunting
ton High Schools in Newport
News, he went to Howard Univer
sity in Washington, D. C. where
he graduated Cum Laude in 1931
as a Psychology major. Later in
193} he received his M.A. there
and proceeded to the University
of Virginia in Charlottesville to
secure his Doctor of Education
degree, which he received in
1953- Thereby, he became the
first Negco admitted to graduate
school and receive a degree
there. He studied further at the
University of Minnesota and Ohio
State University.
Having a sound academic
foundation, he subsequently pro
ceeded to apply his knowledge
in both professional areas and
otherwise.
First, from 1934-36 he was an
Educational Advisor for the Civ
ilian Conservation Corps, as
well as Director of Extension of
Virginia State College, 1930-43-
Dr. Ridley was Professor and
Head of the Psychology Depart-
">ent, and Coordinator of the Col
lege Counseling Service at
Virginia State College, Peters
burg, from 1943*57. He served
as President of the American
Teachers Association from 1944-
47, and as one of its Trustees
from 1947-57 and as Treasurer
since 1957. In addition, he be
came President of Alpha Kappa
Mu Honor Society in 1958.
was from St. Paul’s Col-
lege, where he was Dean, that
Ilf came to us in 1958. Since
■hen the pace and extent of our
enlargement has increased in a
nammoth way because this man
'hinks big.
Among the dreams that have
come true during his adminis-
•fation are these. The Library
^k collection has exceeded the
50,000 mark which includes a
^egro collection of 1,000 books.
I’' 1961 the College became ac-
’^rtdited by the Southern Asso-
^>aiion of Colleges and Schools.
A large
renovation project was
started and completed which im-
proved Lane, Moore, and Wil-
^ms Halls and the Lighthouse.
he laundry was converted into
jj's Industrial Arts Department.
urther, the Reading Laboratory
*as organized. In 1959 teachers
®t the College were given ranks:
tofessor, Associate professor,
ssistant professor, and Instruc
tor. This year a new rank of in-
*tructors has been added, that of
(fontinued on page 2)
k.M:..: I
PresidanI Welter N. Ridley
Physical Ed.
Building
Completed
An imposing structure with
massive, white, towering pillars
dominating its front, the Fine
Arts and Physical Education
Building was constructed in
1950. The building now occu
pies a most conspicious place
on the campus of Elizabeth City
State College. Visitors to the
campus, as well as the students,
praise its beauty.
Upon entering, one is im
mediately attracted by its halls,
finished in tool, refreshing col
ors, and the floors of asphalt
tile in striking contrast. A huge
glass trophy case faces the main
entrance, and to the right and
left are beautiful, spacious
rooms which are used for class
es in Fine Art.
When the building was first
constructed, the second floor
front was designed for classes
in Homcmaking. This division,
when fully equipped, contained
four model unit kitchens, model
bedrooms, a dining room, kitchen
and bath. These facilities were
placed there so that the students
would receive superior training
in the art of home management.
Extending from the main hall
front to the back of the building
is the gymnasium which is per
fect in form and detail. It is ad
equately built for any type of in
door athletic activity and is mod
ern in every respect. Among the
main features are folding bleach
ers, an electric score board,
dressing rooms, a stage and
gymnasium office.
The Fine Arts and Physical
Education Building is the pride
of the campus, for it represents
definite progress in the educa
tion of young men and women at
Elizabeth City State College.
The First
Twenty-Five
Years of
Growth
by Brenda .Pearson
On January 4, 1892, the State
Normal School at Elizabeth City,
North Carolina, was organized
and began operation as an Insti
tution for the training of teach
ers. At the beginning there were
only two teachers, the principal
and his assistant—Prof. John H.
M. Butler. The principal at that
time, Dr. P. W. Moore, organized
the Institution and the General
Assembly appropriated nine hun
dred dollars tor its maintenance.
At that time, the school did not
own any land or buildings, there
fore, it rented a small frame
structure on the campus of Roa
noke Institute for several years.
Afterward, the State Normal
School was moved to the Old
Normal Building on Shannon
Street. Nine counties were rep
resented by sixty-four students,
who were enrolled at that time.
Professor John H. M. Butler
was succeeded as assistant by
Reverend James W. Brown, who
was pastor of Mother’s Zion
Church, New York City. At the
time Reverend Brown was assis
tant principal, the General As
sembly increased the appropri
ation from nine hundred dollars
to fifteen hundred dollars.
Because of too many Normal
Schools in the state at that time,
the state thought it would be
best to reduce the number of
schools to three. Dr. Moore and
his friends fought hard to keep
the school at Elizabeth City. Dr.
Moore spoke in the State Legis
lature before the leaders of the
state, pleading for the School to
remain at Elizabeth City, and he
was granted his wish.
The School was then moved
to a beautiful site on Southern
Avenue, formerly known as Shan
non Street, where it is located
today. In the beginning, as pre
viously stated, the School did
not own any land or buildings,
but in 1925 it owned forty-one
acres of land, two homes for
teachers, and eleven well equip
ped buildings. The total value
of the School property in 1925
was three hundred and ninety-
nine thousand, nine hundred and
twenty dollars. The School now
employed twenty-eight teachers,
instead of two. The enrollment
increased to seven hundred and
fifty students, who represented
forty-one counties and nine
states.
Editor's Note: This informo-
tion wos taken from the 1925 e-
dition of The Normol Light.
NORMAL SCHOOL •
GETS $109,000
Many things were to happen
during the year 1937. However,
one of the most significant
things to happen was an appro
priation totaling $109,000 out of
$177,000 that had been icnues-
ted.
Mr. G. R. Little, chairman of
Lt Governor Scott,
Founders Day Speaker
Lt. Governor Robert W. Scott
Cost of
Education
Goes Up
The cost of tuition has in
creased greatly, but look where
it has come from.
In 1917-1918, tuition "for
those who intended to teach in
the public schools in North Car
olina”, was FREE. Those "who
did not intend to teach” had to
pay $10-00 for tuition.
No, in case you are wonder
ing, board was not free. Board
was (payable in advance) $12.00
per month. This included fuel,
light and room rent. Entrance fee
was $12.00 and board and laun
dering, per month, for men was
$12.00-
Approximately 25 years later,
expenses had gone up a bit, but
tuition in 1943-1944 was still
(continued on page 2}
the Trustee Board of the insti
tution come to Moore Auditorium
where the students had assem
bled. $75,000 of the appropria
tion was to be used for the con
struction of a new dormitory,
$10,000 for equipment, $2,000,
for new classrooms, and $2,000,
for classroom equipment. He
also stated that the school may
be able to get an additional
$89,000 grant. If this was to be
the case, a new library building
was to be added to the institu
tion, and the old agricultural
building was to be remodeled for
the use of the Physical Educa
tion department.
Mr. Little thought the reasons
for the state’s liberal attitude
toward the school were the merit
of the request.
That library yias eventually
built and is now known as the
G. R. Little Library.
Brenda Pearson
On Founder’s Day, the stu
dents of Elizabeth City State
College will be honored to have
Robert Walter Scott, Lieutenant
Governor of North Carolina, as
their guest speaker.
Mr. Scott is the son of W.
Kerr and Mary Elizabeth (White)
Scott. His father was elected to
the Senate in 1954, and he was
re-elected in 1955 where he ser
ved from November to April 16,
1958.
Mr. Scott, who is a Democrat,
was bom in Alamance County on
June 13, 1929- He attended Haw-
field Graded School, 1935; Alex
ander Wilson School, 1936-1947;
Duke University, 1947-1949; and
jyjorth Carolina College, 1950-
1952, where he received his B.
S. Degree in Animal Industry.
Mr. Scott is a dairy farmer,
and a member of the North Caro
lina and American Societies of
Farm Managers and Rural Ap
praisers, North Carolina Farm
Bureau Federation, North Caro
lina State Grange , of which he
was Master during 1961-1963,
and with Mrs. Scott, they were
the "Young Couple of the Year,”
of the National Grange in 1959-
He is also a member of the Bur-
lington-Alamance County Cham
ber of Commerce, the Soil Con
servation Society of America and
the North Carolina Literary and
Historical Association. He is a
member of the Alpha Zeta Fra
ternity and the Phi Kappa Phi
Fraternity. He also holds mem
bership in the Blue Key.
Our Lieutenant Governor was
past Chairman of the United
Forces for Education in North
Carolina, Alamance County’s
"Young Farmer of the Year,”
in 1957, President of the North
Carolina Society of Farm Man
agers and Rural Appraisers in
1957. He was Democratic Pre
cinct Chairman and County Vice
Chairman of the State Solici-
lorial District Executive Com
mittee during 1960-1964 and the
Kerr Reservoir Development
Commission in 1961-1964. He
was also a member of the North
Carolina Seashore Commission
in 1962-1964- Mr. Scott was a
Special Agent in the U. S. Army
with the Counter Intelligence
Corps during 1953-1955-
The Lieutenant Governor is a
member of the Hawfield Presby
terian Church where he has been
an Elder since 1963- He was a
Deacon of the Church during the
years 1959‘1963-
He is married to the former
Jessie Rae Osborne. They have
five children: Mary Ella and Mar
garet Rose Scott (twins), Susan
Rae Scott, W. Kerr Scott, and
Janet Louise Scott.