ST. AUGUSTINE’S RECORD
CONFERENCE IN THIRTIETH SESSION THE SEVENTY-SECOND COMMENCEMENT
The 30th annual St. AuRUstine’s Conference for Church
Workers was held at St. Augustine's Collese from May 2!)
through June 8. The program as announced by Pi of.
Arthur P. Chiiipey, executive secretary of the conference,
tliis year emphasized training for summer camp leadership.
Other subjects included church school leadership, joung
people’s groups, parish problems, church music and women’s
activities. A distinguished faculty included among others,
the Rev. Kdmund H. Oxley, D.I)., rector of St. Andrew’s
C’liurch, ('incinnati; Von. JU’avid W. Harris, archdeacon of
colored work for the Diocese of Southern Virginia; liev.
J. A. Vache, rector of St. Andrew’s Church, Greensboro,
N. C.; aiiss Maude Cutler, Department of Religious Educa
tion, Diocese of North Carolina ; Miss Margaret Vi illiams,
student secretary, St. Mary’s House, North Carolina College
for Women, (Jreensboro; Miss Esther V. Brown, 1* ield Sec
retary, National Woman’s Auxiliary of the Episwvpal
Church ; Miss Vera (Jang, instructor in social work, Bishop
Tuttle School; Mrs. Fannie P. Gross, ISishop Tuttle School;
Miss Robertine McClendon, Raleigh Girl Scout executive,
and Charles E. Berry, St. Augustine’s. Special lecturers
were: Lawrence A. Oxley, U. S. Department of Labor;
Henry M. J.ondon, treasurer of the Diocese of North Caro
lina ; Joseph I!. Evans, specialist, U. S. Farm Security
Administration; Dr. Frank S. Horne, Federal Housing Au
thority speciali.st, and Dr. Spencer Miller, Jr., consultant,
the Dei)artmcnt of Christian Social Service, National Coun
cil of the Episcopal t'hurch. The Rt. Rev. Edwin A. Penick.
D.D., Bishop of North ('arolina and honorary chairman o
the conference, conducted one of the services.
Special activities throughout the week enlivened the class
routine, and emphasis was placed on the young i>eople s
side of the conference. Other officers of the confeience
Hre: Rev. Edgar H. Goold. chairman; Miss Bertha Richtrn s,
treasurer, and Rev. Robert L Johnson, of New Bern N. 0.,
^'haplain. SiHHisoml jointly by th? AmeiicMii Cliuici u..
tute for Negroes and St. Augustine’s College, the puriwse
Of the Conference is “to train and stinuilate worthy and
capable leaders for the work of the Church, with emp lasis
iHK)u religious education, missions, soc-ial service, and a
flexible i)rogram for young people.
BRIEFS
Kdson (J. lilackman, of Ch.ulotte, * . •’ „ Stetson of
' ,r ■ W 'patton' and Rev: Cyril
Of the American Church
■'^I'nted to the audience by President Goold.
The seventy graduates were ^"o. ^xiuTel’
'►achelors of arts. 26; bachelors eertiflcates
'I'raining ScIuh.I, 10; Bishop buttle Scliwl, certm
U'varded to three, di)>loma on the | ^ course.
Of work with an agency after ‘ .’J , e.mrtment
t nvvarded to one; two-year college preparatol.^ depaitme
twenty.
. Tl,„ s.. A„5,,M.n..’s
izcMl by great earnestness on the 1 , ^ hundred,
toachers as well. The =‘ttendance was^.« “f dioceses
'vith twelve states and an V'f" J J jig far North as
J’(*l>resented. Delegates registtied - West as
Maryland, as far South as Florida, and as far
Arkansas and Texas.
, Among those attending the C‘>;f
tlorgymen who were graduates of St. Au^usime s
Seventy graduates of St. Augustine’s, including the Col
lege, the Bishop Tuttle School, St. Agnes Hospital Training
School f-ar Nurses and the two-year college preparatory de
partment, received degrees, diplomas or c-ertiflcates at the
seventy-second annual commencement exercises on May 24.
Walter C. .Jackson, LL.D., dean of administration at the
Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina,
Greensboro, deliveretl a strikingly effective address. Full
of practical philosophy and sprinkled with genuine wit, it
kept the audience at tlie peak of attention throughout. Dr.
Jackson was presented by Bishop Edwin A. Penick of the
Diocese of North Carolina, President of our Board of
Trustees.
Opening his address with the story of Galileo’s famous
experiment on the speed of falling bodies, which experi
ment involved the (luestioning of the principle stated by
the great Aristotle and accepted for more than a thousand
years. Dr. Jackson said: “The mind of man has not (mly
the right, but also the duty to doubt and inquire.” The very
fact that (Jalileo had the courage *to doubt Aristotle’s
dictum was more important than the exiKniment itself, he
stated. But with the right to inquire there goes a corre
sponding respon.sibility to investigate and experiment; an
attitude which involves the willingness to accept proof,
whether it is in accord with accepted thcHiries or not.
The scientitic age which was ushered in by this spirit
of inquiry has seen the growth of other great forces charac
teristic of the modern world: the integration of life, draw
ing all mankind closer togetlier by means of transiK)rtation
and communication, inevital»ly making for wider community
of interests; increase in the body of knowledge, and widen
ing dissemination of the same, and the decline of authori
tarianism. Of the last mentioned he said that the present
resurgence of dictatorship is only temiK)rary; all authori
tarianism must finally give way to “ultimate authority.”
The address was closed with an exhortation to the gradu
ates to “tix a Mount Olympus in your mind, point in that
direction, then walk, walk, walk.”
Dr. Jackson, who has been in educational work in North
Carolina for many years, has served as chairman of both
the state and national inter-racial commissions.
I’resident I^dgar II. Goold awarded diplomas, certificates
and prizes. The candidates for diplomas and certificates
were presented by Acting Dean and Principal R. L. Ivyncli
for the college and college preparatory departments; Dean
Bertha Richards of the Bishop Tuttle School for religious
education and social ^york training, and Miss Agues Middle
ton, Director of St. Agnes Training School. The opening
prayers were said by the Rev. Edmund H. Oxley, D.D., who
preached the baccalaureate sermon on May 21, and Bishop
Penick pronounced the benediction. The Choral Club, under
the direction of Prof. Charles E. Berry, rendered several
musical numbers. The academic prtK'cssion, which included
the seventy graduates, members of the staff, some alumni
and trustees and the guests participating in the i)rogram,
was both colorful and impressive.
A new feature of the commencement this year was the
class flag, presented by the Alumni Association, which
flew from the main flagpole during the commencement sea
son. It was in blue and white, and carried the numerals
1!);^!). It was raised on the Sunday of commencement week,
and lowered with appropriate ceremony at the conclusion
of the commencement exercises on Wednesday.
The College graduating class presented a lectern light
for the Chapel.