Dr. J. E/ Danieley Selected Elon’s Next President
r>t:w I’KESiDENT WITH BOARD OF TRUSTEE OFFICIALS
Dr. J. Earl Danieley, an Alam nee County native and Elon College graduate (center) is being
congratulated by Elon Board Chairman Thad E. Eure( right) on being elected president of Elon
College. At the left is D. R. Fon .ille. Sr., of Burlingcon, secretary of the trustee board since 1915.
Dr. Danieley will assume his ne duties on July 1st.
Trustees of Elon College, aftef
a search since mid-Suramer ol
1955, have named an Alamance
County native and highly respect
ed scholar and churchman to be
the college's next president
Dr, James Earl Danieley, who
is on leave as dean of the college,
will succeed Dr. Leon Edgar Smith
July 1, according to Thad Eure
of Raleigh, North Carolina Secre
tary of State and chairman of
the college’s Board of Trustees.
Eure said also that Dr. L. E.
Smith, who has served the college
as its president since 1931 and
throu.sh some of its most difficult
as well as successful years, will
become president emeritus upon
his retirement July 1,
At present. Dr. Danieley is on
one year’s leave of absence as
dean from Elon College taking
post-doctoral work in chemical re
search at John Hopkins Univer
sity in Baltimore, Md.
Dr. Danieley is 32 years old and,
on assuming his duties, will be
come one of the youngest, if not
the youngest, college presidents in
the nation. He will assume his of
fice just 11 years after having
stood on the Elon auditorium’s
stage to receive hi'! B. S. degree.
Said Chairman Eure:
“We believe he is in every re
spect capiable of assuming the
position to be vacant upon the
retirement of Dr. Leon E. Smith,
ivho will retire after having so
Ably headed the college for a quar-
ler of a century.”
Dr. Smith also had high praise
for the selection of Dr. Danieley
as his successor.
Dr. Danieley. son of Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Danieley of Route 4.
Burlington, served as acting dean
of the college in 1953-54 when he
officially was appointed to the of
fice. He served as dean until last
summer when he was granted a
one-year leave of absence to fur
ther his studies on a fellowship at
Johns Hopkins.
"Dr. Danieley”, said Eure, "born
and reared within the shadow of
the college, is a scholar, a Chris
tian gentlemen, an active and
widely-known layman in the
Congregational Christian Church,
a graduate of the public schools
of Alamance County, of Elon Col
lege, and of the University of
North Carolina. He is young, vig
orous, enthusastic, and a good
public speaker. We are pleased to
announce to the constituency of
Elon College and to the public
that he will be our next president,
the sixth that the college has had
since its founding in 1889.”,
Acceptance
Dr. Danieley, on accepting the
presidency, told the trustees that
“1 appreciate the honor paid to
me and deeply sense the respon
sibilities of the position to which
I have been called.”
He added:
"Many factors have contribut-
»d to my decision to accept the
challenge. Among them: The
friendly and cooperative attitude
of the Board of Trustees, the high
calibre and congenial spirit of the
present faculty, the interest and
continued support of members of
our church, the enthusiasm and
loyalty of alumni, the increased
interest t>eing shown in a very
tangible way by the many friends
of the college, the progress which
has been made by the college,
and its accomplishment through
the years.”
He said with these factors in
mind, "and feeling that in' this
spirit of unity there is unbeatable
strength, I humbly accept this call
to this new field of endeavor in
the faith expressed by Abraham
Lincoln when he said, ‘With God’s
help, we shall not fail’.”
The president-elect has had
close and detailed association with
the college for many years.
Born on Route 4, Burlington, on
July 28, 1924, he was graduated
from Altamahaw-Ossipee High
School in 1941 and from Elon Col
lege in 1946. He was editor of his
school newspaper and was vale
dictorian of his class In high
school. At college, he was listed
with "Who’s Who Among Students
in American Colleges and Uni-
persities”, and held offices with
his class and with related organi
sations of the college.
He received his M. A. degree
(Educational Administration) from
the University of North Carolina
and in 1954 received his Ph.D. de
gree there in organic chemistry.
His teaching career started with
the Elon Chemistry Department af
ter his graduation. Other than his
classroom work ai Elon. he was
visiting professor at the Univer
sity of North Carolina for three
summers.
Well Known In Church
Dr. Danieley also is well-known
and active in the Congregational
Cliristian Church, of which Elon
College is a part. He holds his
membership in the Elon College
Community Church, is chairman
of the denomination’s Southern
Convention Laymen’s Fellowship,
and is a member of the National
Committee and of the Board of
Directors of the National Lay
men’s Fellowship of the church.
While he is not a licensed min
ister. he has been closely identi
fied with the ministerial profes
sion. He served for one year as
acting minister of the United
Church in Chapel Hill, and also
served for six months as acting
minister of the Haw River Con
gregational Christian Church.
He is a member of the Amer-
(Continued on Page 3)
To Dr. Smith It’s
Praise For
Wcnderful Service
MAROON AND GOLD
To Dr. Danieley
It's Best
Wishes For Success
VOLUME 36
ELON COLLEGE, N. C.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 1957
NUMBERS 9 AND 10
Danieley Comments On
His New Appointment
"1 feel this is one job which I,
should do.”
This was' the simple, yet con-1
elusive it^s.poon t! fw'hich Dr. J i
Earl Danieley said in an inter
view just minutes after ad
journment of a committee meet
ing in which he had been of
fered and he had accepted the
presidency of Elon College.
He pointed out that he wasn t
taking the office anxiously. As
dean of the College in 1958-54,
and thereby gaining an insight
into the responsibilities tUe of
fice of the presidency held, he
questioned whether or not he
should leave his love of the teach
ing profession.
Yet there was where his back
ground moved in and helped him
Oakley And
BiX2erstaff
At Meeting
The Maron and Gold was re
presented by Chuck Oakley and
James Biggerstaff at the spring
meeting of the North State Con
ference Press Association, which
was held at Catawoa College on
Saturday, March 2nd. with the
majority of the Confernce colleges
represented. Feature speaker was
Prof. Stuart Secrist of the Uni
versity of North Carolina School
givunu iiiuvcu ill aiivi
make a decision that will place |of Journalism,
him in office at the college July
1 as the sixth president in the
institution’s long and reputable
history.
“Ever since I was in the second' group, which voted to have inee-
grade in school. I have known Mngs twice each year. One of the
. ... .1 /• i Is ..V Cir’ct lirOOIT.
that my life would be spent in
teaching,” he said. “And then, as
I moved into adult life, I realized
that the church had joined edu
LARGER MAROON AND GOLD
This issue of the Maroon and
Gold comes as a sort of “Spe
cial Edition,” This is true for
two reasons, since it features a
tribute to two presidents of
Elon, a tribute to Dr. Leon E.
Smith for his more than a quar
ter of a century of successful
administration and a tribute to
Dr. J. Earl Danieley, who has
just been selected to succeed to
, e Elon presidency on July
1st.
It is also a special issue in
that it is the largest edition to
be published by the Elon Col
lege newspaper in several years.
This larger edition comes as a
matter of necessity and as a com
bination of two issues that were
originally scheduled for Wed
nesday, February 27th, and for
W'ednesday, March 20th.
The issue for Wednesday, Feb
ruary 27th, was missed when the
faculty advisor of the publica
tion suffered a two-weeks atack
of influenza and at the same
time when student members of
the Maroon and Gold staff were
right in the midst of Winter
examinations.
There were many things which
had occurred and which were set
for inclusion in that February
27th issue, such as a suctessful
Elon play, several basketball
games and the annual northern
tour of the Elon Choir. None of
them could be completely ig
nored, for the Maroon and Gold
has an obligation to posterity to
record events like those, and it
was thus impossible to just can
cel publication of that issue.
At the same time there were
events happening which would
have to be included in the March
20th issue, such as the appoint
ment of a new president, the
North State cage tournament
and the district and national
NAIA tournaments. The result
has been a decision to combine
two issues into one larger Ma
roon and Gold that would pro
perly record all of the events of
recent weeks.
Smith Complimented
For Successful Regime
The two Maroon and Gold dele
gates were named to a commit
tee. which is to draw up a con
stitution for the Press Association
Jerry Loy Elected To Lead North
State’s Student Government Group
meetings is set for the first week
end in December, with the other
to be set for the spring term,
u.di me cnui-cu iiau =— The first of the annual meetings
cation as my two most vital in-N,y;u be for di.scussion of the nev/s-
terests. j papers in general, while the fea-
I see in this assignment that jm-g of the spring meeting will
I can combine the two.
Dr. Danieley can point , to al
most the exact time in his second
grade studies when he made up
his mind to be a teacher.
His teacher in the first and
•■second grade was Miss Mary Ise-
ley, who now is Mrs. Harold In
gle of Burlington. H" was rttend-
ing the Iseley School on Burch
Bridge Road in Alamance Coun
ty. now abandoned.
"I guess I idolized Mrs. Ingle, j
iie said. "She provided, for me'
in my interests in my studies a
spark which continued to grow.
“And it kept growing on me
that 1 wanted someday to do whati
she was doing — teaching — andl
to try to be to others what she was|
to me. She was my teacher, and
I loved her.”
From that time, there never was
a chance, he says, but that he
'•vould enter the teaching profes
sion.
Yet as the new president kept
talking, it was apparent that there
(Continued on Page 6)
be the awarding of a cup for the
best newspaper. Any school win
ning the cup for three years will
get to keep it.
INCOMING
Elon’s Jerry Loy was elected as
President of the North State Stu
dent Government Asociation at a
meeting held on the Catawba Col
lege campus March 2nd. He was
voted in by delegates from the
various North State Conference
chools. Elected to serve for the
coming school year with Loy were
Gene Fleming, of Catawba, as vice
president; and Dick Bolin, of
Appalachian, as Secretary-treas-
urer.
The Conference delegates were
delivered a superb opening ad-
ires by Peter Cooper, Catawba
College’s director of public rela-
'.ions. He commenced the opening
'.ession by relating the importance
of student government to college
life.
It was emphasized that student
overnment is an integral part
of college and should not become
■‘mere appendage to -the ad
ministration.” He further hit on
the theme that many student elec
tions were solely “popularity con-
Cooper also spoke on behalf of
the President of Catawba College
who was not in the state at the
time, welcoming the delegates to
the campus. The rest of the day’s
activity consisted of revising the
Constitution, discussing sundry
problems faced by the various
North State schools, looking into
the whereabouts of the Messick
Sportsmanship Trophy, and im
provement of student-adminstra-
tions problems.
Jerry Loy, new head of North
State student government activi
ties, graduated with the class of
1952 from Alexander Wilson High
School. Since entering here, he
has been most active in student
affairs. Some of the posts he has
tests” in which candidates are
. . • »k;i ' issue of the Maroon and Gold
TOted into office, not by their abil- ^
itv or qualifications but by mu-,
tual admiration societie’s.” In con-| turn to the campus of Prof. Tho-
luding his address, he issued a "las HaU. Chances of no less
hallenge to the North State Con- than 26 students for the honor
held at Elon include the presidency
o( the Sophomore Class, member
ship in the Elon College Student
Lcglislature. membership in the
Elon Players, and membership in
the State Student Legislature, in
which he is a member of the State
Interim Council. Loy is active in
Alpha Pi Delta social fraternity
and Alpha Psi Omega, national
dramatics organization on campus
Of his recent election to the pres- j
idency of the Noirth State Student;
Government Association, he had|
this to say: “I consider it a highj
honor to have been elected Pres-1
ident of the North State Student
Government Association and to be
able to represent Elon further in i
the Conference. I think it will of
fer a great opportunity to strength
en the relationships between the
students and administrations in the
North State Conference, and I shall
endeavor to aid the student gov
ernments of the schools to the
greatest capacity of my abilities
due to the illness and delayed re- jand act fairly in any decisions
which I might have to render.”
Students who represented Elon
Lay Group
In Mid-Year
Meeting Here
Five hundred laymen from more
than .100 church in the North Car
olina and Virginia were on the
Elon College ' campus on Sunday
afternoon, February I7th, for the
mid-winter ratty of the Laymen’s
Fellowship of the Southern Con
vention of Congregational Chris
tian Churches.
The annual program, which got
underway at 2:30 o’clock in Whit
ley Auditorium, was presided over
by Dr. J. Earl Danieley. who is
chairman of the laymen’s organ
ization this year. Dr. Danieley,
since named new president of
Elon, is on leave of ab
sence from Bis faculty duties this
year while pursuing graduate stu
dies at Johns Hopkins University.
The delegates were welcomed to
Elon’s - campus by Dr. Leon E
Smith, and devotionals were con
ducted by James P. Ould, Jr.. of
Newport News. Va. This was fol
lowed by recognition of guests and
by a special greeting from the
Churchmen s Brotherhood of the
(Continued on Page 3)
DEAN’S LIST
IS DELAYED
The Dean’s List of honor stu
dents for the Winter Quarter
has been delayed until the next
UETIULX;
ference’s representatives to al
ways strive toward the improve-
I.' roll listing depend on gardes
DR. J.
E. DANIELEV ment of student government.
held up from classes taught by
Prof. Hall.
at the meeting of representatives 1
of the North State Conference in
stitutions were Jerry Loy and Lar-|
ry Bames. I
DR. LEON E. SMITH
Dr. Leon E. Smith, who will re
tire from the presidency of Elon
College this year after the long
est and one of the most success
ful regimes in the history of the
college, received high praise from
the trustees’ committee which
named Dr. J. E. Danieley to suc
ceed to the position this summer,
“It is not and will not be an
easy matter to choose a succes
sor to President Smith," the com
mittee said, “for his contribution
to this college has been beyond
measure. Elon today is largely a
monument to his efforts, and his
shadow falls across us at every
angle.”
"The achievements and accom
plishments yet to come will be
inspired because of his long de
votion and distinguished Christian
service. We need not concern our
selves with the almost impossible
task of trying to find someone to
take his place. We can only have
abundant faith and choose wisely
for the best possible successor.”
A brief review of Dr. Smith’s
administration shows that he has
guided Elon College through 26
of the most successful years to
its history. A graduate of the col
lege with the Class of 1910 and
an outstanding minister in the Con
gregational Christian Church, he
gave up the pastorate of the great
Christian Temple in Norfolk, Va.,
in the fall of 1931 to become pres
ident of his Alma Mater, which
was then struggling in the throes
of debt.
The college debt at that time
totalled $768,000, a truly huge sum
in that depression era, but Dr.
Smith spared neither time nor ef
fort in piloting Elon through de
pression and panic and brought
about the full settlement of that
debt by January 26. 1943.
In the 26 years of his guidance,
he has not only settled the col
lege indebtedness. No year has
passed without a sub.stantial addi
tion to the Elon College endow
ment funds, and he has added
greatly to the invested assets of
the school.
Since World War II, Dr. Smith
I guided Elon efforts through a suc-
! cessful ten-year fund-raising cam
paign, a huge drive which resulted
in the raising of $2,500,000 for the
expansion and Improvement of the
(Continued on Page 3)