November 10, 1934
THE TWIG
PAGE THREE
Dr. Corroll Procloimed
Modernist By Speoker
Former Meredith Physician
Dr, E. McNeil Foteat, Jr. began his
address with a conipariaoii o£ two
books lie bad receuUy read; nameiy,
So Ri}(l the-Roae, by Starlt Young, and
Peking l^icnic, by Anne Bridge “The
two books Topresent two worlds; the
former is about the plantation life
during the Civil War; the latter of
the Legation life In Pelclag in 1932.
-They 'represent two codes of Hvlng:
one tyrannized by the formal ameni
ties of the so-called Soutliera aristoc
racy: the other free from any formal
roBtraiuts of life and thougltt. Somn-
whove between these two extremes
there ought to be a mean of satisfac
tion.’’- This mean is "suggested to
••me by her life whom we recall tender
ly today.” said Dr. Poteat.
"Dr. Carroll was a modernist, ‘an
admirer cl! modern ways, fashions,
-schools of thought.' She spanned- the
tlm^ encompassed by the interval be
tween the two books I referred to.
Born in a small town, she became the
world-traveler; nourished In a post
belluin conservatism about the place
of women In the world, she 'became
the exemplar of a new womanhood.
’“She would shrink from a eulogy
such as the Civil W&r days demanded
when one had departed. She would
deplore equally the unceremonious
aiul almost Immodest haste with
which our dear ones are put away. I
•am trying to strike sucli a medium as
she would have approved. So 1 have
said this: She was a blend of the
best of the past and of the present.”
Speaking more specllically of Dr.
Carroll's beliefs, Dr, Poteat said,
“Her world started out with a dis
trust of professional women. It feared
they would lose the daintiness and
feminity of womeu. She defied both
professional distrust and feminine
’ fears and became a very professional
woman and a very womanly profes
sional. Her woi'Ul believed It sin
ful for a wouiftn to speak In church.
She believed it necessary for women
to speak everywhere. She braved dis
trust and suspicion and became a
political force and an emancipator.
Her world l)elieved in original sin and
left it at that. She believed in a new
penology and put girls into Samar-
cand."
Concen;ing the nature o£ Dr. Car
roll’s modernism, the speaker said,
“She was utterly impatient of things
that cramped the huntan spirit. Her
impatience made her seem militant in
thought and in society. She made her
modernism serve the largest interests
of personality. She did not push a
tal)oo over unless she had a truth to
put in its place; neither did she ex-
cavatQ without planning to build
iirmer foundations. Dr. Carroll was
modern in spirit rather than in ac
cessories.” This spirit was revealed
in her hospitality, her love of little
children, and her passion for tho
beautiful.
Walter Lippmann's phrase the acids
of viodernity was discarded in prefer
ence of the expression The vitalism of
modernity, which means "the tilings
in ‘niodei'nity that will live.”
“Dr. Dixon Carroll was enslaved by
nothing, but she had deep and com
manding loyalties to which she gave
herself xitterly—Ood, Humanity,
Home. And that means that her
modern inclinations never betrayed
her. They are not like “Tivo ciga-
Yettea in the dark that go out,and leave
only regrets in the dark.
“So she Is worthy of our memory.
' I saw her just before she wont. Her
hand was moving restlessly and as if
with an Impatience at delay. But her
face was still with an immovable
ealin. That Is luy last recollection of
•her and It is a parable of Ixei- life.
Hands always restless, busy, explor
ing, eager, discovering, ministering,
healing, welcoming, blessing. But on
‘ the face that reflected her Inner spirit
4
and her keen Interest la us, not only
as a group, but as individuals, make
us appreciate her great desire for our
lives to be clean, pure and l)eautiful,
thus developing the true spirit of
womanhood, Before us, day by day,
she set an example in living, that
each of us would be proud to follow.
"The standards and ideals that Dv.
Carroll upheld are eternal, and will
last in the memories and deeds of
Meredith gdrls who loved her, and
appreciate her years of Bervice,”
always vesting a benign calm that
her busy hands or a hurrying, dis
tracting world could not disturb.”
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS
OF DR. CARROLL
(Continued from page one)
fourteen, but tho visit was too brief
to leave much of au impression.” •
From this time until the-opening of
Meredith College, Dr. Vann did not
see Dr. Carroll. He had read, how
ever, that a Dr. Dixon had been elected
College physician. On liia first visit
to the school after its opening, Dr.
Vann says that he was approached
by a tail, impressive young woman,
who smiled and said, .‘'This is Delia.”
“Delia did not start out to be a
doctor; she was piunuiug to be an
artist and a teacher of art. and vis
itors in her home need not be told
tiiat her artistic taste and touch re
mained through her life in some of
the handsome pictures which she
painted after she dropped art."
"Jn determinins to take up the study
of medicine. DeJia encountered bitter
opposition from her father, a sturdy,
intelligent and vigorous leader, who
shared the common prejudice -against
the ‘New Woman.’ Ho opposed her
so strongly that he refused to furnish
the means for the medical course. She
borrowed the money from her brother,
and a few years later laughingly said,
‘When I started in modicine, my fa
ther opposed and brother Tom assist
ed me, and now father won't take
medicine from anybody but me, and
Tom gets fl50 a night for denounc
ing the New Woman’.”
Dr. Vann performed the ceremony
when Delia Dixon and Dr. Norwood
Carroll wore married in the college
auditorium. “She invited hor father
throe brothers, and mo all to perform
the ceremony. When I asked her
what she would do if We all accepted
she laughed and said, “That won’t
happen, but if it should, I should sift
out two of you and go ahead.” Her
father and brothors were all too far
away to attend the wedding, so there
was no such difficulty.
After all the linal arrangements
were made, Delia shocked us all by
announcing that sho wouldn't be mar
ried in the chapel ns she had planned,
but insisted on a private wedding in
our parlor. After many protests from
her friends that the girls would never
forgive her if she denied them the
privilege of attending in a body, she
gracefully Burrendered.”
Dr. Vann stated that Dr, Dixon Cav-
Expressions of Appreciotion
Mode By Representatives
Friends and associates of Dr. Della
Dixon Carroll expressed in behalf of
their various organizations words of
ippi'eciation lu simple. sincere
tributes, Catherine Moseley spoke
for the student body; Mrs. R. C.
Josey, Jr., for the alumnae; Dr. L. E.
M. Freeman, for the faculty; and Dr.
.1. Rufua Hunter, for the trustees.
Tribute from Students
“I feel honored to have the privi
lege of speaking for flvo hundred girls
in paying tribute to our Dr. Delia
Dl.Kon-Carroll, whose forceful person
ality hnd a tremendous influence on
Meredith students. Mere words can
not express what she really meant to
ua.
“We knew Dr. Carroll well. Once
a week, she conducted our chapel
service; she taught classes: she ren-'al-
Tribute from Alumnae
As I stand here to represent the
alumnae of Meredith Colloge, though
unworthy, there are hundreds of
women fj'oui all over the state, yea
from the far corners of the land, who
would raise their voices with me and
aay from the depth of their hearts,
“We are ever grateful for having had
the privilege of knowing, of loving,
and living under the vital Influence
of our Dr. Dixon-Carroll.” What is
there to say in two minutes, even in
two hours, that would begin to do
justice to her life?
She was the first to make us realize
that our body is a gift from God, a
wonderful delicate piece of mechan
ism given for a purpose not of being
abused but of being used for our
own good and for tho good of man
kind'—that It is a serious responsi
bility to keep in order tliis house
with which Cod has clothed our
spirit.
Better still was what she taught ub
in the way of charactei‘«'building. Her
complete self-control; her ability to
execute; her power of organization;
lier nBmarkable mentality combined
witii her willingness to use and
develop it, Inspired ua to follow her
example as well as to heed her pre
cept. Her hinnau and great heart en
ablcd her to understand the problems
bpth great and small of those around
her. In the time of slightest indis
position or serious illness there was
always a feeling among us of that
personal reassurance which pervaded
her very presence. Her deep rever
ance tor things of the spirit found
expression in being and in doing
rather than In talking ahout her con
victions.
I do not apologize for being person
Who among us could have lived
had firmness without harshness, loy>
alty to convictions without fanaticism,
and abundant energy under perfect
control.”
The radiance of her life inspired
her coniidence of otliers. "Her
presence was a tonic against discour
agement and defeat. Even after she
learned that lier ow'n end was near,
she generously imparted hope and
courage to others.
Dr. Freeman spoke of Dr. CaiToU’s
breadth of sympathy. Her life was
ono of continual unselfish thought for
others. She was always willing to
sacrifice for their good.
(lered medical aid; and slic mingled
with us in our daily life.
"Her keen sense of humor, and her
absolute frankness, together with her
wide variety of interests in political
nnd social problems made her cliapel
talks and class discussions deeply in
teresting, Her physical vitality, her
mental vigor, and her unceasing en
ergy helped each of us, and particu
larly those who faced diiflculties. Her
charming manner and quiet wit added
greatly to our social gatherings.
"Dr. Carroll's attitude toward life
had a wonderful and wholesome effect
on girls of college age. Always sho
stressed the importance of a healthy
mind, lu. a healthy body.
“Above all things, her sympathy
for youtli, her tolerance of our ideas,
under her influence and felt that she
was merely a teacher or doctor? No
the things that are lirlng stilt ar
the things that have helped us to live
our lives. In rearing my children
what she taught in her hygiene lec
tures has been a great help to me.
Wlien working among my flowers,
her garden has been tin inspiration.
The interest she took in politics
helped to keep me in balance many
times. And in my house there is a
pattern of her croclieting which I
cherish because of its association
with her.
Yes, she , touched our lives from
every angle. And we alumnae say as
one: “You, Dr. DIxon-Carroll, are
living still In qur lives, and we pray
will live on in tho lives of our chil
dren,”
roll was not a notably religious woman
“due,” he said, “to the fact that her
religion was neither traditional nor
conventional. As in every other field,
sho thought Independently, and hav
ing found a satisfactory conclusion,
she followed it. She cared little for
foinn and coreuiony, but sho impressed
me with her really deep, religious In
terests."
In speaking oi! loyalty as one of
Dr. Carroll's most outstanding char
acteristics, Dr. Vann said, "She some
times disagreed sharply with hor fam
ily nnd friends; uniform agreement
would have been to her a dreary
monotony. But she accorded them tho
same freedom she claimed for herself,
and differences^ never marred her af
fection or abated in the least her life
long loyalty.”
Tribute from Trustees
On behalf of the Trustees of Mere
dith College I wish to express our
slnccre appreciation of the life and
work oC Dr. Delia Dixon Carroll lu
this institution.
Splendidly endowed by nature, and
well prepared for a professional
career. Dr. Carroll acceptcd the call
of the Trustees, and began her work
when the College opened in 1809, and
served continuously until her death
last May.
From the beginning she manifested
great intei^est in her teaching and
especially the health of the students.
During her thlrty-flve years of serv
ice in the college, there W'eve very few
cases of illness among the girls, nnd
no death occurred among the students
while at the college.
In the fall of IDIS, when the in
fluenza was overwhelming our state
and city like a great deluge. Dr. Car
rol so carefully guarded the health of
the students, and directed their exer
cise, that not a single case developed
at the college until after the girls re
turned from the Christmas vacation.
Even then only a few cases of the
disease developed among the students
from exposures while at their homes,
and none of these proved at all
serious.
When l^r. Carroll entered a sick room
of the infirmary her bright cheer at
once gave flight to any imaginary ill
ness the girl may have thought she
had. If tiiere was even a threat of
serious illness. She instantly was all
alert, exercising her strong mind, and
her wide acquaintance with medical
lore In the diagnosis and relief of the
ti'tnible. Her remarkable record here
for thirty-five years attests hor skill
and ability.
Loyalty was a vital part of her
nature. Her loyalty to the college
caused her at times to forego the
pleasure she always had in respond
ing to calls from other organizations,
if those calls had to be accepted at
the cost of her needed services to the
sick at the college.
Always Dr. Carroll had a real and
genuine affection for this Institution,
Its faculty, and its students. She had
no patience with sham or insincerity.
Her career showed she believed In do
ing well whatever sho undertook.
Tribute from Faculty
Speaking in behalf of the faculty,
Dr. Freeman emphasized those qual-
itioa of her character which endeared
her to those who came Into contact
with her at Meredith. Ho mentionod
her Intimato connection with the col
lege: “her entire professional life was
closel.v linked with tho existence of
Meredith.” On the Meredith campus,
she was teacher, physician, friend.
The best eulosy for her. Dr. Free
man said, might be tho hiiro statement
of her chief qualities. The first of
these Is that strength which includes
solidity of character, calmness, ini*
perturbablllty, majestic personality,
quiet dignity—In fine, tho secret of
her life was “richness of Individual
capacities held In perfoct balance. She
COLLEGIATE PRESS CONVENTION
MEETS IN HIGH POINT
(Continuod from page ono)
vention, and Mr. Holt McPherson was
the toastmaster of the occasion.
The officers of tho Association of the
past year who ofMclated at this con
vention were: Larry Martin, N. 0.
State Collogo, President; Thompson
Greenwood, Wake Forest College, Vice
President; Norman B. Twingood, Duko
University, Treasurer; Katherine
Hines, Bast Carolina Teachers' Col
lege, Secretary.
Tho new officers will be announced
in u. short while.
Between tho biology students aud
the season of tho year our trees arc
beginniug to look a little bare.