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Alumnae Supplement to The Twig
MEREDITH COLLEGE, RALEIGH, N. C., SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1946
Chapters Celebrate
Birthday of College
Programs Feature
Dr. Johnson’s History
Speaker Chosen For
Annual Meeting
Chapter activity over the state
in recent weeks has centered in
Founders’ Day meetings and pro
grams. The letter sent out by
Marguerite Mason Wilkins to
all chapter presidents had defi
nite suggestions which many
chapters welcomed. Reports
indicate that the “Meredith
Sketch,” Dr. Mary Lynch John
son’s “History of Meredith 1835-
1945,” and President Wilkin’s
song “To Meredith” were widely
used. The chapters reporting
recent meetings include the
following.
Lt. Betty B. MacMillan
Will Address Alumnae
Betty Brown MacMillan, ’41,
will be the speaker at the an
nual meeting of alumnae on
June 1. Originally from Thomas-
ville, Betty Brown has for the
past three years been located
in Washington, where she has
served as Lieutenant in the
USNR. She has not yet an
nounced her subject for the
alumnae meeting.
During her years at Meredith,
Betty Brown received a number
of honors and was listed in
Who’s Who Among Students in
American Colleges and Univer
sities. She was elected to Kappa
Nu Sigma in her junior year
and was chosen editor of the
Acorn the following year. Her
majors were French and Eng
lish.
After graduating from Mere
dith, Betty Brown taught French
and English for two years in
the Franklinton High School.
In 1943 she decided to join the
Waves. She was commissioned
as an ensign after seven weeks
of training at Northampton and
was assigned to Naval Intelli
gence in Washington. Of her
work with the Joint Intelligence
Publishing Board she writes:
“We have coordinated and edited
intelligence material from all
intelligence activities in Wash
ington—Army, Navy, Air Corps,
and O.S.S.—and published stra
tegic surveys of advanced areas.
It has been the most wonderful
experience of my life. It has
meant working hours and hours
and making deadlines and get-
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Ahoskie Chapter
The Ahoskie Chapter met
with Mabel Claire Hoggard
Maddrey on the morning of
Founders’ Day and listened to
the Meredith alumnae broadcast.
A wire from the group stated
that the broadcast came in fine
and that they were well pleased.
Alamance County Chapter
The Alamance County Chap
ter met on Founders’ Day and
used Dr. Johnson’s “History” as
program material.
Craven County Chapter
The Craven County Chapter
met with Mary Whitty Mitchell
(Mrs. Tom) in New Bern on the
afternoon of Founders’s Day.
They heard a program on the
history of the College and cele
brated the first anniversary of
the organization of the chapter.
Durham Chapter
Durham alumnae enjoyed a
dinner meting on the evening
of Founders’ Day at Harvey’s
Cafeteria in Durham. Special
guests were high school seniors
who had shown interest in Mere
dith, and Dr. Johnson’s “His
tory” furnished the material for
the program.
Greenville Chapter
The Greenville Chapter met
on Founders’ Day at the home
of Elva Parkinson Smiley (Mrs.
W. W.) with Lelia Higgs and
Thelma Peedin Oakley (Mrs.
C. E.) as assistant hostesses. All
Pitt County alumnae were in
vited. The program consisted of
talks by Margaret Shields Ever
ett (Mrs. S. J.), on “Meredith
Past and Present” and Genie
Thomas Davenport (Mrs. J.
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ALUMNAE MESSAGES AROUSE INTEREST
The scene above is evidence of interest shown in Alumnae expressions of loyalty on Founders’ Day. View
ing the flowers, bonds, and messages are Dr. Carlyle Campbell, president of the College; Dr. Julia H. Harris,
head of the English department; and a group of students.
Alumnae Send Varied
Greetings To College
Flowers, Bonds, and
Messages Express Loyalty
THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS
Margnerite Mason Wilkins
It was a real privilege to sit
at the feet of Dr. Clyde Turner
on Meredith’s Founder’s Day
and hear him tell of the found
ers of Meredith whom he knew
personally, and to catch some
thing of their spirit as he de
scribed it. One of the things
which impressed me was their
perseverance in spite of difficul
ties. They were willing to keep
on when the going was hard.
I am afraid that most of us
in this day of conveniences have
no conception of this character
istic. We do things when they
are convenient. When a task
grows hard, we just quit. Even
our religion is a matter of con
venience. If it is convenient,
we go to church. If it is con
venient, we take an office in an
important organization. Many
of us will take no responsibility
at all because it is sometimes
inconvenient to have to fulfill
that obligation, once we have
accepted it. Friends, I have
been striving to acquire the will
ingness to tackle hard things.
Will you join me in this en
deavor? Every worth - while
institution of the twentieth cen
tury has been passed to us be
cause somebody was willing to
toil and sweat to keep on when
the task grew difficult.
This is about the time of year
when all organizations begin to
lag. The going becomes slow
and hard, even in some Mere
dith Chapters. We start off the
fall with high hopes, and we
usually end up in the spring
with a grand finale, but during
this season, interest fades, and
it is hard for officers to keep their
enthusiasm. Let us rejoice that
we are worthy to follow in the
steps of our forefathers in being
willing to tackle something
really difficult. Henry Kaiser,
the shipbulider, said: “If a
thing is difficult, it should be
done right away; if it is impos
sible, it will take a little longer.”
Are you willing to tackle some
of the complex problems of our
day in that spirit?
Alumnae used varied means of
sending greetings to their Alma
Mater on her forty - seventh
birthday. From Emily Boyd
Garrison (Mrs. R. L.), ’ll, of
Sanford, Florida came a large
shipment of beautiful gladioli,
which were used throughout the
parlors on Founders’Day. Dis
played in the silver vase pre
sented by the class of 1920 at
last commencement, they did
much to dress up the College
on her birthday.
Victory Bonds were also wel
come gifts. The Wake County
and the Durham Chapters each
presented a $25 bond and Ethel
Carroll Squires (Mrs. R. M.),
’07, of Wake Forest chose the
same method of sending her
greetings. Hers also was a $25
bond.
Numerous felicitations poured
in on the handy forms sent out
by the Association, in letters,
in valentines, and by wire.
These were posted in Johnson
Hall where friends, students
and faculty read them with pride
and pleasure. The following are
typical messages from individ
uals, classes, and groups;
“Twenty-seven years ago I
chose Meredith for my College.
If I had to do it over, I’d make
exactly the same wise choice.
In three more years I hope to
have a niece there—since my
children number zero. Happily
she’ll be an ‘odd’.”
“Louie” Mays, ’23,
Portsmouth, Virginia.
“Who could you wish more
success and service to you than
your baby alumnae. Each step
forward in the work and expan
sion of Meredith College thrills
us all. We hold in our hearts
the hope that this progress will
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Dear Meredith Alumnae:
We of the Athletic Asso
ciation Board should like
to take this opportunity to
express our appreciation
for the part you played in
our annual Palio. I’m sure
that the entire student body
and the guests enjoyed
your stunt. We thank you,
also, for your continued in
terest in Meredith which is
shown hy your ten dollar
gift to the winner of Palio.
Sincerely,
Doris Witherspoon,
Secretary.
Annual Broadcast Features
Meredith College of Today
o
President Campbell Speaks
And Group Sings Alma Mater
Alumnae participation in
Founders’ Day activities was
climaxed by the annual broad
cast sponsored by the Associa
tion. This fifteen minute pro
gram, transmitted over Station
WPTF, was arranged by a com
mittee composed of Laura
Weatherspoon Harrill, Mary
Lynch Johnson, and Kate Mat
thews. Marguerite Mason Wilk
ins, president of the Association,
was master of ceremonies for
the program on Meredith of To
day, and Dr. Harry E. Cooper,
head of the music department
at the College, furnished organ
music for the occasion.
Mrs. Wilkins brought a brief
word of welcome to alumnae
and friends of the College and
introduced Dr. Carlyle Camp
bell, who spoke on Meredith of
Today. He paid tribute to the
part of alumnae in the founding
of the College, for, as he stated,
“in a living and steadily grow
ing organism like a college,
every one who in any measure.
Three Are Awarded
Advanced Degrees
Information has been received
concerning three additional ad
vanced degrees awarded to
Meredith graduates. Willa Lee
Joyner, ’43, received her M.S.
in Public Health from the Uni
versity of North Carolina in
August of last year, and from
the same institution Gertrude
King, ’31, received her M.A.
Margaret Kramer, ’37, who
held already an M.S. from N. C.
State, completed work for her
doctorate in chemistry at the
University of Illinois. Her dis
sertation was “Some Studies on
the Plating of Cobalt and Nickel
from Coordination Compounds.”
at any time, has contributed to
its character and prospects is
in a real sense one of its found
ers.” He called attention to the
enrollment figures, 613 students
for the current year, but empha
sized the fact that there was
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Founders’ Day has come and
gone and it really was quite a
busy one around Meredith. You
would have been interested in
the alumnae messages and tele
grams posted on the bulletin
board in the administration
building, for it always makes
you feel better to know that in
spite of the passing of time and
the many things that come up
in the daily routine, the thoughts
of so many alumnae wend their
way back to Meredith.
As for reaching our goal we
didn’t quite make it; but we did
reach the half-way mark (20
per cent) of our yearly under
taking. And we were most grati
fied. May I again say “thank
you” to all the class chairmen
and individuals for their co
operation in this mid-winter
spurt that we were attempting.
The alumnae office received
many and varied gifts—war
bonds, flowers from Florida,
large payments for the Expan
sion Program, together with
“alumnae dues.” I was particu
larly interested in one paragraph
of a letter that I received. “The
Twig came yesterday . . . and
incidently speaking of “dues,”
I had been thinking of sending
in a Life Membership. I am en
closing a check and asking you
to enter the correct amount and
let me know. . . . This will help
get things out of the way before
Founders’ Day. . . . Very sin
cerely yours, Jennie Yancey
Fleming Severance, Class of
1910.”
Have any of you others been
thinking about this too? Do
keep commencement in mind
and plan to come if you possibly
can.
The following names have
been added to the active chain
of names since the last issue of
the Supplement:
Mary E. Kemp Allen, Julia
Moore Scarborough Auerswald,
Hazel Baity, Alma Webb Banner,
Dorothy Shipman Bowman, ’45,
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Mcreilith CaUece Lilasar?