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Alumnae Supplement to The Twig
MEREDITH COLLEGE, RALEIGH, N. C., FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1946
Edna Lee Pegram Appears
On Stage In Pacific Area
Alumna Has Role in Noel
Coward’s “Blithe Spirit”
For the past two years Edna Lee
Pegram, of the class of 1936, has
been on the faculty of the Uni
versity of Hawaii in Honolulu. She
arrived there on January 20, 1944,
and assumed the role of Assistant
in the Pre-School Division of the
Department of Education. Since
that time Edna Lee has distin
guished herself not only by her
successful training of Chinese,
Japanese, and Filipino children but
also by noteworthy dramatic acti
vities.
Last summer while she was play
ing in a Little Theatre production
of A Bell for Adano, Maurice Evans
saw her and invited her to join his
company playing Blithe Spirit. She
accepted the invitation and began
appearing six nights a week in pre
sentations of the comedy in hospi
tals and in camps. Her connection
with the company lasted all sum
mer; the cast appeared not only in
Hawaii but also on Midway and
Main.
Edna Lee, who majored in psy
chology and sociology at Meredith,
took an active part in Little Theatre
activities during her student days.
She played the role of Charles
Lamb in the college production of
Charles and Mary Lamh and the
role of Scrooge in Dickens’s Christ
mas Carol.
Picking up cocoanuts after a
windstorm and cutting huge bou
quets of poinsettias from luxuriant
plants are among the incidental ex
periences which Edna Lee has re
ported in her letters home. She
plans to return to the States dur
ing the approaching summer, bring
ing with her a record in colored
film of her recent experiences.
Commencement Address
Mailed To Alumnae
^ Mae Grimmer reports that she
has recently mailed to Meredith
alumnae copies of the address by
Foy Johnson Farmer, delivered last
June at the annual meeting of the
Alumnae Association. Mrs. Farmer,
who is the newly elected president
of the W.M.U. of N. C., spoke on
Meredith and the Woman’s Mis
sionary Union, emphasizing both the
debt of gratitude which Meredith
owes to the W.M.U. and its leaders,
and the debt which the W.M.U. owes
to Meredith. In making the latter
point she summarized briefly the
important flelds of Christian en
deavor in which Meredith alumnae
have served and are” serving.
The pamphlet was printed by the
Charity and Children Press, of
which Mr. J. A. McMillan is
director.
1946 REUNION CLASSES
Elizabeth Hostetler Ponton
General Chairman
1906-1911-1912-1913-1914
1921-1930-1931-1932
1933-1936-1944
Reunion Class Notes
1936
Edna Lee Pegram
Three Chapters Report
Interesting Programs
Large attendance and interesting
programs are featured in accounts
of chapter activity over the state
in recent weeks. The Charlotte
Chapter has held the night meeting
which was scheduled especially for
business women in the group, and
two additional chapters have re
ported meetings on Founders’ Day
Charlotte Chapter
The Charlotte Chapter met on the
evening of March 12 at the home
of Beth Carroll Taylor with thirty
members present. Rose Collins,
president was in charge, and Nancy
Carroll led the group in singing
Meredith songs. Guest speakers for
the evening were Alice Tuttle
Steadman, instructor at the Mint
Museum, who talked on “The Art
of Make-Do”; her husband. Cap
tain Harold Steadman, who spoke
on his experiences in China and
India; and Mrs. Guy Carswell, who
spoke on her collection of bells.
After the meeting a social hour was
enjoyed. Special guests for the eve
ning were high school students.
Elizabeth City Chapter
The Elizabeth City Chapter met
on Founders’ Day at the home of
Minnie and Elizabeth Nash, with
Kate Ford Peele as assisting hostess.
Kathleen Jackson, president, spoke
briefly on the College and the sig
nificance of Founders’ Day. The
Meredith Skit was presented by
Annabelle Hollowell Highflll, Callie
Perry Newbold, and Kate Ford
Peele. For the social hour a Valen
tine motif was carried out in deco
rations and refreshments. Marjorie
Ferebee Midgette from Currituck
County was a special guest.
Statesville Chapter
The Statesville Chapter met on
Founders’ Day at the home of
Katherine Nooe Knox. The theme
of the program was “Keepers of
(Continued on following page)
THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS
Marguerite Mason Wilkins
How good it was to meet with
so many Meredith girls at the Mere-
. dith Luncheon in High Point during
the recent W.M.U. State Conven
tion. The luncheon committee
under the direction of Sarah Cook
Rawley had worked so efficiently
that everything was beautiful, de
licious, and entertaining! Thank
you, High Point!
I was challenged by an address
at the Convention on “The Hope
that is in You.” Ever since, I have
been thinking just how much the
hope of the world in these dark
days is in you and me, and others
like us who have a Christian Educa-
ton. We are the ones who know
that all of history is His Story. We
may not know all of the answers
to the complex problems, but we
do care, we want to reach the right
solutions. The more of Christ’s
Spirit we have in us, the more hope
there is for the world. “Christ has
no hands but our hands to do His
work today; He has no feet but our
feet to guide men in His way.”
Sometimes when we look at the
world, this postwar world which
a trillion dollar war has brought,
with all its hunger, misery, and
suffering, we wonder if there is
any hope. Then we look at socalled
Christian America, only 52 per cent
of her people making any pretense
at religion. We look at the hesitat
ing, vacillating Christians we know,
who aren’t willing to undertake
anything for Christ and His Church.
And we look at ourselves. How
far short we fall of doing our best;
how far from Christian are our
attitudes, our homes, our contacts.
Yet Christ in us is the hope of the
world. Will you let His Spirit be
more powerful in your life and
through your life?
We are planning two Divisional
Rallies of Meredith Alumnae in
April: one of the Elizabeth City
Division, Annie Sarah Barkwell
Abbott, Vice President, and one
of the Wilmington Division, Fannie
Turlington Royal, Vice President.
Those of you who live in these two
Divisions will hear more of this
later.
Nancy Allen (Mrs. George Baker
Snuggs), Wadesboro. “There’s
nothing unusual about my day to
day life to write about in the TWIG.
It’s just the same old story—home,
church and community activities.
Of course I enjoy my work in each
field. My worry now is that it seems
I’m partial to boys’ schools and my
planning so far has been Wake
Forest for the boys, but here’s hop
ing Meredith will not be left out of
my future plans.”
Dorothy Andrews (Mrs. B. H.
Stevenson), Cranford, New Jersey.
“I live in Cranford with my hus
band and two healthy boys, Benny,
five years old, and John, three years
old. My house and family are my
chief interests.”
Mildred Averette (Mrs. S. F.
Mullen), Suffolk, Virginia. “How
I would like to be able to attend
commencement this year and see all
the faculty members and students
who were there at the time I gradu
ated. That will be impossible, but
I am sure it will be a grand reunion.
My husband, five and a half year
old daughter, and I have been living
in Suffolk for almost five years. We
enjoy living here and are active in
church work and club activities.
Our daughter is just as active as
can be. I don’t finish answering
one question before she has asked
another.”
Nancy Bunn (Mrs. Geo. W.
Wray), Shelby. “I do hope to see
all of you at our next class reunion
as I seem to have missed out on all
the recent commencements. After
leaving Meredith I taught school
here for seven years and worked on
a weekly newspaper for two years.
I’ve been just a housewife since
Christmas and find it a job I’m not
at all fitted for, but my two children,
almost six and almost three, do
keep me well occupied.”
Ina Mae Byrd (Mrs. Rex Glenn
Powell), Fuquay Springs. “I am
a very happy housewife and mother,
living in Fuquay Springs where I
came as a young graduate of Mere
dith to teach piano. I liked it so
much I decided to make it my home.
Until the first of this year my hus
band was the cashier of the Bank
of Fuquay, but since that time has
been associated with his brothers in
the Ford Motor companies of
Fuquay and Apex. We have two
children, Melinda Ann, age four
years, and a brand new daughter,
Elizabeth Glenn, born March 1.”
Henrietta Castlebury (Mrs. Glenn
Auman), Hillsboro. “We are again
settled in our home in Hillsboro
after my husband spent two years
in the Navy. It is wonderful! I
stay busy “keeping house” and re
newing friendships. I am looking
forward to seeing many of our class
at Commencement.”
Mary Chandler (Mrs. Howard W.
Watkins), Lillington. “I came to
Lillington in ’36 to teach and stayed
to make it my home. My activities.
Largely, a husband (on his way
from Japan) and two boys—one
three years and one three months.
I do find time for some church work
—and even a few social ‘outings’.”
Pauline Covington (Mrs. W. B.
Cole), Carthage. “It seems almost
impossible that ten years have gone
by since we were “The Sturdy Class
of ’36.” Many things have hap
pened in these ten years, and we
have all been kept too busy to notice
the time passing so rapidly. Dur
ing these busy years, I have been
teacher, social worker. Superin
tendent of Public Welfare, and now,
in addition to my profession, I am
a most happy wife and companion,
as I married September 10 one of
Wake Forest’s sons. For the past
three years I have been a member
of the Baptist church here and have
the privilege of working with Rev.
Walter Warfford and his wife and
my friend, Hilda Williams Warfford.
am Director of B.T.U., Sunday
school Teacher, officer of W.M.S.,
and member of the Choir. I en
joy so much my church work. It
makes me happy to hear how well
the sociology students from Mere
dith are doing in agency. I hope
to have one in our agency’s em
ploy. I hope to be present for the
reunion this year.”
Dorothy Dockery (Mrs. C. L.
Dickinson), Longview, Washington.
Give me a few more years and I’ll
probably make a good Northwest-
erner. But I’m becoming reconciled
to the fact that Longview, Wash
ington is our permanent home as
my husband is happily employed
as chief process engineer for the
Development Department of Weyer-
hauser Timber Company here—and
this is a beautiful country! I don’t
have too much time either to think
of the ‘east coast’ what with my
housekeeping duties, church circle,
A.A.U.W., Preschool P-T.A., and
Dick, my two and one-half year old
blonde. I would love to be at
Meredith for our reunion. Instead,
I’ll be in a hospital. On May 27,
we expect the second addition to
the Dickinson family. I am' look
ing forward to seeing Kat Liles
Warren this summer. She lives
(Continued on following page)
High Point Group Sponsors
Annual Alumnae Luncheon
Pictured above is J. Gregory
Boomhour, Dean of Meredith Col
lege from 1910 to 1941 with his
grandchildren, Margaret and
Carolyn Kerr, daughters of Eliza
beth Boomhour Kerr. Mr. Boom-
hour sends greetings and best
wishes to all former students.
Tribute
to J. G. Boomhour
By MARY LYNCH JOHNSON
On Homecoming Day, Founders’
Day, or Commencement, whatever
the occasion that brings the alumnae
back to Meredith, Mr. Boomhour
invariably has around him an eager
group claiming his attention. His
“old girls” want to know if the
daisy chain he has just helped make
is as pretty as theirs. They review
his incomparable acting of the King
of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland,
with five successive queens in the
twenty years. They ask about his
family, and some of them can hard
ly believe that “little Elizabeth”
has a Ph.D., a husband, and two
children. They proudly introduce
their own Susan and Johnny, or at
least produce pictures for his ad
miring comments. (They would, if
they dared, ask whether the J. in
his name stands for Joshua or
Josiah.)
As students we appreciated his
thoroughness and patience, his
rare combination of firmness and
gentleness, his genuine interest in
each of us. As alumnae we are still
grateful to the teacher and the
dean, and we cherish even more
warmly the beloved friend. Our
hearts are made glad by his cordial
greeting, his welcoming handshake,
and above all by his kindly smile,
which begins in his eyes and illumi
nates his whole face—a smile best
described in Carlyle’s phrase, “like
sunlight on the deep sea.”
NOTICE
There will be no “Alumnae Sup
plement to The Twig” in April. The
next issue will appear in May; the
last issue immediately following
Commencement.
Record Crowd Numbers 107;
President Wilkins Speaks
The Meredith Alumnae Lunch
eon, held during the W.M.U. Con
vention at High Point on March
13 at Wesley Memorial Church, was
one of the high spots for alumnae
and friends. Sarah Cook Rawley,
president of the local chapter, pre
sided and directed a quick registra
tion procedure.
Seated at the honor table were
Mrs. Rawley, Marguerite Mason
Wilkins, President of the Alumnae
Association, and her mother, Mrs.
B. K. Mason, Foy Johnson Farmer,
President of the W.M.U., Mrs. J.
Clyde Turner, past president of the
W.M.U., Mae Grimmer, Alumnae
Secretary, and Mrs. W. F. Ellis, Jr.,
President of the W.M.S. of the First
Baptist Church, the hostess church.
Mrs. Farmer introduced the visit
ing guests of honor, returned mis
sionaries, officials of the W.M.U.
work, and others. Among them were
Alda Grayson, Katie Murray,
Sophie Lanneau, Belle Tyner John
son, Miss Inabelle Coleman, Mrs.
Aaron Hancock, missionaries; Dr.
Wingate M. Johnson, professor at
Bowman Gray School of Medicine,
and his wife. Undine Futrell John
son; Harriette Murakami, freshman
at Meredith; Mrs. B. K. Mason and
Mrs. J. Clyde Turner.
Mrs. Wilkins spoke on the mean
ing of our college seal. Emphasizing
“Lux,” she reminded the guests why
Meredith means so much to her chil
dren. She emphasized the fact that
it is a happy privilege and duty
of alumnae to be “Keepers of the
Light” of Christian education and
high Christian principles instilled
into us by the teachings and the at
mosphere of Meredith. Mae Grim
mer introduced Mrs. Wilkins.
Mrs. Aaron Hancock, contralto,
sang “Pale Moon” and “Indian
Love Call.” She was acompanied
at the piano by Virginia Lambert
Wood.
Before dispersing, the 107 Mere
dith girls and friends present stood
and sang the Alma Mater.
The committee on arrangements
was composed of Sarah Cook Raw-
ley, Winifred Perry Autry, Swanee
Lewis Whichard, Gertrude Carson
Hutchins, Louise Wilson Miller,
and Callie Dunlap Gibson.
ADDITION
Frances Calloway (Mrs. Earl
Propst), Concord. “I’m sorry to be
so late but hello just the same. Earl
and I have just returned home from
two and a half years in the Navy.
Earl was overseas about six months.
Before he left he was stationed on
the West Coast for a year. I was
with him. Had a grand week-end
with “Doppy” Dockery Dickinson
and Cal in Longview, Washington.
Their baby “Dick” is strictly a
honey. While Earl was stationed at
Holtville, California, we stayed with
Frances Jones Jackson on her
wonderful cattle ranch. Frances’
husband is a swell person and their
two young sons are just tops. Need
less to say seeing these two ’36-ers
made our stay on the West Coast a
lot of fun. We really caught up on
a lot of Meredith chatter.”
Another month and another sea
son has rolled around, and if you
all are like I am, you are truly
glad to see it. I went to Marion
last week and all the way across
the state I could see forsythia,
japonica, daffodils, and thrift in a
grand array of blooms. And in
spite of dark forbidding clouds and
the heavy rain that completely
ruined the appearance of my newly
washed car, I felt that spring was
not far away. Zee said, “Mama,
I wish God would take a butcher
knife and cut a hole in that big
cloud”—and then, sure enough, in
just a few minutes we saw some
promising rays which soon opened
up into a good wide slit.
So much for spring. But along
with spring, I hope the thoughts
of many of you are turning again
to Meredith and that your pocket
books will be like the cloud and
open wide. Around Founders’ Day
we had a wonderful spurt in the
Loyalty Fund, but since then there
has been a little slump. However,
one class has already reached 100
per cent, but I can’t tell you which
one until commencement. Others
have been sending in the $2 dues
plus an added amount that applies
to the Expansion Fund. Mae Grim
mer reports that we have already
$700 in additional gifts. That’s
grand, but we’ll have to work hard
to surpass the $2,100 of last year.
Soon we’ll be sending out some
other printed reminders. So if you
have forgotten to send in a remit
tance, remember that Mae Grimmer
is always waiting with “Franken
stein” fingers to put your $2 “plus”
where it adds to our Loyalty Fund
goal.
The following names have been
added to the active chain of names
since the last issue of the Supple
ment: Henrietta Castlebury Auman,
Mary Covington Avent, Mamie
Leila Bumgardner Baisch, ’30, LIFE
MEMBER, Virginia Norwood
Buchanan, Adelaide Bunker,
Willa Weathers Hackney, Lillie
Harper, Laura Weatherspoon Har-
rill, Adelaide Harris, Elizabeth
Richardson Helms, Eulie Watson
Jones, Evelyn Jolley Keenan, Edna
Lou Lamb, ’45, Mary Livingston,
Virginia McGougan Martin, Cleone
Cooper Mumford, Ina Mae Byrd
Powell, Charlotte Green Shepard,
Virginia Swanson Stone, Verona
West, Lucile Cates York.