[TOERATION JOURNAL
ibute
May, 1952
5:J5'.2
AS WE CUMB
o/ Carolina,
older
MRS. MAUDE BROOKS COTTON
Charter Member and Author of
“Lifting As We CIimb“
Maude Rebekah Brown Brooks Cotton
was born in Oberlin, Ohio, August 12,
1872. At an early age she was taken to
Knoxville. Tennessee, where she spent the
remainder of her girlhood. She received
her early school training at Knoxville
College. Later enrolling at the Oberlin
Conservatory of Music, she was graduated
with the Mus.B. Degree in 1896.
Miss Brooks returned to KnoxvUle as
music teacher in Knoxville College, a po
sition she retained until her marriage in
1900 to Rev. John A. Cotton. With her
husband, Mrs. Cotton went to Cleveland,
Tennessee, where they worked in the
mission field of the United Presbvterian
Church. Among the families with'whom
they worked in Cleveland was the Peters
family, one son of which, Lowell, is sing
ing with the Southernaires Quartette. In
1903 Rev. and Mrs. Cotton were called
to the work in Henderson, N. C. Mrs.
Cotton, during her girlhood had spent
some months with relatives and friends
in Goldsboro and Tarboro in that state,
so it was somewhat in the nature of a
homecoming. The general prospect at
Henderson was, however, so discouraging
that when they first arrived, they did not
see how they could possibly manage to
stay through theu- assignment.pf one year.
They never dreamed they were destined
to spend the rest of their lives in Hen
derson, a period of over 40 years.
Mrs. Cotton was extremely interested
in and active with the N. C. Federation
of Negro Women’s Clubs and along with
Di. Charlotte Hawkins Bixiwn, she became
a chaiter member of this organization
She worked faithfully and long for many
years with a group of fine women who
labored so faithfully for the uplift of
women and girls in the state and the
nation. During the later years of her life i
Frov
To
There
Shall
There arS^t^uidren o.
Who need a mother’.
And we are our broth.
Hear their cry throughout
There are girls to be incited,
To a higher, better life.
There are those for whom life’s struggle.
Has been little else but strife.
There are homes to sweeten, brighten.
And there are hearts to gladden, cheer.
Shall we live for our self, no never
We II bring comfort everywhere.
Chorus
Rise, ye daughters of Carolina,
For our mission is sublime.
Listen to the clarion watchword,
“We are lifting as we climb.”’
Rise, ye daughters of Carolina,
For our mission is sublime.
Listen to the clarion watchword,
“We are lifting as we climb.”’
A NEW USE
5WJU^j^Ot^P_AGE 4)
i^tircfuse of
5 ' tre-
;^4dU^ces.
Mrs. Cotton became equally interested in
the Parent-Teachers Association, both in
Henderson and throughout the state. Dur
ing this period. Mrs. Cotton wrote the
words and music for the Federated Song,
“We Are Lifting as We Climb." In addi
tion, Mrs. Cotton held many offices in
both of these state organizations, living
to see the dearest dream of her life come
true when ihe North Carolina Legislature
passed a bill which made possible state
support of the Home for Delinquent Col
ored Girls.
q'uinine^anF
supply were^cut ■*f)ff;’'o^\er
j. rces had to be found. It was thert^at
' •American scientists came up with sevfei^'''v
forms of a synthetic substance to t&kd
the place of quinine. Chiang Shen, a nac^
tive Chinese plant used for centuries bv
the Chinese in their treatment of malaria,
was experimented with. American sci
entists tried out various other plants in
their efforts to find substances that might
contain drugs valuable in anti-malarial
treatments, and finally^ discovered the root
of the beautiful hydrangea to be effica
cious.
Thi-ough careful analysis of the mole
cular structure, the an-angement of the
atoms a synthesis was completed, a deri
vative developed and the use of the drag
given clinical tiial. While the study of
the hydi-angea was made primarily for
its use in the treatment of malaria, it is
now thought that this new drug derived
may be beneficial also in other diseases
that originate in parasitical agents in the
blood stream as well as in such new types
of malaria as are found in Korea.
—R. D. A.
to the presidency of Knoxville College.
Thei e she made a home for him until
the time of his last illne.ss. After his death.
Mrs. Cotton made her home in Hender
son, until October of 1944, when at her
desire she accompanied her daughter to
In IQdt M... . 'Chicago. Ill for only a few months, Mrs.
husband , accompanied her Cotton passed quietly and peacefullv into
husband to Knoxville, upon his election ' rest on February 2, 1945.
f
. - .
me-:!:
IV
VA
represents a group of Boy Scouts described in a previous
K- i, • ederation Journal as having been sponsored bv the Lenoir Club- but
Schtlo'f SheTby.*'’”'"”*'^ ^ ^id'eS iugh
'^hTi^rirl^vhom resume neri place in wasningion ana ner