West Craven Highlights
^^IgLUM^ON^l
MAY 21,1987
VANCEBORO, NORTH CAROLINA
PHONE 244-0780 OR 946-2144
(UPSP 412-110)
25 CENTS
SIX PAGES
Program
Desires
Growth
Big Brothers,
Big Sisters
Target Area
Just a few hours a week can
make a big difference in a child's
life, says Cleo Hennon.
Ms. Hennon, spokesman for
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the
Lower Neuse, said children in
the Vanceboro area may soon be
nefit Rom the program if plans
proceed as scheduled.
“We have been getting a num
ber of referrals from Vanceboro,”
said Ms. Hennon. The Big
Brother/Big Sister program
matches a volunteer adult with a
child from single-parent fami
lies. Ms. Hennon said the prog
ram has 48 matches in the coun
ty. And she wants Vanceboro to
join the program.
"Only in the last six months
have we been getting referrals
^ftm the Vanceboro area. I don't
know if it's because of publicity,
but we are glad to have the refer
rals,” said Ms. Hennon. Although
(See BIG, Page 6)
The Thomases, left, receive resolution from Quitm
Reprinted by permission of
N.C. State University’s Siairlog
magazine.)
The following are statements
ftom R.A. Lancaster on the his
tory of (he scholarship and from
Robert Irvine, a R.A. and Millie
Lancaster Meritorious Scholar.
Hie first statement is from Lan
caster.
It took me eight years to earn a
bachelor's degree in electrical
engineering from N.C. State.
Times were difficult when I
graduated from high school in
Craven County in 1925 and went
to State. I was supposed to
graduate with the Class of 1929,
but 1 had to stay out of school and
work off and on.
In 19281 returned home to run
the family farm while my father
was ill and in 1930 went to Virgi
nia to work in the Newport News
Shipyard as an electrician's hel
per. The “Boat Works” was my
initiation into a lifetime in ship
building, construction, design
and operation.
At the beginning of fail term
1931, I was able to return to
school with a job in the dining
hall and collecting tickets at the
college games, and a loan from
the college treasurer, A.P.
Bowen.
Toward the end of the second
quarter of my senior year in 1933,
‘df-lound I didn't have quite
enough to take care of my ex
penses. I finally went to see Mr.
Bowen and told him my prob
lem: I was $100 short and
wouldn't be able to register for
the last quarter and graduate in
June uniess I could find the
necessary $100. He arranged a
student loan and I graduated in
June 1933.
With my degree I went back to
Newport News to work in ship
building again. During the next
35 years I worked with the Mari
time Commission and the Texas
Consolidated Steel Corporation.
During World War II, I served
with the U.S. Navy as assistant
engineer on the aircraft carrier
Yorktown and as chief engineer
on the battleship California. Af
ter the war I continued my en
gineering career with the Army
and later the Navy until I retired
in 1968. My wife Millie and I now
live in Fort Myers, Florida.
I wili always remember the
help allowed me to complete my
education. In 1981 Millie and I
decided to endow the R.A. and
Millie Lancaster Meritorious
Scholarship at N.C. State.
I wanted to estabiish the scho
larship for two reasons. First, I
Loan To ’33 Grad
Inspires Endowment
By ALEXA WILLIAMS
Editor
Statelog
A $100 loan that enabled at
struggling N.C. State Uni
versity engineering student,
who is a Craven County na
tive, to complete his senior
year in 1933 has led to the
largest transfer of assets from
a living individual in the his
tory of N.C. State.
An investment portfolio,
valued at $327,885 and owned
by R.A. Lancaster and his
wife, Mildred, of Ft. Myers.
Fla., has been transferred to
the North Carolina Engineer
ing Foundation.
The assets will be managed
by the Engineering Founda
tion with earnings paid to the
Lancasters until their deaths,
when the assets become a
permanent endowment to the
foundation.
Lancaster is a retired marine
engineer. He is a 1933 graduate
of N.C. State and his loyalty to
the university dates back to
his days as a student.
Lancaster was forced to
drop out of N.C. State on
several occasions to earn the
A sure sign of warm weather is the appearance of more and more
hay baled and sitting in warm sunshine in area fields. This hay, with
Just a little imagination, looks like shredded wheat waiting for some
cold milk, sweet sugar and a big appetite. While most humans might
Pass The Milk And Sugar
Field House
Is Dedicated
To Thomases
Joseph and Linda Thomas
have left a visible sign of their
influence on public education in
Craven County. But it is their in
fluence that can't be seen that
has helped improve education in
Craven Coun^.
That was the message echoed
by many at the dedication of the
Thomas Field House at West
Craven High School on May 16.
Mr. and Mm. Thomas no doubt
would have preferred the hoopla
been given someone else. But
educators, legislators, students
and parents came Saturday to
honor the dedication of the cou
ple to education in Craven
County.
Sen. Harold Hardison, D-
Lenoir, was featured speaker at
the dedication. Hardison noted
the Thomases' contributions to
education in his speech. Joe Tho
mas is a former state senator.
In a telephone interview Mon
day Hardison said, “He has done
an awful lot, but not only in
education but for the whole area
down there.” Hardison, a candi
date for lieutenant governor in
the 1988 gubernatorial race,
praised Thomas for his work as a
legislator, especially efforts to
improve roads in eastern North
Carolina.
Hardison said Thomas was
known for his “very active work
and committment to education
and with his area's total develop
ment.”
Hardison said Thomas was
“missed in the Senate” and legis
lators were seeking to involve
him in someway in “active poli
tics up here at the Legislature.”
Thomas, said Hardison, had
good rapport with legislators and
was well thought of in the Gener
al Assembly.
The resolution adopted by the
New Bern-Craven County Board
of Education noting the Tho
mases' contributions said in part:
(See DEDICATION, Page S)
Lancaster Repays NCSU, With Interest
wanted to help students to return
the support that was given me.
The second reason is patriotism.
Students of the caliber receiving
this and other meritorious scho
larships will be the future leaders
of our nation. I want to make sure
these young people of ability re
ceive an education that will make
them good leaders.
Millie and I have also endowed
a scholarship at East Carolina
University in honor of he sister,
and we've endowed a loan fUnd
in the N.C. State Alumni Associa
tion. Most recently, we set up a
unitrust at N.C. State. The in
come from this trust will be paid
to us while we are living, but will
then go to support one or more
Distinguished Professorships in
engineering. And, the university
is in our wills.
Some people say: “You must
really love N.C. State.” 1 look at it
this way: Where would I ever
have gotten if Peele, Page and
Daniels, and that whole Watauga
Club group and others hadn't
established this university in the
1880s and built a good founda
tion for education? I have an
opportunity to strengthen the
foundation they laid and to be
part of something of lasting im
portance.
Inine'i .Utcment
I continually remind myself
how lucky I am. It's a luxury to to
have to work at an outside job
while you're going to school. 'Ibe
(See LANCASTER, Page 2)
Morris picks on banjo at festival
Picker Puts Together
50 Years Of Pluckm’
By MIKE VOSS
Edilor
Theodore Morris saying he has
"been trying” to pick a bai\jo is
like saying the Boston Celtics
have “been trying" to win bas
ketball games in Boston Gar
dens.
And like the five members of
the Celtics working close as a
team, the five strings on Morris'
baitjo work pretty well together
also. Well enough for Morris to be
as well known for banjo playing
in these parts as the Celtics are
for basketball. Only the UNC Tar
Heels might have a better basket
ball reputation, but their first
string couldn't keep up with
Morris' five strings.
“Just about all my life,” says
Morris of his baitjo-playing days.
The 65-year-old picker said he
has been pickin' and pluckin'
since about age 10 or 12. “I don't
rightly remember when I
started.”
“There was just something ab
out it. It got Ml over me when I
heard and saw someone play,”
said Morris. And if the truth be
known, there are probably some
younger barxjo players who “get
it all over them” when they hear
Morris on his banjo.
“No one in my immediate fami
ly played. I guess it was just bom
there,” said Morris.
Although no one in his family
played, it was an uncle that made
(See BANJO, Page 2)
find it lacking in taste, livestock will probably be glad to see the hay
later this summer. Those who have to harvest, bale and haul the hay
might think otherwise.
(Ric Carter photo)
West Craven Student
Wins $20^000 Award
Michelle Gaskins, a senior at
West Craven High School, has
been notified that she has
been selected to receive a
North Carolina Teaching Fel
lows Award.
Ms. Gaskins and 399 other
award winners will receive a
four-year scholarship in the
amount of $20,000. Ms. Gas
kins plans to use the scho
larship hind to pursue a study
of education at East Carolina
University's School of Educa
tion. She will be required to
teach in the North Carolina
public school system for at
least four years after obtaining
her degree.
The scholarships are de
signed to help promote
careers in education for the
state's most highly qualified
students. The award program
is fiinded by the N.C. General
Assembly. 'Ilris is the first year
the program has operated.
Similar to the prestigious
Morehead Scholarships, the
North Carolina Teaching Fel
lows Awards will require par
ticipants to take part in extra
curricular and summer in
ternships designed to enhance
the students' personal and
career development.
Shirley Eriksson, business
teacher at West Craven,
helped Ms. Gaskins prepare
her application and review in
terview skills for the screen
ing process set up by the
awards commission.
“I couldn't have done it
without her,” said Ms. Gas
kins.
Looking for to graduaton,
Ms. Gaskins said she is ready
to begin her college education.
"I'm excited about the
whole thing. I just can't be
lieve it. And I'm proud to rep
resent West Craven,” said Ms.
Gaskins.