June, 1977 - CROSSROADS - Page Three
“Those Were the Days!
99
97 year-old alumnus tells
what the Abbey was like
Kditor’s Notes: Two Belmont Abbey College
recruiters several months ago interviewed an alumnus
of the college in his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. They
taped their conversation and the alumnus’
reminiscences. The following story was written from
that tape.
He celebrated his 97th birthday June 5. When he first
came to Belmont Abbey College at the age of 17, Belmont
was a small village, and on Saturday afternoons he and
his friends would idle away the hours at a small country
store two miles from campus.
William John Abbaticchio remembers his two years
well at what was then known as St. Mary’s College. He
was one of about 200 students at the college in 1897. He
lived with his fellow students in St. Leo’s, then a dor
mitory and classroom building, where they lived
barracks-style, not one of two to a room.
“I was taking roses from
out of the church and he
(Abbot Leo Haid) saw me;
he threw apples at me.”
Literature, Arithmetic, Book Keeping, Double and
Single Entry, including Joint Stock Companies and
Banking, History, Commercial Law, Political Economy,
and Mathematics.
“In Testimony whereof, we do hereby grant him this
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Araericu.
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SAINT MARY’S COLLEGE,
aSLMOHT. OASTON COUNTY, N. C
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William Abbaticchio’s diploma was presented to bim in
1899 before the college’s name became Belmont Abbey
How did a 17-year old boy from Latrobe, Pa. find his
way to the North Carolina village of Belmont? “Fr.
Aloysius picked up about a dozen students in Latrobe
and we took the train down. I remember stopping in
Washington, D. C., and I climbed to the top of the
Washington Monument. That was the only time in my
life that I ever went into the monument.”
Abbaticchio recalled that Abbot Leo Haid, O.S.B.,
founder of St. Mary’s College and Mary Help of
Christians Abbey, was a “very majestic person. I
remember one time I was taking roses from out of the
church and he saw me; he threw apples at me,” he
laughed. Abbot Haid was a native of Latrobe.
While at St. Mry’s, Abbaticchio remembers the monks
had a farm and produced their own food. “I remember
eating pancakes and grits in the dining room. You know,
I really like them. One time a few years after
graduating I went to Washington on the train. In a
restaurant I asked for grits, but the waitress told me I
was loo far north.”
In the 1890’s students apparently only infrequently
went to Charlotte and Gastonia. “We didn’t go into town
very often,” Abbaticchio says. He still has a photo of one
trip to Charlotte.
Abbalicchio’s diploma is worded unlike modern ones.
It says, “St. Mary’s College, Gaston Co., N. C. To the
Mercantile Community of America. Be it known that,
William J. Abbaticchio has completed the Course of
Studies prescribed in the Commercial Department of
this Institution, and that he has passed a Satisfactory
Examination in English Grammar, Rhetoric and
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French
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Mechanica} Drawing . . .
Qoalitntive ....
Architecturai Drawing . . .
Tngonometry
Freritand Drawing ....
fieometry
Telegraphy
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Piano .........
Arithmetic
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History
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A college report card from the late IH90’s
Diploma with the Title of Master of Accounts.
“Conferring upon him all the Privileges and all the
honors by right and Custom enjoyed by Graduate of like
attainments.
“In Witness Whereof, we have this 13th day of June
A.D. 1899 signed our names and affixed the Corporate
Seal of this Institution.”
Signers, in addition to Abbot Haid, who was president
of the college, were Fr. Bernard, vice president, Fr.
Melchior, Fr. George, Fr. Ignatius, Fr. Felix, Fr.
Aloysius and Fr. Augustine.
When he left Belmont, Abbaticchio went to
McKeesport, Pa. He was married in 1906 and worked in
Pennsylvania in private industry and the slate. He
retired when he was 80 years old. Several years ago he
and his wife moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where he
now lives. His wife died a few years ago. Of 10 children
born to Archangelo and Sorenlino Abbaticchio, he is the
sole survivor. He has a son and a daughter.
Still active at 97, he attends Mass daily, and is in
dependent, cooking his own meals and cleaning his
condominium apartment.
William J. Abbaticchio, 97, 1899 Abbey Alumnus.
Fr. John Oetgcn, O.S.B., professor of English an
B.A.C., won a “Sassy Signatures” contest conducted bv|
a local newspaper with this signature of the late sculptor
Alexander ('alder’s name, lie’s famous for mobiles.
(Photo courtesy of The Charlotte Observer.)
Fr. John sign
a winner
A signature of the late sculptor Alexander ('alder’sI
name was judged the most original and clever submitted I
by 872 persons in a recent Charlotte newspaper contest.
The signature, pictured here, was drawn by Fr. John
Oetgen, O.S.B., professor of English at B.A.C., and
depicts ('aider’s name as a mobile, an art form for wbicb |
the sculntor was famous.
“’I’his contest seemed to be sort of a challenge,” 1- r.
John says. Fr. John. .'>2, has been at tbe Abbey since bis I
ordination in I9.')l. He is a native of Savannah, Ga. For |
his efforts Fr. John received $1(1 as first prize.