AWARD WINNER
In 1966 and 1967 the Democrat won
10 State Press Assn, awards for
General Excellence, Excellence in
Typography, Local News, Adver
tising, Columns and Photographs.
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Eightieth Year of Continuous Publication
BOONE WEATHER
1967 Hi Lo Snow Free '66 Hi Lo
June 27 70 58
June 28 70 48
June 29 69 60
June 30 70 62
July 7 78 60
July 2 74 62
July 3 74 59
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80 57
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76 63
VOL. LXXX
NO. 1
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1967
10 CENTS PER COPY
20 PAGES—2 SECTIONS
Dr. Plemmons Sees “An Invitation To Greater Servioo”
Appalachian has experienced
another change in name. It is
now Appalachian State Uni
versity, a recognition of its
past achievements and an in
vitation to greater service to
the people of northwestern North
Carolina.
Since 1963 the creation and
development of a state-wide
system of community colleges
has been rapid. Some seven or
eight such institutions are now
in operation in what is con
sidered to be Appalachian's part
of the state. During these past
four years, the possible impacts
and influences of these insti
tutions on Appalachian have
been studied.
As a consequence, it has
been anticipated that many, if
not a majority, at the grad
uates of these community col
leges would be seeking to con
tinue their education at Appa
lachian. Already this has proved
to be a reasonable assumption.
Some 300 graduates of com
munity colleges have already
been approved for admission
this fall. For many years, a
considerable number of grad
uates of non-public junior col
leges have been entering Appa
lachian. These developments
have led us to envision and plan
that by 1970-72 Appalachian will
be primarily a junior-senior
and graduate institution rather
than primarily a lower division
college.
At present, approximately
two-thirds of the enrollment
is made up of freshmen and
sophomores. Within three to
five years, it is anticipated
that two-thirds of the enroll
ment will be made up of jun
iors, seniors, and graduate
dents—an almost ideal-com
position of the student body
of a university.
The second long-range stu
dies and plans which have been
under way for nearly a year
will be continued and broi^ht to
completion. Even before the Re
gional University Bill was pass
ed, preliminary findings show
ed that by 1971 Appalachian
would have become a university
in the fullest sense of the word.
So, Appalachian State Uni
versify is nothing new in the
minds at those of us most
closely identified with planning
the future of the institution. It
is, in fact, another step in the
natural process of the develop
ment and evolution of the in
stitution.
A change in name from col
lege to university does not au
tomatically change the struc
ture, curricula, increase the
level of financial support, or
raise the level of quality of an
institution, A change in name
does imply, however, that oth
er changes be planned, sought,
and made. This is exactly what
the new law does.
The bill, recently enacted to
establish regional universities,
provides that the institutions
which are redesignated uni
versities will, during 1972, be
studied and evaluated by the
State Board of Higher Edu
cation, with the possibility that
one or more of them may be in
cluded in the system of the
Consolidated University of
North Carolina.
“Is Appalachian ready to be
a university?” This question
has been asked many times an]
by many people during the past
few months. Students have ask
ed it; faculty members and oth
ers associated with the col
lege have asked it. So have
alumni, members of the Gen
eral Assembly, representatives
of the press, state officials, and
citizens of the county and north
west North Carolina.
The trustees and others re
sponsible have no doubt that
there is desire and ability am
(Continued on page three)
“Unlimited Challenges, Opportunities 99
It’s Now Appalachian State University
CITY ALDERMEN TAKE OATH OF OFFICE—-from 1
James B. Graham, Phil H„ Vance Jr. and Dr. Hadley
■sa
son. The oath is ready by Clyde R. Greene, new Mayor of
Boone. (Staff photo)
One Holdover Official
New City Fathers Are Sworn In
Outgoing Mayor Wade E.
Brown opened swearing in cere
monies for Boone’s new slate of
officials shortly after 9 Mon
dy morning.
Taking the oath from the
presiding official was Republi
can Mayor-elect Clyde R.
Greene, who in turn administer
ed the oath to Aldermen Dr.
James B. Graham, Phil
H. Vance Jr. and Dr. Hadley
M. Wilson. Dr. Wilson, lone
Democrat in city government,
was re-elected to the Board
in the June balloting.
Brown told the gathering of
15 persons “I covet for the
Town of Boone the very best
government it can have,” and
toward this end pledged his
full co-operation to city of
ficials.
Mayor Greene said he would
be contacting the former Mayor,
who had graciously offered to
advise them when needed.
Former Alderman Howard
Cottrell, a 16-year veteran of
city government echoed
Brown's offer to “step in and
help out" if summoned. Dr.
Hadley Wilson said he is “hap
py to be returning to the Board
again and thankful for the op
portunity to serve the people
of Boone another two years.”
Aldermen Vance and Graham
added they will work for good
government in the coming
term.
Mayor Greene, recalling he
Buses To Scotch Games
The Boone Parks and Recreation Commission will
provide air-conditioned scenic cruisers to and from
the Highland Games, July 8 and 9,
The buses will leave Boone each day at 8:30 a. m„
to return from Grandfather Mountain sometime after
3 p. m. Lunch can be bought at the Games.
Prices, which include roundtrip bus fare and ad
mission are Saturday, $4, Sunday, $3.50, or both, $6.50.
Tickets are for sale at both branches of Northwestern
Bank, First National, Watauga Savings and Loan, Cham
ber of Commerce, Wilcox Travel Agency and the Rec
reation Building.
served a term on the City
Council in 1927, said he rec
ognizes the fact that taking
over the reins to the city is
no small chore.
“As problems come before
Eight Year Old
Girl Injured
In Crash On 421
An 8-year-old girl required
major surgery Saturday after
the car in which she was riding
was struck three miles west of
Boone.
Patrolman George Baker said
a 1946 Chevrolet truck driven
by Vance Carson Harmon of
Sugar Grove and a 1966 Olds
station wagon, driven by Clif
ford Gerald Moore Jr. of Hick
ory collided about 3:15 p. m.
Saturday on Highway 421-321
west of Boone.
He said the Moore car, which
was pulling a camper trailer
owned by Industrial Electric
Company of Hickory, was tra
veling west when it met the Har
mon truck, traveling east partly
In Moore’s lane.
Moore tried to dodge the
vehicle by cutting left, but ac
cording to Baker, Harmon cut
back to the right. The Patrol
man charged Harmon with op
(Continued on page three)
us, we will give due consid
eration and then we will act
in what we believe the best
interest of the people.
“Our success will depend
on the support we get from the
town of Boone.
“Don’t become too impatient
with us,” he said. “We will do
the best that we can on mat
ters that come before us.”
In session Monday night, the
Board appointed George Judy
building inspector, and named
Jimmy Holshouser, who is State
(Continued on page three)
Tax Raise To
Aid Hospital
Tax Supervisor G. Claude
Danner this week said the tax
raise of 10 cents per $100 val
uation in 1967 partly benefits
the new County Hospital.
Five cents of the raise was
authorized when voters passed
the hospital bond issue, Dan
ner said, and he pointed out that
the tax raise included in the
bond clause was “not to ex
ceed 10 cents per $100 valu
ation” for operation and main
tenance expenses.
The additional nickel is to
take care of general increases,
notably in health and welfare.
The taxation per hundred
formerly was $1.
No Immediate
Policy Changes
Are Planned
Action of the General As
sembly last week resulted in
status changes for Appalachian
State Teachers College and
three other institutions of
higher learning.
The 68-year-old Boone in
stitution became Appalachian
State University Saturday, less
than two days after the legis
lation passed.
Some months ago, the presi
dent and the Board of Trustees
of Appalachian indicated to Gov.
Dan K. Moore and the state's
Board of Higher Education that
they proposed no such name
change until after a current
long-range study was com
pleted.
They added, however, that if
any changes were to be made
prior to that time for other
institutions of similar nature,
the needs in higher education in
northwestern North Carolina
required that Appalachian be
considered.
CHALLENGE
When a bill recently was
placed before the Legislature
to create the regional uni
versities system, college of
ficials strongly felt that a fail
ure to request inclusion of Ap
palachian in the provisions of
the bill would jeopardize the
college's position among the
state-supported institutions for
many years to come.
The position of ASU is that
the change of status will in no
way affect the progressive
course upon which Appalachian
is now traveling. In a statement
Monday, university officials in
dicate no marked alterations of
policy or operations are plan
ned immediately, although “the
university is dedicated to the un
limited challenges and oppor
tunities which have been placed
before it."
Others redesignated as uni
versities are East Carolina,
Western Carolina and N. C.
Agricultural and Technical.
FOUNDED IN 1903
ASU, which had its begin
ning as Watauga Academy in
1899, was established as a state
institution under the name, Ap
palachian Training School, in
1903.
Twenty-two years later, the
Legislature changed the name
to Appalachian State Normal
School.
Just four years later in 1929,
the name was changed to Appa
lachian State Teachers Col
lege, by which it was known
38 years.
Appalachian's 90-acre cam
pus today features 35 major
buildings, and the current value
of the university's physical plant
exceeds $20 million. The huge
building program underway will
nearly double the value within
a few years.
ASU*s enrollment will ap
(Continued on page three)
The voters’ sentiment expressed, Watauga’s stately Court House, age 65, hasn’t long to go.
(Staff photo)
Construction Contracts For
New Courthouse Approved
Watauga County may have
a new court house in 13 months.
Construction contracts total
ing $445,919 were approved by
the County Commissioners Fri
day, and Lenoir architects Cof
fey & Annas were given the
green light.
Sealed bids were opened
Thursday afternoon under the
supervision of Tom Jackson,
chairman of the Commis
sioners.
Construction is tentatively to
begin Aug. 1, at which time
offices housed in the present
Court House will be moved
to the former Consolidated
School In Junaluska Heights.
When the work begins, con
tractors will have one year
In which to complete the two
story, brick veneer building.
The Court House bond is
sue, included on the ballot in
the November election, was ap
proved at a rate of $450,000.
The modernistic structure will
be 122 feet by 97 feet and
occupy the site of the existing
65-year-old Court House, West
King Street, Boone.
G. Claude Danner, Tax Super
visor and clerk for the Commis
sioners, points out that $18,000
in architect’s fees was paid
out of Watauga’s general funds
by the Republican Commis
sioners last fall. Their agree
ment with Coffey & Annas speci
fies that an additional $8,755.14
is to be paid, for a total archi
tectural fee of $26,755.14.
Also paid out was $1,227.50
in attorney's fees and miscel
laneous expenses.
CONTRACTS
Six companies bid for the
general contract, which was
awarded to Pennell & Haigler
of Lenoir. Their low bid was
$348,538, while the highest bid
in this category was $437,480.
The electrical contract went
to Electrical Wiring Company,
Hickory, whose offer at$26,650
was selected over five others.
Mooney Plumbing & Heating
Company of Lenoir won the
plumbing contract at $18,550,
while Tomlinson Plumbing &
Heating, another Lenoir firm,
was awarded the heating and
ventilation contract at a rate
of $52,181.
The architects will co-ordi
nate the contractors' work and
be responsible until the mm
facility is accepted by County
officials, Danner says.