BOONE
Home of Auoalachian State Uni
versity, in Boone, Blowing Rock
and LinviUe Scenic Triangle.
VOL. LXXXI—NO. 15
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
_An independent Weekly Newspaper . . , Eighty-First Year of Continuous Publication
_B00NE> WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1968 i0 CENTS PER COP\
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
BOONE WEATHER
1968 HI Lo Snow Prec. *57 HI
1 73 46
2 68 46
3 66 45
4 61 36
5 57 26
6 51 33
7 66 48
.05
.22
24 PAGES—2 SECTIONS
2S2252S252S225H52E5252WWWWq?l^q?‘^^TOt^CTOCTc
ASUPresident Plemmons To Retire Next Year
DR. PLEMMOfS
[bESSSSS
Dr. William Howard Plem
mons, who recently completed
his 13th year as president of
Appalachian State University,
informed the institution’s Board
of Trustees Wednesday that he
will retire next summer.
Board members expressed
shock at Dr. Plemmons* an
nouncement that “it is my in
tention to retire prior to the
beginning of the next academic
year/’
John P. Frank of Mt. Airy,
chairman of the trustees, stated
that he has been aware of Dr.
Plemmons ’ retirement plans for
the past four months. “I have
begged him to re-consider . . .
but he has made a very strong
plea to be relieved. Personally,
I don’t think he can be re
placed. I hate the thought of
him leaving.”
Dr. Plemmons, an Asheville
native who has diligently push
ed Appalachian’s mammoth
growtn in academic stature,
physical size and service to
the region during his leadership
tenure on the mountain cam
pus, will reach his 63th birth
day next June 11. “I don’t choose
to violate the retirement age of
65,” he told the board members.
"I will, if asked, aid the new
president in any way possible,
whether on any payroll or not,”
Dr. Plemmons stated. “I love
Appalachian, and my wife and I
will be making our home here
in Boone after my retirement.
We are to build a house here
within the coming year.”
William B. Rankin of Lincoln
ton, a member of the board,
told the ASU president that
**you have certainly earned the
right to make this decision.
But this university is in a
tremendous transition period.
Please re-consider to go with
us a few more miles.”
Dr. Plemmons replied that
“I have given much soul
searching to this master, and
have analyzed it from every
point of view. The long-range
pattern has been set for this
institution. Its future cannot be
determined by any one man
alone. Then; won't be a better
time than next summer. It is my
desire to retire ... 1 am look
ing forward to it.
Mr. Frank stated that' he
would, within the next few days,
appoint a committee to launch
the search for a successor to
Dr. Plemmons. "If we can’t
find someone else, he will be
drafted . . . the captain can’t
leave his ship.”
Dr. Plemmons, a past presi
dent of the Association of State
Colleges and Universities, has
used the phrase that‘‘Education
is the mother of all profes
sions* ’ as his motto through
out his 39-year career as an
educator.
Recently, he stated that “Ap
palachian, compared with her
potential and her possibilities,
is still in swaddling clothes.
Let us hope that at no point
will the word ‘finished’ be ap
plicable to Appalachian.”
When Dr. Plemmons became
president of the university, then
known as Appalachian State
Teachers College, it was lo
cated on a 35-acre cammjs witli
a physical plant valued at less
than $10 million. It housed only
2,200 students and employed a
faculty of 114.
Appalachian today is spread
over 90 acres, with some 40
major buildings and grounds
valued in excess of $30 million.
There are over 6,000 students
attending classes being taught
by a faculty of 300.
Dr. Plemmons is only the
second president in the 65-year
history of the institution. Dr.
B. B. Dougherty, co-founder
of Appalachian in 1903, served
(Continued on page two)
THE FIRST KILLING-FROST of the year swept Watauga County
Friday night—some say as early as 11 p.m. This scene was
photographed about mid-morning Saturday, when frost remained
in the foreground but had been melted off distant fields. Location
is a farm on Pbplar grove Road near the western boundary
of Boone. (Staff photo)
Gardner Says He Will Win;
Cites Favorable Surveys
Campaigning through mountainous North Carolina last week,
Congressman Jim Gardner introduced his newly released
book, A Time To Speak. (Staff photo)
$390,266 Contract Is Signed For
Parkway Bridges On New Link
Award at a *390,226 contract
to Troitino and Brown, Inc.,
Asheville, North Carolina, (or
bridge construction on the North
Carolina portion ol the Blue
Ridge Parkway was announced
Friday by the National Park
Service at the Department at
the Interior. The Company's
bid was the lowest of five sub
mitted.
The contract calls for the
construction of two bridges on
the Grandfather Mountain sec
tion of the Parkway. One bridge
will be over Holloway Mountain
iRoad, the other over UJS. 221
at Beacon Heights.
The work is to be completed
by the contractor in 350 days.
When his campaign road turn
ed into Watauga County last
week, Republican Jim Gardner
said he is confident he will
win the governorship by a large
majority.
“According to the State sur
veys we’re running, we’re well
ahead in the State. And polls
in Charlotte, High Point and
Winston-Salem show us in the
lead.”
Followed to Republican Head
quarters in Boone by WSOC
TV of Charlotte, Gardner spent
the early part of his Wednesday
morning (Oct. 2) visit tele
phoning across the state. Sev
eral local party officials and
voters were there. A break
fast had been held that morn
ing and a speaking was set for
that night.
In interview, Gardner said
he expects his win to be ac
companied by a Republican land
slide in North Carolina and
throughout America.
WHY?
The candidate said the major
reason he is running for the
highest State office is that Dem
ocrats have been in charge erf
the State and nation too long.
Terming their administration
“the biggest mess yet,” Gard
ner said “Democrats as well as
Republicans are troubled and
concerned . . . They are turn
ing to Republican leadership
for the answers.”
His plan will be to remove
politics from State government,
concentrate on education and see
that classroom teachers receive
more pay.
Other high-priority consid
erations would be vocational ed
ucation and formation of a pub
lic kindergarden. Concerned
about roads, Gardner said he
would handle this program dif
ferently from Moore and San
ford by using a merit-and-need
(continued on page two)
ROBERT G. SHIPLEY, JR.
Shipley Gets
Managership
Umstead Farm
Robert G. Shipley, Jr., son of
Mr. and Mrs. R. G. Shipley
of Vilas, has been appointed
Assistant Farm Manager of John
Umstead Hospital, it was an
nounced by James I. Smith,
Farm Manager. The appoint
ment will be effective immedi
ately.
In his new position Shipley
will be responsible for managing
the livestock enterprises as
well as the crop farm.
The John Umstead Farm is
composed of 10,360 acres of
land. Over 2,000 acres aie in
grain, pastures for cattle, feed
cropa and vegetables. Over
8,000 acres are used as wood
land.
Shipley graduated from Cove
Creek High School in 1964 and
received his B.S. degree in ani
mal science from N.C. State
University in 1968. At the uni
versity he was a member of
the Blue Key National Honor
Fraternity, a leadership and
scholastic fraternity. He was
also Vice-President of the stu
dent government during his sen
ior year.
Should Still Be Boiled
Conservation Of Water
Resources Continuing
12 Million
Gallons Now
In Reservoir
The term “emergency” has
been lifted from the local wa
ter situation but citizens on the
Boone water system are still
advised to boil all water before
consumption.
Neal Blair, Jr., town mana
ger, said Monday that citizens
also are asked to conserve
water as much as possible. He
said that the 39-mil lion-gal Ion
lake which supplies the town
now holds about 12-million gal
lons. He added that the recent
showers did little to affect the
water level.
Blair made a distinction be
tween the water level at the lake
and the amount of useable water.
He said that with the existing
algae problem, only the top few
reel oi tne lane water can be
called “useable”. He said that
the algae are going to the bot
tom and gradually the amount
of useable water is increasing.
He added that he could not say
when the algae problem will be
relieved.
The town of Boone is now us
ing water pumped from three
wells which can furnish 180gal
lons per minute. On weekends,
water is also tapped from the
Appalachian State University
supply. Blair said that water al
so is being used from an old
town dam located above the new
dam. City Hall said that there
is no truth to a rumor that
Boone has changed over com
pletely to the Appalachian State
University water system.
Blair said also that he knows
nothing about fertilizer being
spread on land above the re
servoir before a shower a few
weeks ago. He said that grass
has been planted, but as far as
he knows no fertilizer was used.
The lake is supplying three
water tanks including the one
at Junaluska Heights. Blair said
that these tanks filled automa
tically and simultanously.
Blair commented that people
are asked to boil water not
to remove anything in it, but
to lessen the chlorine effect.
He said that the water is de
(continued on page twoj
Whitener lo speak
At Democrat Rally
The Watauga County Demo
cratic dinner and rally is to be
held Friday October 18 at the
Watauga High School, according
to an announcement by James
Dugger, County Democratic
Chairman.
Special guests will include
Hon. Basil Whitener, Democra
tic candidate for re-election tc
Congress in this district; Pat
Taylor who is on the ticket
for the Lieutenant-Governor
ship and Mrs. Bob Scott, wifeo
the Lieutenant-Governor whoii
candidate for Governor.
The rally was formerly sche
duled for Holiday Inn but wa
re-scheduled for the Hig
School, which facility was use
for the last pre-election rallj
Additional details on the fund
i rising rally will be announce
in the next edition of the Dem
ocrat.
Tallying the pre-goal total collected by United Fund workers in Watauga County are Mrs. Sarah
Harris, secretary of the organization, and Wade Wilmoth, who is co-chairman of the c'urreit
campaign. (Staff photo)
$4,650 IRC Contribution
Raises Fund To $13,783
A $4,650 contribution by the
IRC Corporation and its em
ployees last week vaulted the
Watauga County United Fund
campaign toward its record goaj
of $20,541. Pledges so far total
$13,783.
At a regular Fund meeting
Thursday, Fred Gragg of IRC
presented his company’s total
contribution to co-campaign
chairman Wade Wilmoth. Wil
moth was noticably elated at
the figure and a round of ap
plause followed his announce
ment of the largest contribution
Several solicitors reported
their total solicitations for the
recent days including Hound
Ears, $743; Vermont Ameri
can, $865; and, Appalachian
State University, $815. Other
smaller figures were reported
and most solicitors noted that
they still had more of their
area to cover and that their
figures were not complete.
Wilmoth and Mark Hodges,
co-chairmen for the 1968drive,
have had 40 workers in the
county soliciting funds since
Sept. 23. All areas of the coun
ty have been covered in an
effort to give everyone the op
portunity to contribute to the
Fund which supports many local
projects and organizations.
Hodges and Wilmoth said they
hope that the goal can be reach
ed by this Thursday but also
added that the drive will not
be concluded then if the goal
has not been reached. They con
tinued to urge everyone to give
■ the Fair Share Way.
1 UF chairman Jerry Moretz
1 closed the dinner meeting by
l thanking all workers for their
• efforts. He meptioned after
• wards that he hoped the
1 paign thermometer (located on
• the Poet Ofticemwrvwill “spun
out the top.'*
* vie wry dinner nas oeen
tenatively planned for this
Thursday in hopes the goal will
be reached by then.
Visitors To
Parkway Gain
Visitors to the Blue Ridge
Parkway in the first nine
months of 1968 had registered*
35% increase over the same
period in 1967, while Septem
ber of this year was 3.4% be
low the figures for September
of 1967.
During the 1968 calendar year
through September there were
8,980,691 visitors as against
6,652,940 in 1967.
In September there were 1,
095,510; in 1967 6,652,940.
By districts, the September
visitation record is as fol
lows, the first figure in each
case being 1968, the second
*67.
James River, Vi., (Mile # to
05) 141, 471, 181,026;
Rocky Knob, Va. (Mile 105
D 217) 241,248, 254.149.
Bluffs, N. C. (MUe 217 to
205) 176,082,161,443.
Asheville (MUe 305 to 465)
536,769, 537,994.