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: 1 E CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE |g J, -si! -4 i b blished each Thursday by First American Publications, Pembroke, NC ?""""dl Uuj-. - THURSDAY FFBRUARY 23 1WS m 11 | t The Three Members of Pembroke State College's Class of 194& m Celebrate 50th Class Reunion during PSU Homecoming i Shown left to right ere the members of the 1945 graduating class of Pembroke State College. Left to right they are: Ira Lee Lowry; Sadie Roe Blanks; and Mary Bell by Barbara Braveboy-LockJaar They were perilous limes. The early 1940's. Money was scarce Iron metal was scarce Men, too Called to foreign war Then.. It's April 23, 1943. Good Friday a Christian holiday The military sum mons is delivered to all remaining Indian male students as they sit in their classrooms at Pembroke State College Over the next two years, the 44 year-old Robeso* County academic fortress became a bantegroond for North Carolina legislators who, be cause of low enrollment, wanted to close the institution Then and there, three female sophomore students waged their own war to keep doors to tne all-Indian school opened They staved attack after attack In do doing, made history In 1945, Ira Lee (Thomas) Lowry ; Sadie Rae (Locklear) Blanks; Mary (Jacobs) Bell, along with Venus Brooks, a veteran who joined the class his senior year and graduated as a special student, made up the entire graduating class Prior to P.S.U.'s Alumni Home coming Awards Banquet held last Saturday night in the university's year class reunion The Reverend Venus Brooks, the only male gradu ate of the class of '45. is deceased. The three graduates, all widowed, had weeks earlier extended invita tions to seven other classes to join them for the occasion Chancellor Joseph Oxendine joined the group of 30 alumni and guests The lively two hour reminiscent session took the group back a half century to when... Strict campus rules prohibited stu dents from physically touching the opposite sex in a romantic manner Deans of students prohibited female students from walking unchaperoncd to downtown Pembroke and dormi tory mothersenforceda sign-in-si^ cnfbrcement of a strict dress code whi?h ensured no wearing of bluejeansby female students. College President R.D. Wellons made atten dance at Thursday morning chapel, a religious assembly, mandatory It was a time when S13 could buy a semester's worth of learning. But few had the monetary means to pay thai amount. Ira Lee Thomas and Sadie RaeLocldcar were among those During their freshman year at Pem broke State College, each woman lived with relatives. Ira Lee boarded with her maternal Aunt Jessie May nor and her husband. Rev. Dawley Maynor in Pembroke Sadie Rae boarded with her uncle and aunt Joseph and Maggie Oxendine two miles east of Pem broke She walked the daily trek to class Both women worked as campus custodians in order to pay for their first year of college study During their sophomore and Jun ior years, Ira Lee and Sadie Rae lived on campus where they shared a dor mitory room In order to pay for their room board and tuition the women participated in a student cooperative program initiated during wartime As participants they earned financial credits by performing duties which required them to arise early mornings and prepare breakfast for student boarders, administrators, faculty and staff. assist Mrs Pearlie Revels Lowry in the serving of lunch, then later, by themselves, prepare supper for cam pus diners "The one upside to this arrange ment was that Sadie and I didn't have to worry too much about what dishes would make up our menus, or having to go to the market to shop for the food." Ira Lee Lowry ays. "We cooked whatever participating stu dents brought from thctr famiUcs Tfiese resources dctei mined what each day's menu was," she laughs "During those lean years, student learned valuable lessons in bartering. Those who didn't have mooey to pay for meats on campus were allowed to bring produce from home, have it priced, and receive their meals in exchange for it" Sadie Rac inter jects. Food could not be bartered for tuition. Paying faculty diners helped to defray costs for any supplemental food purchases needed in the prepa ration of campus meals Ira Lee says. Their senior year both women boarded in the private home of Mrs. Flerdia Warriax Both women agree that as World War II continued, so did the risk of the school's having to dose. "The State of North Carolina al most closed down the school, but concerned people like Dean Clifton Oxendine, Mr Ira Pate Lowry and others had such a love for Pembroke State College, they kept the struggle alive This college, from 1940-1933, was the only four-year college for Indians in the U.S.A. The state had no choice There was no other place for us to attend college "Under the leadership of Presi dent Wellons and Dr James E. Hillman, the doors stayed open." Ira Lee continues "We the class of 1943 and less than 60 other enrolled students stood firm and fought hard And won By the time the War had ended, many students who had been called away, including women called to defense fobs, returned And since that time, Pembroke State University has been on the climb '' On Friday night, June ?, 1943 in held in and an Indian man were awarded theirfour-year college diplomas from Pembroke State College for Indiana Each steadily ascended ladders. Until hit death The Reverend venus Brooks pve tut live in service to God. Country and community Sadie Rae locktear 73. married Barrington Blanks. She hatasoa and daughter The grandmother of four taught school for 33 years She is enjoying her retirement at home in the Union Chapel Community in ru ral Mary Jacobs Bell, 71. married James D Bell She has two sons. The grandmother of three retired after having taught school 30 vcars prima rily in Sampson Counts. NC where she now resides in rural Clinton She is a renowned Indian Junket weaver Ira Lee Thomas Lowry, 70, mar ried Harold Lowry She has three daughters and a son Ira Lee retired after having taught school for 3 3 yews Ira Lee, grandmother to six grand sons. resides a mile from P S U and enjoys international travel. In 1945 metal was still scarce. No class rings were wrought that year for the graduating class at P.S.C These were to come yean later Last Saturday night, on the cam Cof her beloved alma mater. Ira Thomas Lowry. flanked by her < two graduating classmates. Sadie Rac LockIcar Blanks and Mary Jacobs Bell, solemnly stood and acknowl edged a distinguished audience She lit a candle in memory of her late fellow classmate. Venus Brooks "If the doors of this institution had been closed back then in 1943. I don't believe they would have ever been opened again as a college or univer sity at Pembroke the cK^945 mank yoofor ih? day." Around the County LRDA Announces New Board Member; and Award Winners for 1995 LRDA (Lumbee Regional Development Association) met at its headquar ters on Union Chapel Road Tuesday night and introduced Mrs. Deanna Lowry to her first meeting since being appointed by the agency Elections have been suspended until further notice The agency also announced its award winners for 1995-they are Rev Isaiah Locklear, Henry Berry Lowry Memorial Award, Dr JefT Collins Businessman of the Year. Dr Linda Oxendine, Advancement of Education. Dr Stanley Knick. Hamilton McMillan Award, and students Lawrence Locklear, Rebckah Revels: and Shelly Strickland as post secondary, high school and middle school winners respectively No nominations were received for the Elder of the Year Award ana the Distinguished Service Award The LRDA Awards Committee made their selection from 27 nominations submit ted The Committee also recommended that the awards banquet be held April 1 at the Jaycee Hut and then annually in February thereafter The agency also continued to discuss preliminary plans to build an administrative building with emphasis on a site on Railroad Street in Pembroke Plans call for a 13.000 square feet building to house all ofLRDA 's programs at one site Evergreen Rehabilitation Center Backed by County Commissioners Despite a turnaway crowd Monday night, and most of them adamantly opposed to the proposed project, the county commissioners voted 7-0 to allow Parkton businessman David Green to convert his former rest home near St Pauls into a rehabilitation center for convicted inmates The only defection from a unanimous vote was Commissioner Bill Hemdon who represents the St. Pauls area He chose not to vote to stop rumors that he was supporting Green's project to make money for himself Evergreen Rehabilitation Center will house a maximum of 73 inmates ... ? ? ? ? ? ?- -? conv icted ol non-violent crimes involving arugs or aiconoi Green, also a member of the Public Schools of Robeson County's board of education, and a member of the state department of transportation, had some supporters present, including the Rev Joy Johnson. Fairmont minister and political activist Johnson, the first Black to serve in the N.C House of Representatives from Robeson, said in part. " people who give all they have for the betterment of a county ought not to be castigated " The center is part of a new state Department of Corrections program that attempts to help prisoners make the transition between prison and freedom Participants in the program will participate in drug treatment, work release and education programs The state will pay Green's company. Green Manor. $55 per inmate per day to run the center Two Buildings Destroyed by Fire in Downtown Pembroke The only good thing to report about the fire that swept through two downtown Pembroke businesses was the news that no people were in the buildings when the flames erupted sometime earty Monday morning It took some SO firefighters four hours to put out the Maze that destroyed Pembroke Auto Pans and Pembroke Insurance Company on Third Street in downtown Pembroke James Deese, a volunteer firefighter for the Pembroke Fire Department, said smoke also damaged Sampson 's Fish Market and other nearby businesses Firefighters, as always, gallantly responded they came from Evans Crossroads, Pembroke's Scuflletown. Pembroke's City and Prospect Fire fighters had put out the fire by 1 p m to subscribe call 910-521-2826 Jessic a I orkiear Local Student Named Kodak Young Leader Jessica Locklcar. a sophomore at Purncll Swctt High School, has been named Kodak Young Leader under a national program sponsored by Eastman Kodak Company Lock lea r who serv es as sopho more class president at Swell, was named on the basis of her outstandi ng leadership qualities and academic achievement As a Kodak Young Leader, she will receive an award from Kodak and will be eligible to apply to the University of Rochester Young Leaders Scholarship Program "An investment in bright young leaders like Jessica is an investment in our future," said Kodak s Chair man and Chief Executive Officer George M.C. Fisher "We want to inspire these students and their peers with a sense of responsibility and a continual thirst for learning and achievement " Kodak, which has invited 2 (KM) schools nationwide to participate this year, employs over 90,000 people and operates in virtually every corner of Jessica is Uie daughter of Marilyn Locklcar and Ted Locklcar. both of Pembroke Pembroke. NC Renovated PSU Library to be named Sampson-Livermore Library --?i-?ii? by Don (lersh I Pembroke State University 's Board 1 of Trustees ended speculation con- 1 cerning renaming the proposed ex panded and renovated Mary J Livcrmore Library. The Board voted Friday to rename the library the Sampson-Livermorc Library in honor or both Oscar R. Sampson, an early pioneer in Lum ber education who served for 12 years on the University's Board of Trust ees. and Mary Liver more former Dean of Women and a long-time religion professor at PSU During an earlier Board (Dec 2. 1994) meeting. Chairman David Weinstein appointed a committee to recommend an appropriate name for the expanded and renovated library Dr Adolph Dial. John Nicholson and Sybil Collins were appointed to this committee but did not reach consen sus during thar deliberations Rather, they presented options: (I) thai both individuals be equally honored as the Sampson-Livermore Library; (2) that the exterior be identified as the Sampson Library and the great read ing room be named the Livermorc Reading Hall, and (3) no names placed on the building itself but have two separate external structures identify ing the Sampson Library and ! Livermore Reading Room Collins voiced opposition to the { first recommendation and said Pern broke community leaders would not support this option Dr Dial, professor emeritus in PSU's Department of American In dian Studies, knew both Sampson and Livermore. He Mid he " like " the name Sampson-Livermore for the li brary and described Livermore as "one of the most benevolent people'' he has ever known Construction on the protect is ex pected to begin during the summer of 1995 In other Board actions, Weinstcin announced the resignation of Gloria G Williams of Raeford. from the Board of Trustees Williams cited difficulties in attending meetings as the reason for her resignation Weinstcin also asked the Board to pass a resolution of support to hs?e a PSU-rclated individual on the UNC Board of Governors The Board of Trustees unanimously passed the reso lution that will be sent to UNC Presi dent C D Spsngler and Slate repre sentatives rau ? viw wiwikviiu1* [/iv*iuvm updates in (heir respective areas since December's meeting Dr Oxendine tola the Board lhai he met with elected Stale officials last month to ask for their continued sup port of the PSU Regional Center lor Economic. Community and Profes sional Development He informed them that the UNC budget included $3 8 million for the center, and thai the Federal Government it expected to appropriate $4 million more (in addition to the $2 million appropri ated during the last session of Con gress) The Chancellor also discussed a new partnership program with Pem broke Elementary School Two PSU education professors are working side by tide with elementary school teach ers in establishing a model school that will foous on new techniques for the classroom The successes in Pembroke El ementary School will be shared with other Robeson County schools The Board also heard updates on campus construction including the proposed widening of North Odum Road (State Road 1)40). Indian Unity Conference Planned for March 16-18 in Fayettevilie i Untied Tribes of North Carolina has announced thai the 1995 North Carolina Indian Unity Conference will be held in Favettcville. NC March I6th-18th. 1995 The site of this year'sevent will be the Boardcaux Convention Center Holiday Inn. near the Cape Fear Val ley Medical Center on Owen Drive The 1995 United Conference theme will be "Our Path Guides Our Future" and will feature seminars and general assemblies on Indian Education. Economic Development Strategies for Indian Communities. Cultural and Health Care issues af fecting Indian Communities in North Carolina Congressional Leaders and Slate elected officials have been invited to attend and Governor iim Hunt is expected to speak at one of the gen eral sessions County and city leaders in Indian communities are expected to attend The Conference will alao feature an Award* and Scholarship Banquet at which outstanding Indian leaders, statewide, will be recognized in edu cation. business, and special commu nity SCtVKC Scholarships will be presented to several outstanding Indian vouth in their time of need to help with college expenses Another nuqor highlight of the conference will be an exposition of American Indian Talent, focusing on traditional Indian art forms Alao. planned is a statewide Miss Indian North Carolina Pageant The event will feature a Pow Wow. and will make available to the public, through Indian traders, authentic American Indian crafts for sell The cost to attend the three day event is $73 00 flr registration Ban quet tickets will be on sale to the public, who will be attending the banquet only, for $30 00 per person ? Separate adult and youth dances will be held after the banquet Friday night Admit*ion will be charged at I he doors this 1W5 North Carolina Indian Jnitv Conference is open to the pub lic. but attenders must register to Mend the seminars and general as lembiics The $75 registration to the XMtfcreiKc includes cost for the Han met and Saturday moraine break ast .Senior citizens and youth will be harged $43 for registration For more information about the onfercnce contact the nearest local - ribal officers or urban Indian Center leadline, to avoid late registration ect, la March I. IW5
The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.)
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Feb. 23, 1995, edition 1
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