The Chowanian
VOL. I.
MURFREESBORO, N. C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1923.
NO.
CHOWAN COLLEGE ENJOYS
SEVENTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY
Impressive Program Rendered
in College Auditorium; Hale
and Hearty and More Active
Than Ever
An impressive program was ren-1
dered in the College Auditorium to !
commemmorate the founding of the
institution on October 11, the col
lege having begun its existence Oct.
11, 1848. The college song was sung
with enthusiasm suitable to the occa
sion. And then Mr. J. C. Larkin, pas
tor of the Murfreesboro Methodist
church, gave a timely and instructive
sermon on “Blessed are they which
do hunger and thirst after righteous
ness: they they shall be filled.”. Next
on the program was a violin solo,
“Largo” by Miss Carolina Lane. Af
ter this Dr. Weaver discussed briefly
the history of Chowan College.
“Chowan College, then known as
Chowan Female Collegiate Institute,”
said Dr. Weaver, “was founded and
chartered October 11, 1848. In our
first catalogue, session 1853-54 the
aims of the college were set forth as
follows: ‘The Institution is located in
one of the (most healthful V”
eastern Carolina, and in a community
distinguished for its moral character.
It is established for holy purposes: to
discipline mind; instrumentally, to
sanctify mind, and then to direct its
strengthened energies. The latter
are regarded as of paramount import
ance, as transcendent talent, without
moral culture, produces only evil.
That system of education is, there
fore, radically defective which ne
gleets the heart. The true system
contemplates a symmetrical develop
ment of all the faculties—physical,
intellectual, and moral—and has re
gard to the whole sum of our exist
ence. Such a system we would have.’
“We have”, concluded Dr Weaver,
“held these ideals sacred. Chov/an
College has graduated hundre'ls of
women, many of whom have either
become prominent themselves or be
come the wives and motheis of men
who have distinguished themselves in
the history of the State and denomi
nation. With the memory of such
past achievements ever before uc, it
is not inconceivable that our college
life in the future will be richer and
fuller of tho:e ideals and aspirations
which will make of our college a
greater institution both for enlight-
ment of the mind and spirit and for
intelligent service to the communi
ties from which we come.”
A prayer for the future of the Col
lege by Mr. Whitley concluded the
exercises.
TO CHOWAN COLLEGE ON HER
75TH ANNIVERSARY
Alma Mater, Gentle Mother,
We thy daughters, joyful sing.
Join our voices with each other.
Praise today to thee we bring'!
Tho’ we hail from headlands, mountains,
Tho’ of many creeds we be
Tho’ we’ve drunk from many fountains.
We are one in love to thee!
Ever onward, ever upward.
Lead us gently by the hand;
Ever, gentle mother, onward,
Lead us on, thy loyal band.
Alma Mater, we invoke thee.
Let us see thy shining face;
Let us feel, we now implore thee.
All thy true enduring grace.
On thy banner, ever glorious.
Truth forever shall appear!
Crown thy children’s hopes victorious
With the love that casts out fear.
Let us hold a sweet communion
With thy truth which never fades;
Let us feel thy hand upon us
Blissing us from age to age.
—CHAS. P. WEAVER.
DIAMOND PAGEANT WILL
BE A BRILUANT AFFAIR
Unique Portrayal of Growth
of Chowan College Present
ed October 31, in Auditorium
to Celebrate Anniversary
God’s Promise
God hath promised pardon to him
that repenteth, but he hath not prom
ised repentance to him that sineth.—
St. Anselm.
DiNNEk ii'J mOinOR Ui-
DR. AND MRS. WEAVER
Faculty Entertains On Seventy-
fifth Anniversary of Chowan
On Thursday, October 11, the fac
ulty entertained at a five course din
ner in honor of President and Mrs.
Weaver.
The dining room was attractively
decorated in golden rod, ferng and
shaded lights. The place cards, made
under the direction of Miss Grubb in
the art department, were hand paint
ings of dames and beaux of ’48.
When the cake, bearing seventy-
five candles symbolizing the years of
Chowan’s growth and achievements
was brought in. Miss Robinson rose to
announce a short talk, “The Past
Chowan”, by Miss Eunice McDowell.
The response to the challenge felt in
her closing lines, “Those were fine
days, days that are past,” was given
by Dr. Weaver in “The Future
Chowan.”
Miss McDowell, daughter of the
first president of Chowan, herself
reared and educated in the college is
the strongest, firmest link to the
“days that are past”. Her talk re
viewed the early history of the col
lege, dwelt upon the ideal of service
that has been the foundation of the
college, and awakened sense of re
sponsibility toward those who planned
and dreamed, and worked in the early
days.
j
I-OKt.31 ALLi'MiSi
WILL HOLD BANQUET
Well Known Speakers Will
Talk On Founders Day
On the evening of October 31 at
6:30 o’clock the doors of Chowan
College will be opened to welcome all
the Wake Forest men of both the
Chowan and West Chowan Associa
tions, at a Wake Forest banquet to
be given in the college dining room.
The speakers for the occasion will
be Hon. J. W. Bailey, Dr. W. L. Po-
teat, President of Wake Forest Col
legia, and Mr. John Arch McMillan,
Alumni Secretary. A Hertford
County Wake Forest Alumni Associa
tion V. ill be organized during the
course of the banquet. Wake Forest
men from all parts of the country
are expected to attend. A quartette
from Wake Forest has been invited
and v/ill probably be present.
Plates will be sold at a dollar to
thoEe desiring to attend, and the ban
quet will be served by the depart
ment of Home Economics under the
direction of Miss Fannie White.
tion of her great service and a belief
in her future.” He closed by saying
that his life shall be devoted to mak
ing of Chowan, “the greatest little
woman’s college in the world.”
The dinner was planned, cooked
and served by the students in the de
partment of home economics under
Dr. Weaver spoke of the coopera- the direction of Miss Fannie White,
tion, the unusual loyalty and friend Those present were Dr. and Mrs.
ship he has met with since accepting Weaver, Dr. and Mrs. Clarke, Mrs.
Let us have you subscription for
The Chowanian.
the presidency of Chowan in July,
1923. “There is a reason”. Dr.
Weaver said, “for this devotion to the
college. It is founded upon pride in
her past achievements, upon recogni-
Alice Boland, Misses Gordon, McDow
ell, Robinson, Fannie White, Knott,
Grubb, Matthews, Sarah White, Lane
Caldwell, Latham, Gunn, Dame, Me-
roney.
The celebration of the seventy-
fifth anniversary of the founding of
Chowan College will reach its climax
in the presentation next Wednesday
at 8 p. m., of the Diamond Pageant
prepared for the occasion by the De
partment of Expression. Eighty-five
persons will take part in the presenta
tion.
The chief purpose of the pageant is
to point out, in a symbolical way, the
progress made by Chowan in the over
coming of Ignorance and Superstition
by Christianity; and to show the wide
spread Christian influence Chowan
has had over Eastern Carolina. First
the Spirits of Ignorance and Super-
stitution appear in a dance with the
Carolina woman worshipping at their
altar. Then is seen the conflict be
tween the spirits of Ignorance and
Superstition on one side and Chris
tianity and spirits of Light on the
other. The gradual disappearance of
.‘’-ape''st:‘^.ij ant the r:::'? of Chris
tianity is effectively brought out as
^he light of Christian Education sheds
its rays over the College. Loyalty,
Sacrifice, Truth, and Ambition are
brought into the foreground. The
pageant ends with showing the effect
that this new influence has had on the
girls of 1848 and 1878 and later
students of Chowan.
The cast includes eighty-five char
acters. The pageant is being pre
pared by Miss Gertrude Knott, assist
ed by the students, former students,
and alumnae of Chowan. Much en
thusiasm is being shown by those in
terested in the growth of the College.
Following is the cast of the prin
cipal characters:
Spirit of Christianity Marietta
Bridger
Carolina Woman Thelma Peterson
Loyalty Lucile Holloman
Sacrifice Page Morehead
Truth Adalia Futrell
Ambition Willie Mae Horton
Chowan College Thelma Draper
Science Mollie Davis
Literature Thelma Finch
Art Frances Lawrence
Mathematics Jessie Marie
Parker, Ruth Wilkins, Glenn Smith,
Sarah Vaughan, Mattie Parker
Drama Miss Meroney, Miss Gunn
Home Economics Margaret
Parker, Pearl Bryan, Willie Blount,
Lucile Overby, Florence Barkley
Spanish Blanche Allen
French Willia Thompson
Music Miss Lane
Herald Miss Gordon
Special electrical effects are being
prepared for the presentation, and the
new curtains will be used for the first
time. From an artistic point of view
the pageant will be one of the most re
markable ever presented in the state,
and a large crowd is expected to see it.