Fund Started to Aid Former Sorority
Student Stricken by Leukemia
The plight of a former Chowan
College student stricken with acute
leukemia, has touched the hearts of
many persons who read his story.
Two former classmates of 22-
year-old Tommy Greer, who at
tended Chowan College during the
1960-61 school term, have organized
a trust fund for Tommy, his wife
and year old son, to provide money
for medical expenses involved in
fighting the disease which Tommy,
manager of a service station in
Aulander, refuses to allow to get
the best of him.
The two former classmates,
both close personal friends of
Tommy's, are Sylvia George,
now a secretary at Chowan, and
Frank Harrell of Winton.
Miss George and Harrell have
drawn up a letter explaining Tom
my’s battle against the dread dis
ease, and will mail copies to all
members of the freshman class of
1960-61, of which Tommy was presi
dent.
Text of Letter
We are using this means of con
tacting each member of the fresh
man class of 1960-61 to ask your
help in a matter about which we
are sure each of you will want to
know. It concerns our friend, and
President of the Freshman class of
1960 here at Chowan College. I
know you all remember Tommy
Greer, the little boy with the big
heart. He played football here and
was active in all student activities.
1 believe just about all of us knew
Tommy.
Frank Harrell and myself have
taken the liberty to organize this
project for Tommy Tommy has
been stricken with the dreaded dis
ease, acute leukemia. I think all
of you know how terrible this dis
ease is. Naturally, Tommy has
not given up and we certainly
hope he won't. Tommy never was
one to give up, however we have
to look at it realistically. Tommy
has a wife and small baby and no
insurance.
We want very much, with the
help of our class to start a trust
fund for Tommy, his wife and ba
by. Just think how much help this
could be. I imagine by now Tom
my has so many bills that he does
n't know what to do. He has been
in Duke University hospital under
going treatments, X rays, etc.
Won't you-all please help Tommy
and his family.
9
THE GREERS AT HOME—Tommy and his wife, Anne, and eleven-month-old Thomas Dwayne, v^ho
will be "another football player", according to his Dad.
We are going to set up the fund
with the Farmers Bank of Mur
freesboro. Any donation would be
most appreciated. Just send your
checks, made out to "The Tom
my Greer Fund," to me, Sylvia
George, in care of Chowan Col
lege, and I will deposit them
in the bank and receipt you for
I feel sure that we can count on
everyone to help us just a little.
Of course, we will be glad to have
donations from anyone who would
like to help in this project. It’s not
right for us. who have fine health
and good jobs, not to share it with
others when they need so badly.
Please help us.
Sylvia George
Frank Harrell
Although the letters will be ad
dressed specifically to former
class members, donations to the
fund will be welcomed from any
person or organization desiring
to contribute.
The story of Tommy’s battle
against leukemia, better known as
cancer of the blood, began last
spi ing when Tommy developed
what he thought was bursitis of
his shoulders and hips.
Medical treatment failed to re
lieve him of the constant pain.
Then in October he developed se
vere headaches and dizziness. Tests
disclosed acute leukemia, a disease
which annually claims approxi
mately 1,000 lives out of the 17,000
or more who contract it.
The disease can be arrested with
drugs, however recurrence has al
ways, been inevitable.
Medical Treatment
Despite knowledge of his condi
tion, Tommy has never relaxed his
vigil in believing he will overcome
the disease. He has undergone con
stant medical treatment including
blood transfusions.
Despite the time required for
these treatments he has maintained
his job as manager of the Aulander
Texaco Station, which he assumed
nine months ago.
Proof that the disease is no re-
spector of persons. Tommy is a
former star athlete, both in high
school and college. He received all-
state and all-southern honors while
a high school student at Rupert,
W. Va., his hometown, in football,
; n 1 similar honors in basketball
and baseball. He was an outstand
ing football player at Chowan Col
lege and was offered a full athletic
.scholarship at N. C. State College
but decided to get married instead
of accepting it.
Tommy is married to the for
mer Anne Outlaw of Aulander.
The couple has one son, Thom
as Dwayne, one year old.
Residents of Aulander and the
surrounding area have contributed
financial assistance and encourage
ment to Tommy and his family.
There is no insurance to cover
the tremendous medical expenses
involved in fighting the disease.
Anne works as a receptionist for
Dr. Samuel Calvert of Ahoskie.
In respect to his affliction Tom
my has said, “I don't think about
it anymore than I have to. I feel
I will overcome this thing.”
Nice Person
Speaking of Tommy, Miss George
said, “He is one of the nicest per
sons I have ever known, everybody
likes him. " Miss George was social
chairman of the 1960-61 freshman
class of which Tommy was presi
dent. Frank Harrell was a room
mate of Tommy's and played foot
ball with him.
Miss George will act as secre-
tary-treasurer of the Tommy Greer
Trust Fund. “I hope we can help
Tommy," she said.
Criticism is something you can
usually avoid by saying nothing,
doing nothing, and being nothing.
Temper is one of the few things
more RECOGNITION-Murfreesboro town tags this year are supporting the town's number that improve the longer you keep
one asset, Chowan College, as demonstrated by Joe Oirlcprson, a member of the town council. Ihom
The Chowan College Alpha Ui
Chapter of Alpha Pi Epsilon init
ialed fourteen new members re
cently.
The new members are; Nancy
Bazemore, Cofiely, N. t'.: Betty
Blaylock, Battloboro. N. C.; Brenda
Bordia, Virginia Beach. Va.; Pa
tricia Eatricia Etheridge, Virginia
Beach, Va.; Nancy Ferguson, New
soms, Va.; Dianne Freeman, Wind
sor, N. C.: Hazel Hunnings, Grants-
boro, N. C.; Jewel Slaughter, Con
way, N. C.; Donna Wade. Franklin,
Va.; Gayle Whitley, Como. N. C.;
and Linda Woody, Oxford, N. C.
Alpha Pi Epsilon is the National
Secretarial Honor Society created
for two and four-year colleges
offering two years of work in sec
retarial subjects. The local chap
ter. known as the Alpha Pi Chap
ter, at Chowan was organized in
the spring of 1958.
Membership in this society is re
stricted to students of superior
scholarship, personality, and char
acter. To be eligible for member
ship a student must have completed
thirteen units in secretarial sub
jects. must have an overall aver
age of B or a 2.0 ratio in all work
attempted, and must have an
agreeable personality and an
active interest in secretarial work.
The ultimate pur])Ose of Alpha
Pi Epsilon is to professionalize
the status of the collcge-traincd
secretary, thereby .sending young
women of the highest academic
level into the businessworld. e-
quipped with keen intelligence and
a mastery of their skills.
The officers of the Alpha Pi Chap-
aer are: Peggy Rascoc. president.
Windsor, N. C.; Gayle Whitley,
Vice-president, Como. N. C.; Nancy
Ferguson, secretary-treasurer. New
soms, Va.; and Nancy Bazemore.
program chairman, Coficld, N. C.
Craig Revelle
Dies; Member
Of Trustees
J. Craig Revelle, Mufreesborii
attorney and veteran member of
the Board of Trustees at Chowan
College, died at his home on Sat
urday evening December 7.
Mr. Revelle was in his third
four-year term of service on the
Chowan College Board of Trustees.
He served the college in these of
ficial capacities: member of the
Board of Trustees, 1944-48; 1955-59;
1961—; Legal Counsel to the Col
lege since 1949; Chairman if the
Executive Committee of the Board
of Trustees, 1956-57; Secretary of
the Board of Trustees, 1947-48.
Funeral services were held in
the Murfreesboro Baptist Church
conducted by the Rev. Roland S.
Pruette. Pastor, and Dr. Bruce E.
Whitaker, president of Chowan Col
lege. Burial was in the Riverside
Cemetery in Murfreesboro.
Mr. Revelle was a deacon and
past chairman of the Board of Mur
freesboro Baptist Church. He was
a member and past president of
Murfreesboro Rotary Club. He was
a Mason and a member of the
North Carolina Bar Association.
Dr. Bruce E. Whitaker, presi
dent, said recently in a letter to
the Chowan College Board (>f Trus
tees. "there was hardly a week
that has passed during my almost
seven years as president of Cho
wan that we have not called on
him for advice or service as our
college counsel, and often hours
or days of service were required.
Never once has he sent a bill for
his services. Not only did he give
of his time and energy, but he
gave liberally of his earthly pos
sessions. Chowan has lost a good
and able friend in the passing of
Craig Revellee, and so have I.
personally."
THE CHOWANIAN