Gladys Howell - Chancellor's Wife Begins New Life
This article describes Gladys Howell's transition from associate professor of sociology to chancellor's wife in 1982. This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.
Citation for this article is: Welborn, Jane. "Chancellor's Wife Begins New Life," Daily Reflector, 1982.
On Thursday, the life of Gladys Howell changed drastically.
She was no longer an associate professor of sociology at East Carolina University, the wife of John Howell and the mother of two sons. She was now the wife of the chancellor of East Carolina University and the mistress of a stately home on Fifth Street.
Mrs. Howell's husband became chancellor of ECU July 1. Many changes go along with being the wife of the chancellor, as Mrs. Howell has begun to realize since Dr. Howell was appointed interim chancellor after the resignation of Chancellor Tom Brewer. One of the big changes is moving into the chancellor's home on Fifth Street.
"We've either had the best or worst of two worlds, depending on how you look at it," Mrs. Howell said. Since the appointment, the Howells have been entertaining in the chancellor's home and living in their own home.
"I enjoy entertaining," Mrs. Howell said. "I always did things for John when he was at the university in his other capacities. It can be hectic, but it also can be very rewarding. It is different now that I have more help."
For the large parties at the chancellor's home, a caterer usually prepares the food and there is professional help for the serving. But Mrs. Howell said, "I like to do as much as possible myself. Cooking is one of my hobbies, and I enjoy flower arranging."
Parties hosted by Chancellor and Mrs. Howell have included a dinner for the platform speakers at ECU's commencement exercises and a gala after the opening of ECU's new Hendrix Theater. In conjunction with the university's 75th anniversary, the Howell's held a birthday party. An open house was also held during alumni weekend.
The Howells hope to be completely moved into the chancellor's home by the end of July. "It is a beautiful house with such marvelous space," Mrs. Howell said. "The home has been a focal point of the university and Greenville community life for a long time." The chancellor's home was built in 1927 and was purchased by the university as the official home of the chancellor in 1949.
Mrs. Howell said that she and her husband will probably sell their private home in Brookgreen subdivision after they move into the chancellor's home. "Of course, one is attached to a setting where so much of your life history has evolved," she said. "There is some sacrifice in moving out."
Soon the Howells will have to move their own things to the chancellor's home, which is already partially furnished. "Most of the furniture downstairs belongs with the house," Mrs. Howell said. "There is beautiful furniture for entertaining and the living already in the house. The upstairs will be furnished with our own things."
"We will be able to work the furniture we already have into the house," she said. "If we can't, we will be able to store what we can't use in the big basement or attic or in the garage with double doors."
According to Mrs. Howell, moving to the chancellor's house will be a big change. "This house is larger than any home I've ever had," she said. "There are people in house almost all the time. But after six months of (entertaining in the chancellor's home) I have enjoyed it.
"Even with all the constant parade of people, I have been able to separate my private and public life," she said. "I have to predict the pacing of people and find my private time."
Mrs. Howell hopes that gradual decorating changes will make the chancellor's home more like a home for the Howells. "The major change we wanted to have done before adapting to living here was to open the foyer by removing the mahagony box with the fountain," she said. "It had asthetic justification, but it obstructed the flow of traffic in the receiving hall."
Other changes have included repapering the kitchen and bathroom and repainting the exterior trim and shutters. "We love the color of the tile on the roof so we matched it to the trim and shutters," she said.
Mrs. Howell is pleased with the large kitchen. "A kitchen is the place that I need to be in a lot," she said, "and I love to be in it. The kitchen here is larger than my kitchen at home."
"The focal point of the house is the double windows and double staircase and the chandelier (in the foyer)," she said.
Being the wife of the chancellor is a full-time job, according to Mrs. Howell.She stopped her teaching career in order to help further her husband's career. She had bene a member of the ECU Sociology Department from 1963-1982. She is currently on leave without pay.
"I loved teaching and research," she said, "but this is a special and unique opportunity for me. It is a pleasure for me to serve the university I love so much in this capacity."She also mentioned that no conflict of interest could occur if she was no longer a member of the university staff.
"It has been a dramatic change," Mrs. Howell stated. "It's changed the focus of my concern and attention away from teaching and research to a much broader community interaction pattern.
"I miss the academic calendar. I knew the requirements of the job then."
She said that nwo she has to work to organize her time and must adjust to her new pattern of life.
Mrs. Howell said that she and her husband have always had a close working relationship. "We met as two young faculty members at Randolph Macon Women's College in Virginia," she said. "We use each other as a sounding board and I do discuss some things with my husband, but he makes all of his own decisions.
"Our time together is somewhat less now," Mrs. Howell related. "When he became acting chancellor, he was out of town on trips to make speeches. Now that I am free of teaching duties, I have gone on some trips with him."
Mrs. Howell has a full life of her home [sic], so much so that she says, "I haven't ever had much time for hobbies . . . I have been tied up with teaching, research, rearing children and housework."
In addition, she has been active in the Democratic Women, serving as president from 1977-1979. She was recently named by Gov. Jim Hunt as the Pitt County chairperson for the 400th anniversary celebration in North Carolina. She also hopes to participate in the Friendship Force, an exchange program, by housing a European visitor this September.
She does find time to swim 30 lengths of the pool three or four times a week. She also enjoys leisure reading, singing and making flower arrangements.
"I enjoy music and listen a great deal," she said, "but I am not very proficient on any instrument." She is of Middle-Eastern background and enjoys cooking native dishes.
But now Mrs. Howell is excited about her new role as the wife of the chancellor of East Carolina University. "It is a new challenge and a wonderful opportunity to explore new ways of arranging my life and find new satisfactions," she said.
