John D. Messick

Article printed in the Greenville Daily Reflector regarding John D. Messick's tenure as East Carolina College president. This and other articles may be found in the records of the Chancellor's Office, Record Group CH1050, Series 1, Scrapbook File, 1914-1978 in the University Archives.

Citation for this particular article is: "During Messick's Stay, College Has Had Great Growth," Greenville Daily Reflector, October 23, 1959.

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During Messick's Stay, College Has Had Great Growth

Dr. John Decatur Messick has seen a period of unparalleled growth during the 12 yeas that he has been at the helm of East Carolina College.

Under his administration, the college enrollment has tripled, the number of faculty members is three times what it was in 1947, 11 new buildings have been or are being built. Along with this, improvements and additions have been made to 13 existing building on the college campus.

Even the name of the college is different today from that of the institution which Dr. Messick initially headed in 1947. At that time the college was known as East Carolina Teachers College. But in 1957 by act of the State Legislature the Teachers was dropped from the name as an expanding curriculum warranted it.

It is doubtful that few, if any, institutions of higher learning of North Carolina can match the growth of East Carolina College percentagewise during the past 12 years.

Along with the construction of new buildings there have been two purchases of additional land for the college campus made. The purchases added approximately 80 acres.

Campus Addition In Use

The first campus addition is in use now with the opening of Jones Hall this year.A second dormitory for men is under construction on this section of the campus, located between Tenth and 14th Sts., and a third is included in next week's state bond issue.

Another campus addition was purchased this year beyond 14th St.

Enrollment for the fall quarter of 1947 was 1,405 while for the fall quarter this fall 4,042 registered for classes on the college campus.

The 1947 faculty was 75 while last year there were 230 faculty members at work in the college's various departments.

The annual operational budget has increased from $1,028,960 to $3,666,850.

And if next week's bond issue is approved the college will have spent or had approved $11,809.329 for capital improvements during the 12 years.

Along with the physical and student body growth there has been a steady expansion of the college academically.

Since 1947 the college has added academic majors to its graduate program.A master's degree in counselor training and library science are now offered.

On the undergraduate level two-year curricula in forestry, agriculture, wood technology have been added.

Pre-optometry and pre-pharmacy courses have been added to the professional preparatory courses since 1947.There is also a program leading to certification in special education now offered at the college.

Aurora Native

Dr. Messick was born in Aurora in Beaufort County.He received his undergraduate degree at Elon College in 1922, did graduate work at the University of North Carolina and received the PhD degree at New York University in 1934.

He received the Litt.D. from Elon College in 1943 and was named outstanding Alumnus for the same year.In 1957 he became one of the original 50 to be elected to Elon College Hall of Fame.

Dr. Messick was a school principal at Wade and Trenton, NC, and became a school superintendent at Spencer, NC in 1929. He became dean of instruction at Elon College in 1934 serving until 1944.That year he became dean of instruction at State Teachers College in Montclair, NJ, serving until 1947 when he came to East Carolina College as president.

Dr. Messick is a member of Phi Delta Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi honorary fraternities, the National Education Association, North Carolina Education Association. He was vice president and a member of the executive committee of the North Carolina College Conference in 1952, chairman of the Home and Family Life Committee in 1949 and former chairman of Character Education Committee of the North Carolina Congress of Parents and Teachers.

He was a member of the Planning Committee and divisional chairman in 1950. He was president of the NY Alumni Association in 1947 and chairman of the National Accrediting Committee of American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education in the United States for 1954-55 and liaison representative for North Carolina 1958-60.

Dr. Messick was association representative to the American Council on Education. He was selected "Tar Heel of the Week" by the Raleigh News and Observer in October, 1950 and one of "Ten Most Interesting Tar Heels" in a poll conducted by State magazine in 1958.

Bank Director

The college president is a director of Guaranty Bank and Trust Co., and was president of the Pitt County Executives Club 1948-51.

He has been president of the NC Society for Crippled Children and Adults and of the East Carolina Council Boy Scouts. He has also served as council finance campaign chairman.

Dr. Messick is a member of the Third Army Advisory Committee and a member of the executive reserve of the United States Information Agency.

He is chairman of the six states regional program on Personal and Family Living as sponsored by the American Social Hygiene Association. He is a member of the board of directors of the North Carolina Cerebral Palsy Hospital and was chairman of the Pitt County United Fund Campaign in 1958.

Also in 1958 he was a member of the board of directors of the Pitt County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Dr. Messick has served as president of the Eastern Carolina Art Society, state chairman for Resource Use Education, chairman of a program in Teacher Training in Outdoor Edcuation for North Carolina, president of the North State Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

He has been chairman of the Workshop on Evaluation of Standards of Colleges of Teacher Education at the National Conference in Ypsilanti, Mich.

He is Carolinas' representative of the Advisory Committee, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and a member of the N.C. Atomic Energy Advisory Board.

Dr. Messick is a fellow in the International Institute of Arts and Letters and he is listed in Who's Who in America; Who's Important in Education; Who's Who in American Education and Who's Who in the South and Southeast.

He is a Methodist and a member of the board of stewards of Jarvis Memorial Methodist Church.

Dr. Messick is married to the former Magdalene Elizabeth Robinson of Washington, DC and they have two sons and two daughters.