Art Department 1958/59
These documents describe the activities, growth and plans for the Art Department in 1958/59.These and other documents may be found in the University Archives.
Citation for this article is: Wellington B. Gray personnel file, UW0000, Series 1, Box 6, Folder 35, July 10, 1959.
July 10, 1959
Dr. J. D. Messick
President
East Carolina College
Greenville, N. C.
Dear President Messick:
I am rather late this year with what has become an annual ritual and custom with me . . . A thank you letter and short report. Perhaps this one will be a bit longer on report and observations than previous letters.
This has been quite a frustrating year for me and for the Department of Art. We had so much we wanted to get done and at the same time we were trying to get requisitions together for new equipment and our current belongings packed up for the move to our new home in the Rawl Building . With all of the extra effort that was put in by the staff on these "extra" things, we still did quite a few things.
The first, and to me, the most important item was the introduction of our new "double major" programs for the A.B. and the B.S. degrees. I am always a bit apprehensive about new programs and what could happen. Suffice it to say that these new programs have gotten off the ground to a fine start and that I am sure that they will be worth a great deal to the department and to the college.
A second important achievement for the department was the approval of the Master of Arts degree in art and art education. We had worked and planned for two years to get what we think is a really good program. While it would be small compared to other departments for a few years, we feel sure that it will eventually be worth its weight in gold.
As for the bread and butter programs in the pubic relations etc. we did more, and I feel better, than we have done so far. We started off with a bang by one of the staff ([Bruce] Carter) painting a mural on the general history building of the college for the Pitt County Fair. As you know, this now hangs in the administration building. We have participated in three community art festivals (Greenville, Rocky Mount, Goldsboro), three television programs, have made numerous speeches to professional groups as well as the usual service clubs and women's clubs, judged art contests in two communities (Farmville, and Ayden), and, probably the largest single job, the joint sponsorship of the regional National Scholastic Art Competition.
Our departmental major enrollment jumped to a new all-time high with the entrance of 31 freshmen and transfer students. The all high enrollment for majors in the department reached 73 during the year. We hope that the enrollment for next September will be at least 30 more students making our total enrollment some place between 80 and 100 majors. The number of minors in the department change so that I have no ideaas to the number. I am sure that you will agree from what you have seen about the college that the quality is keeping pace with quantity, an item in which I am most interested.
Our exhibition program has been more of a success than ever. There were nine regular exhibitions in the library including an outstanding exhibition of the work of the faculty and the students. These exhibitions have resulted in mail from several states as well as many places in the state. There have been a number of "senior" exhibits held in the second floor hall of Austin Building during the year which have created quite a bit of comment by those who have seen the shows.
One of the most important things this year has been the quality of the staff. Even Mr. [John R.] Gordon who has always been a good classroom man improved. The new men added to the staff have fitted in extremely well. Especially true of Dr. Carter, one of the most dedicated teachers that I have come across.
Without the constant help, advice, guidance, of the administration, especially yourself and the Dean, none of what we have attempted would have been worthwhile or possibly would not have happened at all. It has been a most satisfactory year as far as I am concerned. So once more I say a hearty "Thank You" for making it both pleasant and profitable.
There are dome problems and ideas that I feel I need to mention for the future. When we were planning the facilities for the Rawl Building we weretold to plan for 1965 and what our staff and enrollment would be at that date. In my conferences with the architect (which have been most fruitful and a pleasure) I mentioned that by 1965 we should have 13 on the art staff according to the survey made. For that reason I requested and planned for 13 offices for the staff. The plans so read. However, for some reason or other neither the Education Department not the Psychology Department apparently planned for 1965 because Education now has three of the offices which were planned for my department and the psychology department now has two. This next year I shall have a staff of seven and a graduate assistant. During the following year the budget calls for an associate professor to be added to the staff. He can then take over the office of the graduate assistant. But for those who follow, where will they go? Assignments of rooms and offices are like the imposition of new taxes on a temporary basis . . . They seldom return to the owner just as the taxes seldom are repealed.
Another problem that is going to become serious concerns some of the possessions of the colleg and that should be taken care of. By this I mean some of the paintings that are property of the college and at least one piece of statuaery, a giftof one of the graduating classes about 1924. A year ago rather extensive repairs had to be made to the portrait of President Wright because the painting had found its way into a damp closet in the Library. The portraits in Austinare currently in a seriously bad condition because of lack of care and of the way they were hung. If I am not mistaken, the portrait donated last year and presented to the college in the Library Auditorium at a Board meeting is still in the office of the Librarian, not being taken care of. Perhaps in some of the plans for the future there could be a lobby or a room set aside for these possessions where they can be enjoyed and where they can be cared for in an adequate manner.
A problem (at least I see it as a problem) which is becoming more perplexing to me is the administrative structure of the college. With the college growing larger with each passing year the administration is growing farther away from the individual faculty member and more responsibility is being placed on the director of the department. No longer can the Dean or the Presidenttake care of all the details which have been the duties of both you gentlemen for years. Much of this is being delegated to the directors. As a result some of us go one way and some another, sometimes working at cross purposes with one another without realizing it.
A year ago we started a graduate division . Now the legislature has approved a School of Nursing complete with a dean no less. Since administrative realignment has startedto take place with these two happenings, perhaps it is time to think about realignment for the entire college. I have been an advocate of this for the past two years and have some ears listening to me. Dr. [Elmer] Browning has enough of an enrollment to make his department a division or a school of business, Dr. [Ed] Carter and Dr. [Clinton] Pruit [sic] have enough of an enrollment to make their departmentsa division or a school of education. Mr. [Earl] Beech and I feel that the departments of Music, Art, Drama and possibly Home Economics and Industrial Arts would make a splendid division or school of fine arts or fine and applied arts. Those departments left could in all honesty be called a division or a school of arts and sciences or one called liberal arts, or perhaps even general studies. These divisions together with a graduate school and the school of nursing would make generally good divisions or schools for the college.
I can see where one of the current directors of one of the departments in a consolidation could act as a head man for a school or division. This would not necessitate the employment of new personnel.
This suggestion is made so that those departments which have like problems, such as art, music, drama, home etc., and industrial arts, particularly regarding such things as scheduling that do not effect other departments in particular could be grouped for more easy administration. The Dean's position is shortly going to be a back breaker. Such a realignment as suggested here could make for smoother administrative procedures as we continue to grow larger.
While some of these problems do not concern me directly, and perhaps I am sticking my big nose into something that I shouldn't, I feel that as a faculty member I need to mention them at least as problems at least to me and several other staff members. My apologies for running into four solidly typed pages.
Once again my thanks for your warm support during this past year and for making the year 1958-9 a pleasant and profitable one for me personally and for the department as a whole.
Sincerely yours,
Wellington B. Gray
Director
Department of Art
Dr. Wellington B. Gray
Department of Art
East Carolina College
Dear Dr. Gray
I have read your informative and appreciated letter and concur in part with what you have to say. Dr. Browning and I have been discussing the situation in the department of business education for four years and only last Saturday I asked him to begin a thorough study of the possibility of having two divisions, and a chairman of business education.
So far as offices are concerned, I suspect we will be able to find them as the need arises.
You refer to a painting given the college sometime in the past which now reposes unattended in the library; I do not know to what portrait you refer and I certainly agree with you that the portraits in Austin building should be cared for properly; please let me know what those in Austin and elsewhere need and we shall try to do what is required; in fact, I should appreciate if you and any others who might work with you would check on all portraits on the campus and let me know what is needed to put them in proper repair and insure that they will receive proper care, in the future.
I am particularly interested but don't understand what you mean by your statement that some of the departments are working at "cross purposes" with one another without realizing it.
Psychology and education used to be together under one chairman and known as the education division but as we have gone into a major in psychology, with much psychology that does not pertain to education, there doesn't seem to be as much logic for putting them together as there once was. If so, what would be done with one of the two chairmen? I would ask the same question concerning music, art, etc., that you suggest being put in one division. I know that this is done in some institutions but is not done in many more, but my objection is that where it is done there is far less cohesion in the institution than where more responsibility comes to a pivotal point in the administration. State College is a good example of the suggested organization but it is a terrific headache for the president and each division might almost as well be on separate campuses. We shall, however, continue to study the problem and shall hope to come up with the solution that is best for the college as a whole.
The sciences are now a division with a departmental chairman over biology, another one for chemistry and a third over science education, but all under Dr. [Charles?] Reynolds.
I appreciate your splendid remarks about the administration and assure you we are happy to have you with us and appreciate greatly your vision, cooperative attitude and genuine interest in the college and the community.
Sincerely yours,
J.D. Messick
