Many Alumnae Return for Founders Day Celebration, 1932

This article describes the events of the first celebration of Founders Day. This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.

Citation for this article is: "Many Alumnae Return for Founders Day Celebration" The Teco Echo, March 5, 1932.

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Will Be a Yearly Event

S.J. Everett Delivers Leading Address
President Wright Talks of Function of Teachers College

BE ANNUAL EVENT

For the first time in the history of the institution, Founders Day was celebrated at East Carolina today. Many alumnae returned for this occasion which was participated in by faculty, student body, officers of the administration, the board of trustees and friends of the college.

This celebration, in the form of a home coming, will take place every year from now on, and will be on the Saturday closest to March 8th, the day on which this school was founded, twenty-five years ago. The honor classes this year were the classes of 1911, 1912, 1913 and 1914. Seats at the front were reserved for members of these classes by the marshals from several literary societies on the campus.

On the stage were Mr. R.J. Slay, master of ceremonies, President Robert H. Wright, Mr. S.J. Everett, the speaker of the day, members of the faculty and school board.At present there are sixty-five members of the faculty, back in 1907 there were only 11, five of whom were present at this first college reunion.

After the singing of the "The Old North State." Dr. Slay, professor of science at the college, told very briefly why we were having a Founder's Day after all these years, and why this particular time was chosen.We have a Founder's Day, he said, to recall to our minds the deeds of those who made this Institution possible.It is on March 5th this year so the Alumnae may find it easier to come.

Mr. J.Y. Joyner, a member of the board of trustees, led in the devotional activities.Mr. Joyner has been connected with the college since its founding, and is well known to both the faculty and student body as he has spoken here a good many times in the past and is always welcomed heartily.

The student body stood then and sang, "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," a parody on "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys are Marching."The words for this song were written by Miss Jenkins, a member of the English Department since the founding of the Teachers College.This special adaption of the song inspired both teachers-in-the-field and the study body to work for the honor and glory of the school.

An address of welcome was brought to the friends of the school and the Alumnae by Miss Deanie Boone Haskett, president of the State Alumnae Association. Miss Haskett was editor-in-chief of the Teco Echo, the college paper of East Carolina Teachers College the first year it was ever published. She is one of the most capable girls that could have been chosen for the office she holds and very graciously she welcomed the visitors on this glad homecoming day.

Following Miss Haskett's adddress, members of the original faculty brought messages of welcome and greeting.Of the eleven original faculty members five are still affiliated with the school today. These are Miss Kate W. Lewis, of the Art Department, Miss Mamie E. Jenkins of the English Department, Miss Maria D. Graham of the Department of Mathematics, Miss Sallie Joyner Davis a niece of Dr. J.Y. Joyner and of the History Department and Mr. Leon R. Meadows of the English Department.

President Wright's message was "The Function of a Teachers College. "This republic in which we live, he said, is one of the greatest experiments in government ever made, and its influence is being felt throughout the world. The government rests directly upon the shoulders of the citizenship and for that reason it is essential that we have an intelligent and enlightened citizenship, regardless of color. The public school system is at the very foundation of our government and the success or failure of our government is dependent upon the type of men and women who teach the youth of our land. Teachers Colleges throughout America are rendering one of the greatest possible service to the government. The hope of our governmental ability is dependent upon public education and public education is dependent upon well trained teachers.For that reason, the American teachers college is probably the most important educational institution in America, with all due respect to the other exceedingly important educational institutions. For that reason the people of the state, and of the nation must see to it that necessary provision is made to train teachers who are to teach the youth of the nation.

It is because we realize the importance of the work that we are striving to carry on in a big way in this time of nation and world-wide depression, he said further, and that is why we are running the summer school. The success of the summer school will depend largely upon the number who attend President Wright said that there had never been a time in the history of the state when East Carolina Teachers College needed the support of the Alumnae so badly. The best advertisement for the institution is those who attended it and go back into the state to be of service.

The college song was then sung by the student body. This old tune brought back memories of happy days when they were under the guidance of the institution to the Alumnae; and there were many whose hearts were so cheered by the old refrain that they could scarcely withhold the tears. The words to the song are beautiful, and the message they bring is the true message of the college. Whenever the song of the Alma Mater is sung, there is a quickening of the pulse, and a soaring of the spirit and this was particularly true on this first home-coming day.

S.J. Everett Delivers Address

Dr. Slay introduced Mr. Everett by saying that he was one of the greatest benefactors of the school. In 1930 Mr. Everett was in the legislature and was largely instrumental in securing an appropriation of $1,025,000 for the school to build the Science Building and the Students Building in which this exercise was held. Mr. Everett is always interested in the school and its activities and is ever anxious to co-operate with the administration officers. The Alumnae was glad to have this man who had done so much to make the campus the place it is talk to them and the study body joined them because they realize more than anyone else just what this appropriation has done for them.

Mr. Everett said in part:

"The eastern section of North Carolina was once thought to be uninhabitable because of malaria.When a cause for the disease and a remedy for it was found, this section of the state became one of the most promising districts in it. Before this time all the educational institutions of the state were in the central part of the state.

William Henry Ragsdale, in whose honor Ragsdale Hall the Teachers Dormitory was named, realized that educational institutions could be established beneficially here; he conceived the idea of establishing a school that would have for its major object the training of teachers to go out into rural communities. Mr. Ragsdale was best acquainted with these rural communities and realized that it was here that the real work in the teaching profession needed to be done best and by the most recent methods so that the children here might have equal chances with the child from the city. Ragsdale was one of the few men of this age who realized the full worth of a child and the greater possibilities and the sacred right to them that the child would have who had the advantages of a higher and better training in the rudiments of education.

Governor Thomas Jordan Jarvis was a great advocate of this scheme of Ragsdale. Through his influence the work of Ragsdale took shape. Ragsdale was the dreamer, Jarvis the diplomat, and Senator James Lawson Fleming was the pleader and the provider.On the campus of East Carolina Teachers College are dormitories named in honor of these men who made the school possibile.

What is the effect of these men's work today. Take the example of man today. It is estimated that during twenty generations man has 1,000,050 ancestors. What is the influence then that this school has weilded in the past years. Each teacher with thirty boys and girls a year for only a few years would cause the rate of illiteracy to be very greatly reduced.

Dr. Lyman Abbott says that the purest blood to be found in our nation can be found here in North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia.Here in Eastern Carolina the blood is purest, and from this district and from those who learn to love the ideas and ideals of this school will come the leading citizens of the future.But they must have the advantages of a higher type of learning than in ages past. To give this training it is the aim of this school whose motto is "To Serve."

East Carolina Teachers College was established at a time when politics was the leading issue of the day.The rule of the carpet bagger was not over, but the people of the state realized that such a school, founded on the principles of honesty, preparedness, promptness and service would be the greatest asset to the teaching world and hence to the professional and non-professional world of any institution that could be designed.Now is another time of financial upheaval, but the principles of these earlier North Carolinian, men in whose memory we have paused for a few minutes in the daily routine to honor, their work shall not perish and North Carolina will grow out of her troubles into a flourishing district again. Because the peak of education has been reached once in our state is no reason why such cannot happen again.

Of all the times to have a day on which to recall those men instrumental in founding the school, this year is the best. It is wise to recall and refreshen the memories of the Alumnae with the message that the college has instilled during the years of your college work.

Mr. Everett's talk was well prepared and well delivered. It was an inspiring message to those girls who have taught and to those girls who plan to go out into the profession in the future.

Following the announcements by Dr. Slay, dinner was served the alumnae, the faculty, the board of trustees and invited guests.Among those present in the Old Dining Hall were:Mr. and Mrs. S.J. Everett, Mr. J.Y. Joyner, Mr and Mrs. F.C. Harding, and daughter Mary, Mrs. J.L. Fleming and Margaret, Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Hobgood, Mrs. C.W. Wilson, Mrs. H.E. Austin and Miss Denny, Mrs. Sam Underwood, Dr. and Mrs. Carr, Mr. and Mrs. Will Hooker, Dr. and Mrs. Pace, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Batchelor, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Ragsdale and members of the local chapter of the ECTC Alumnae in whose hands the planning of this program lay.