Love at ECU
Memories shared by alumni in celebration of Founders Day 2006. Share your memories with us too.
Eldean Pierce, class of '74, '77 & '79 ~ My husband, Hal Pierce, classes of 1968 and '72, proposed marriage to me when we were sitting on a bench in front of the Old Austin building on campus during his undergraduate years. We have been happily married for 38 years! We returned to Greenville and ECU in the 1970s and earned more degrees, then I taught in the School of Nursing for 30 years (retired in 2004)and he taught at J.H.Rose High School (retired in 2001). ECU is a part of our family!
Carolyn Justice-Hinson '89 ~ I was a student and then a staff member for 7 years. (1990-1997) My memory is my wedding on May 13, 1989. My husband Paul (a 1990 graduate) and I were married at the fountain at Wright Circle. The previous fall, while on a football trip at Virginia Tech we got the
idea and walked up to then chancellor Richard Eakin in the parking lot at VT and asked him if we could! He told us who to contact and we
scheduled the wedding just after graduation and just before students moved back on campus for summer school. Our "rain plan" was the Pirate Club where the reception was held. When we tell people we went to school at ECU, we both worked at ECU and then were married at ECU they know we are Pirates through & through. I have a photo if you are accepting them.
Walter Wilson, '90 ~ My favorite memory was the summer of 1986 when I saw a beautiful young lady by the name of Dejuana Siler walking across campus towards the Library for the very first time. I tell you it was love at first sight.Upon following her to the place of information and watching her for several minutes I decided to make her acqaintance and give her as much info as i could about myself. That day was the beginning of a heart-felt love relationship that lasted not long enough but will be remembered for a life time.
Kristin Sauer Gibson, ' 90 ~ Great things began for me at ECU. My first roommate on the 10th floor of Clement continues to be like family to me. I fell in love with the study and process of Textile Surface Design and Painting, and fondly thank Sara Edmiston and Janet Fisher, (and still refer back to early notebooks filled with swatches and dye recipes), as well as Tran and Marilyn Gordley who were tremendously inspiring and two great souls. The art building itself holds many memories, beginning with the greatest of all-- meeting my husband on the very first day of our first design class. We both noticed each other instantly, John Gibson, even jokingly introducing himself as from my hometown as introductions were made around the room. Our first date was "A Clockwork Orange" at Mendenhall- hard to believe I gave him a second date after that one! But hand in hand, and night after night creating in the art building, or having a Cubbie's, or Chico's food break, we made memories all over campus--that first date came full circle with our joint senior art show held at Mendenhall in December of 1990- his a BFA in Communication Graphic Arts and mine a BFA in Surface Design, complete with sombreros and salsa!
Beverly Kilpatrick Thompson, '72 ~During the fall of my sophomore year, I met a young man and we became friends. For a Christmas gift, he gave me a small bottle of Este Lauder's Youth Dew perfume. I prefer that fragance 37 years later. When I purchase another bottle, I always think of him and the night he gave it to me at the fountain. We have lost contact over the years, but I still remember him.
The most amazing memory of ECU is an event that happened on April 25th 2006. My highschool sweetheart, also an ECU student proposed to me in the foyer of Chancellor Ballard's home. Eleven days later, to our surprise the chancellor officially announced our engagement during the May 6th Graduation ceremony. ~Courtney Maness, '06
Carla Canady, '89 ~ I had four wonderful years at ECU, and met my husband my junior year.
We both worked at Darryl's 1907 on 10th Street, just across from campus. We were married one week after he graduated in July 1991. He
then got his Master's Degree in Education and now teaches here in Pitt County. We have two beautiful children who we hope become Pirate graduates, as well.
Jack McCoy, '79, 81, 2005 ~ While preparing to enter ECU's MBA program in 1980, I met my future
wife at a gathering of friends in Garrett Hall. After a few months of dating we became very close, which led us to a rather clandestine
outing one Sunday morning. While she kept a look out, I carved our initials on a holly tree on campus in big, bold letters. After 25 years
the sight of our initials still brings a pair of mischievous grins whenever we visit campus. The tree is in the green space in front of Garrett Hall. It's not far from the hedges that run along 5th street and just a litte ways from the rock entrance that leads up to Garrett. If you're walking along the green area from direction of Spilman, you'll see the initials as you approach the holly tree.
Todd Sanders, "92" ~ I started dating a beautiful coed named Teresa who was living with her cousin Roberta. We introduced her to my roommate and he started seeing this young lady. I guess youcould say after college we swapped roommates; I married Teresa and my roommate married her sousin and now we are all family (ECU family and by marriage). Three of us are now alumni. Teresa, while a big fan, never completed her degree.
