An East Carolina Memoir
Article by Henry Oglesby, first male graduate of East Carolina Teachers College and a trustee. Citation for article:Oglesby, Henry. "An East Carolina Memoir . . . ," Pieces of Eight, February 15, 1982.
This memoir of ECU's past was written by Henry C. Oglesby of Grifton, who was the first male graduate of East Carolina, when it was known as ECTC.In September, 1930, eleven brave (some say timid) young men entered East Carolina Teachers College (ECTC). There were other men before us but only one or two at the time and mostly for one or two special courses. We were the Co-eds and with 908 girls on campus, there was never a dull moment.
Most of us had been to some other college or university a year or two and some of our teachers told us that "the only reason you are here is because you don't have enough money to go anywhere else." The tuition for us, all day students, was $25 per quarter which included instruction, books and entertainment fee.
A Romantic Place
The only place we had to go when not in class was to the library in the Whichard Building. Needless to say, we did not always go to the library to study, check out a book, or to do research. Over in the corners and in the stacks were the only places we could go to hold a girl's hand or to speak privately to her.Ms. Gray was librarian and Miss Margaret Sammons was assistant librarian. There were several student assistants who helped pass out books and do a little policing in the stacks. You always met "her" at the library. Later on, we found other places.
My senior year we enrolled about 40 boys -- and some over a thousand girls.
The library became more popular and finally we created a problem. The administration decided to give us a room in the (old) Austin Building. This room was known as the Co-ed room. As best I recall, girls were not permitted. This room was purely a loafing room or hang-out. It was difficult to study there and several of us wandered back to the library.
No Parking Problem
We asked for and finally received $500 to start a men's athletic program. We booked 20 basketball games and won 10 and lost 10 games the first season. In spring of 1932, we had our first baseball team at ECTC. Our senior play was presented on February 17 and 18, 1932. Evelyn Wright Sugg took the female lead and I took the male lead. I was the only man in the play. The other male parts were taken by girls dressed as men. The title of our play was The Whole Town's Talking.
In my student days at ECTC, parking was no problem. There was seldom a car on the campus except for our Model T Ford, known as the "White Elephant."
I look back over these fifty odd years and wonder if the students at ECU have as much fun as we did at ECTC.
An East Carolina Memoir
A post-script. In the 1950s, Governor (Luther H.) Hodges appointed me to the Board of Trustees for a period of eight years. At my first meeting, Dr. John D. Messick submitted his resignation and Mr. Herbert Waldrop, chairman of the board, named Mr. Charles Larkins, Mr. Henry Belk and I to serve as selection committee. We were to take "at least 30 days" to report back to the full committee. We recommended Dr. Leo Jenkins and he was elected (president).
