Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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Nora Blanding Fraser 18824927 , ' Xora I ' llanilinj; P laser, eldest daugh- ler of Dr. and Mrs. A. M. Fraser. was horn near Le.xing ton. Kentucky. April 21. 1882. When she was eleven ears old her family moved to Staunton, where her father has been, since ' that lime the beloved pastor of the I ' lrst I ' resbyterian Church and is now Pres- ident of Mary Baldwin College. Three days after arriving in Staun- ton on March 13, 1893, Nora entered Augusta Female Seminary (now Mary Baldwin College) and remained there as a student imtil her graduation, in May. 1901. This was the fulfillment of ;i cherished dream of her parents, as the} ' had remarked before they even thought of moving to Staunton, that they would rather have their daugh- ter educated in this school than in any other of which they knew. After graduating, Nora spent an- other year here, specializing in Latin, and then taught for three years at the Chatham Episcopal Institute. She entered Cornell University in 190. , where in two years she received the A. B. degree, remaining one year longer for graduate worlv. It was here that she became a member of the Phi I ' eta Kappa Fraternity. In September. 19f)8. she accepted a position at Sweet Briar College, where she was, in reality, the head of the Patin Department for nine years. Then came a period of ill health which interrupted her work for almost two ears. When the Chair of History at Mary Baldwin Seminary was left vacant, in April. 1919. by the resignation of Aliss Martha Riddle slie was elected to fill this position, and continued to teach history here for more th;ni six years -until within three weeks of her death on January 4. 1927. .She was splendidly equipped as a teacher, and put her whole energy ;uid strength into her profession. Pieing exceedingl}- conscientious she was fair and impartial, and her pupils were always sure of her sympathy and encouragement, when the} ' had made an honest effort. She was devoted t(j her home, her friends. and her church, but her best effurts were gi en to Mar ' Baldwin, to which she was devotedl} ' Icjyal. She was a beautiful Christian character. Th(jugh frail in body she was strong in soul. Those who knew her best loved and admired her most for there was a quiet reserve and gentle dignity in her bearing, beyond which il was necessary to i enetrate in order to realize fully the pure gold of her life. There are problems and testings in all of our lives. Hers was no exce])tion. but she carried on valiantlx ' . and her bright smile lingers with us as , ' i very happy memorx ' . — Eli. K.N C. Bkow.N. ' ' )4. ! Page Tweiily-si.r

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:G tfi have general control oi the school, and Mr. King was elected liusiness Man- ager. Following Mr. Waddell ' s history to 1905, at which date these annals close, we find constant reference to Miss Weimar ' s successful management, but there are things in the life of a F ' rincipal of a boarding school which no historian can recount. Hers were long, weary days of hard work, continued activity, both mental and physical, and sleepless nights of anxiety, the constant reconciling of opposing elements, and the ever-pressing and earnest desire for the advance- ment of each individual student, and for the honored position of the school at large. Miss Weimar was most considerate of her teachers, and was ever readv to assist them, and would often at great sacrifice to her own personal comfort find ways to promote their interests. She continued in the office of Principal of Mary Baldwin Seminary until she resigned in January, 1916. Miss Marianna P. Hig- gins was elected by the Board of Trustees May 1, 1916, to succeed her. Following her position as assistant Principal from 1889 to 1897, Miss Weimar ' s administration as Principal of Mary Baldwin .Seminary continued from 1898 to 1916. The plant was enlarged, and many buildings erected during this period. The course of study was broadened and the organization strengthened. Just before she retired the Seminary was recognized by the Virginia State Board of Education as a Junior College. Her deep devotion to the .Seminary and to its success, her unfaltering loyalty to it. her ambition for the advancement of the school, her strict adherence to duty, her grim determination to abolish evil if it existed and to substitute good, her sincere scholarship, her ability as a leader, all combined to make her administration result in a marked development of the Semi- nary. Miss Weimar ' s interest in the old girls and her pride in their success and achievements and her distress at any failure of theirs continued to the end of her life. She was frecjuently heard to say, There is something different about the Mary Baldwin girls. After Miss Weimar retired, she returned to her own home, Green View, near Warrenton, Virginia, and there she lived quieth- until the end came December 28, 1926. She was the earnest student as well as teacher to the end. Some one who was close to her during her last years sa}s, I have known no one of her age so free from narrowness, so eager to grasp new ideas when beneficial and to apply them. She was keenly intere.sted in public afl airs with a progressive outlook on the rapidly changing history of the nations. She was particularly fond of History and Biography. Woodrow Wilson had no more earnest follower and admirer than Miss Weimar. She was a member of the Pres- byterian Church at Warrenton, Virginia, and she was always most conscientious in the discharge of all cliurch duties. When a complete Histor - of Mary Baldwin .Seminary is compiled, Miss Weimar ' s name will hold an honored place on the roll of those who have con- tributed so ];irgel - to the rich heritage of ] larv Baldwin College. — Makjanna p. ITir.cixs. Page Twenty- five

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