Wake Forest University - Howler Yearbook (Winston Salem, NC)

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they were expected to add a little color and a little charm and even a light sprinkle of high- heeled sophistication to the 1946-47 organization. The old battered Alumni Building — of pipe smoke and cigar ashes and cigarette butts — suddenly smelled of perfume and swayed with the oratorical voices of co-ed speakers and debaters tuning up for the big opening. In this first meeting of the Wake Forest forensic group, activities were planned with special reference to participation in the N. C. Student Legislative Assembly, to the possibility of local tournaments, and to the Pi Kappa Delta National that took place in April. Our speaking and debating reputation was also boosted by the return of several former members from the service: Bobby Smith and Bynum Shaw, J. D. Davis and Larry Williams, all of whom had had plenty of previous experience in college oratory. And that experience proved to be a big factor in our wins and losses of the year. The first Wednesday in October also saw William G. Smith replacing Ben N. Cole as commander of the Deacon Post No. 312 at a meet- ing of the campus American Legion post. Every veteran on the Wake Forest campus was declared eligible for membership and invited to join the campus post. Thus with new leadership the new Wake Forest Deacon Post of the American Legion got under way in its second semester of existence. During the first week of last October, President Harry S. Truman was made an honorary member of the Philomathesian Literary Society. The pres- ident ' s name was entered on the society rolls along with those of such other dignitaries as Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, James Buchanan, and Wash- ington Irving, all of whom were so affiliated with the society in past years. The letter of acceptance was placed in the archives of the college along with personal letters from the distinguished gentlemen named above. This collection of let- ters is a highly prized possession of the society and the college. The Phi Society didn ' t stop with President Truman — that is, didn ' t stop in their attempts to build their list of honorary members — for it voted to send letters of invitation to such persons of contemporary prominence as Clare Booth Luce, Carl Sandburg, Robert Frost, Winston Churchill, Walter Lippman, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Wright, George A. Buttrick, and Mrs. J. A. Webb. And so. Phi stock soared, or at least it looked impressive. While the President of the United States was being given this singular honor, a significant com- mittee was meeting in the Sky Club of the Smith- Reynolds air terminal in Winston-Salem. It was the committee in charge of planning the new cam- pus for the Wake Forest plant in the Twin City. It was revealed that the architect ' s comprehensive plan for the campus would be presented within the year, and we were told that the move to Winston-Salem would be made within five years. And so the plans for another great Christian educational plant were actively under way. The Wake Forest College literary magazine, The Student, appeared in the P. O. boxes and on the library shelves for the first time in over three years on the Homecoming week-end of the State game. The first issue featured a history of the thirty- four-year-old football rivalry between N. C. State and Wake Forest. Written by Old Gold and Black sports editor, Charlie Giles, the article presented the highlights of games in which a world ' s record kick was made, and police and firemen were called to quell a near riot. Another article featured a distinguished faculty member who was given to the weakness of paint- lii

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The apartments were not furnished for the students and their wives; however, coal-burning space heaters were provided, and a central plant was set up to heat water. And with a shoe string, a chest full of hopes, and a pair of brave hearts, some of the couples moved into their new college homes and began the novel process of mixing education with domesticity. So, the battle of the housing situation was just another challenge to be met and overcome by the determined Wake Forest student body. September brought gridiron glory for the Deacons in their first game of the year as they treked North to win over the Boston College Eagles. It was sweet revenge for the Deacons, who had fallen before the Bostonians in 1941 and 1942. Since the Eagles were regarded as one of the strongest teams that Wake Forest met last fall, the victory overjoyed all of the Baptists ' fans. Red Cockran played his best game of the year that night. The team as a whole played superior early-season ball; the line in particular, about which there had been much speculative doubt, surprised everyone with its stellar performance. No honest Deacon would say that it wasn ' t a surprise — this victory over the powerful Boston College team — well, a sort of a surprise, anyway. But most Deacon students couldn ' t restrain the little glow of I sorta thought it would happen attitude that sparkled in their eyes as they met down at the Soda Shop and up at the bell and over Shorty ' s counter after the final results of the game came in over the radio from Boston. The town was happy in the middle of the night, and the bell was rung until the early hours of the morning. Wake Forest 12, Boston College 6; one down, nine to go. The abrupt termination of these eventful Sep- tember days surprised us into the realization that we had only been here a few short weeks, though we felt that much of our year was already behind us. Many of us were relieved to find that time yet remained to improve a bad beginning, or to make another determined effort toward our Phi Beta Kappa goal. At any rate, the close of the month found everyone digging in with new vigor and ambition. In October, the Pan-Hellenic Council was faced once again with the problem of a rushing season. But rules appropriate to the situation were set up and complied with, and a large number of pledges improved and added new spirit to the ten active fraternities on the campus. Those among our number who like to dance were full of anticipation as the plans for the Cam- pus Social Club ball — or dance, in certain circles — began to take shape around the middle of the first week in October. The dance was set for the night of the Clemson game — and it came off then, successfully, too — under the sponsorship of the four loveliest girls in the freshman class. Lib Hellen, Rushie Marlin, Sue Norton, and Jewell Adams. It was a gala occasion, for Wake Forest ' s own Charlie Morris led his smooth and hot, sweet and low-down twelve-piece band through three and one-half hours of melody for the tapping Wake Forest toes. It was a big crowd — that first Wednesday after- noon in October — a big crowd of seventeen pro- spective debaters and other speakers who turned out for the first meeting of the forensic group in the Alumni Building, under the direction of Pro- fessor A. L. Aycock. Much interest was displayed in the projected activities of the group for the coming year, and the new participants, which included several co- eds, were expected to add strength to last year ' s organization. And if the full truth were known. 17

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ing water tanks during his student days. It seemed essentially appropriate that the story of Shorty Joyner, of hot dog and hamburger fame, should be included in the first appearance of the new Student. Another contribution to the new Student was a monthly opinion page written by Santford Martin and entitled Pen Pan Alley. This first issue of The Student also carried an interesting sports short story by Bill Mcllwain. The discovery of campus writing talent was the objective of the magazine editor. Jesse Glasgow. The Student was designed and published as an outlet for student literary expression and as such its editor welcomed contributions of articles, stories, essays, and poems from Deacon students. From all corners of North Carolina and from distant regions of the South fans came to see their alma mater beat her ancient rival. State College. They came in high spirits, because they were al- most certain of victory. They came early and waited anxiously for the kickoff — the homecom- ing alumni of Wake Forest — and they stood and yelled loudly wh en the ball was booted down the field for the first time on that Saturday after- noon, October 19. They cheered wildly when the Deacons made the first touchdown of the game. The score was 6 to in favor of the Deacons, and the old grads thought the game was in the bag. The truth came when on the first play of the second quarter, Howard Turner of State drifted quietly to his right rear and sent the football sail- ing softly into the hands of end Gibson, who had managed to secure an open place in the end zone, where a caught pass means six points for the passers. The score was Wake Forest 6, State 6. One minute later the same ball drifted end over end through the Deacon goal posts to make the score 7 to 6, State College. The Wolfpack stayed ahead for the rest of the game. Heads and eyes looked into the dust and spoke no words as they left the Wake Forest side of Groves Stadium that afternoon. The bell in Wait Hall was silent, too. It was a lonesome bell with a lonesome rope that had felt the strong hands of freshmen for the three previous week-ends. It had rung long on that Friday night in Septem- ber when the Boston College defeat news had reached the campus; it had rung proudly after the Georgetown game. And it had tolled sympa- thetically for the Clemson College boys as they showered bruised muscles under the warm waters of the Deacon gym. But no one visited it on the afternoon of October 19, 1946. The bell was also supposed to remain silent the following week-end as the Demon Deacons journeyed to Knoxville, Tenn., to challenge the fourth ranking team in the nation — the mighty undefeated Tennessee Volunteers. The Deacs paid little heed to the might of the Vols as our line pushed them all over the field, and the backs ran and passed to three touchdowns, while holding the Tennesseeans to a lone tally. It was the worst defeat for a Neyland coached team at Knoxville in Volunteer record books, and back in Wake Forest the victory-bell sang out to inform the nation of the greatest victory in Deacon history. The month of November came to Wake Forest bringing with it eager anticipation of the football games that would see the Deacons representing Wake Forest against three of our biggest rivals — Carolina, Duke, and South Carolina. But this month was also contemplated with intense dread by those of us who feared the impending deluge of mid-term tests. Anxieties, however, were temporarily staved off while Wake Forest ' s big Deacons warmed up on Friday night, November 1, for their game with Duke by defeating the University of Chattanooga, 32-14, in that Tennessee city. The victory over the Chattanooga Moccasins was Number Five for Wake Forest against one defeat and sent them