Agnes Scott College - Silhouette Yearbook (Decatur, GA)

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FACULTY Notebooks pile high around Mrs. Sydenstricker in May. B I B L The Bible Department helps add religious em- phasis to the curriculum and also to the outside activities on the campus, especially through the work of the Bible Club, which is sponsored by Mrs. Alma Sydenstricker and Mr. James T. Gillespie, members of the department. They have been influential in bringing several good authori- ties on religious questions to the college as guests of Bible Club, whose lectures are open to the entire college community. Mrs. Sydenstricker, who leads the department, is recognized as a leader in spiritual activities and she is frequently asked to speak at various functions in Atlanta and Decatur. She spends a large part of her summer vacations at Chautauqua, N. Y., where she is Vice-President of the Woman ' s Club, and where she studies music and art to the benefit of her classes here. She teaches the Woman ' s Bible Class in Decatur. Mrs. Sydenstricker has a scholarly interest in ancient languages and traditions, having gone so far as to do some archae- ological research in the Holy Land. She taught history before coming to Agnes Scott. She tries to have personal contact with her students by inviting them to tea at her home near the college, and by interviewing each one individually. Mr. Gillespie is not only a teacher but also a preacher. He conducts regular services during the summer in North Carolina, his native state; and, speaking of the Tar Heel State, he has a devoted love for it, especially for its mountains. He keeps a stock of funny stories about these mountains which he loves to tell while chatting with a bunch of girls from there. He spent a great deal of time this year seeing that the plans for his new white house on South Candler Street were carried out correctly. Now that it has been completed he can often be seen taking his black Scottie dog out for an airing. His class lectures are carefully planned, following closely an organized syllabus. The Old Testament by Gil

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Uppe Shake r; Tim speare e out bet . . . Below conferen who constantly seek her advice matters even beyond the scope of English themes. Miss Ellen Douglas Ley- burn spends a great deal of her time this year in her new home, which was built only recently. Gardening and looking after her dog, Caroline, occupy many of her leisure moments. Perhaps it was while Miss Leyburn was a student at Agnes Scott that she began to develop the analytical and syste- matic mind for which she is so well known. The freshmen have learned much about writing themes from the de- partment ' s new member, Miss Thelma Allbright, who taught formerly at Queens ' Chicora. Her talents also extend to the realm of palmistry; if you ask her to read your palm she will entertain you with her magic knowledge and with her wit, which, upon all occasions, has already en- deared her to the campus. While in college she majored in American Lit- erature and later received her Master ' s degree in it at Duke University. The Spoken English Department is headed by Miss Frances K. Gooch, who once gave private lessons to Madame Chiang Kai-Shek at Wesleyan. Miss Gooch was formerly president of the Southern Association of Teach- ers of Speech and still attends its conventions. Her favorite actor is Basil Rathbone. % luun unwnm The English Department boasts of giving a larger number of majors than any other department on the campus. Its members undoubtedly play a large part in making it so attractive. Mr. George P. Hayes, who heads the department, spends a great deal of his spare time on the tennis courts. His love of exercise often leads him into the woods on long walks. Debating claims his attention too; he was very pleased about his trip to Chattanooga this spring, where he attended the debate convention and tournament. He is an ardent lover of classical music and is a frequenter of the music room in Main. Miss Emma May Laney keeps up with Mr. Hayes in playing tennis, and this fall she tried her hand at golf, joining a beginners ' class. Her well-planned lectures and her habit of being strongly intent on whatever she does, combined with a genuine love for her subject, make her an inspiring teacher. As advisor to the Lecture Association, she has been active in bringing many good lecturers to the campus. Miss Janee Preston ' s talent for writing poetry is evident from the fact that she has had several of her poems published in the Atlanta Ar.ijosy, an anthology of works by Atlanta poets. In them she shows her appreciative love of nature. Miss Annie May Christie keeps busy doing research work on a Southern writer. Her sympathy and ability to understand other people ' s problems make her very popular, especially among the freshmen. This year has brought Miss Robirta Winter back to the campus to assist Miss Gooch in teaching Spoken Eng- lish. During her years as a student at Agnes Scott, she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and of Hoasc, the fore- runner of Mortar Board. She is known now as the author of Bridal Chorus, which has won recognition in the the- itrical world, and of most of the scripts for the Agnes Scott radio programs this year. She tells us that she always played men ' s roles in the Blackfriars plays.

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F I I l ] It T N In spite of the fact that Agnes Scott does not offer .1 ni.ijor in any of the fine arts, it boasts of a well-trained faculty in both music and art, and serves to offer every student that last bit of culture that goes toward making her a well-rounded personality. Mr. Lewis Johnson, as Voice Professor, is a favorite among Agnes Scott girls, at least partly because of the delightful programs that he conducts. These include the annual operetta presented by the Glee Club and public concerts by the Special Chorus. Something else that accounts for his popularity is his own genuine interest in young people and his love of good times, including dancing. He spends week-ends with his family at his farm, which is complete with horses, cows and everything that belongs in a barnyard. Miss Evelyn Wall, with all her capability as accompanist and her good voice, is Mr. Johnson ' s Girl Friday. Mr. Christian W. Dieckmann is an enthusiastic lover of the piano and organ. Besides studying, playing, and teaching music, he also writes it. He composes the arrangements of the String Ensemble, of which he is the director, and he has had several of his selections published. Part of his private life is taken up by escorting his young daughter, Adele, to wild western movies and listening to mystery stories over the radio. Mr. Dieckmann is assisted in instructing piano by Miss Eda Bartholomew who performs for the public in joint recitals with him. Miss Lewis, having an artistic soul, rarely fails to transfer her love for art to those whom she teaches. She knows theory and history of art, and she is a master of it in actual painting, sketching, and draw- ing. She maintains a sort of quiet dignity in the class- room that results in an effective presentation of her material. Her part in furthering interest in art on the campus is no small one; in the spring she exhibits some of her own work with that of her students in the museum room of the library. She has also helped to make Pen and Brush an actual organization. She loves traveling, and has done quite a good deal of it. Ready, Miss Wall?