Lees McRae College - Ontaroga Yearbook (Banner Elk, NC)

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The Lees-McRae Bluegrass Band and State Champion- ship Cloggers performed during Inauguration Week and The Soldiers' Chorus delighted pre-inaugural audiences. Loyal Jones opened his remarks, I have a warm feeling for the private institutions of the Appalachian region . . . the Appalachian mountains would not be what they are today without these private institutions. Iam extremely glad to be here at Lees-McRae which I know has served a great need here and whose graduates have done great services in Western North Carolina and elsewhere. l' For a long time I have been telling stories, singing old songs, and every once in a while some- one would say, 'You need to go to Lees- McRae'. . . well, I'm finally here. - Marilyn McCredie 16 - Inauguration would be no small advantage if every college were thus located at the base of a mountain . . . Some will remember, no doubt, not only that they went to the college, but that they went to the mountain. - Henry David Thoreau The Lees-McRae Chorus and Avery County Chorale combined on this auspicious occasion to perform in celebration of the inauguration of Cram as the I pi., vi 1 A special program, Appalachia: A Festival of Words and Music, was presented as a special event in the celebration of the inauguration of Dr. Bradford L. Crain. The program was held in Hayes Auditorium and featured Loyal Jones and Marilyn McMinn McCredie. Jones, a native of Western North Carolina, is currently the Director of the Berea Col- lege Appalachian Studies and organizes an annual Celebration of Traditional Music. He has written frequently on Appalachian culture, values, religion, humor, and music. His most recent publication is Minstrel of the Appalachians: The Story of Bascom Lamar Lunsford. McCredie is a folklorist, teacher and pro- fessional storyteller, and a native of Hender- son County, North Carolina. She teaches a course she calls Western North Carolina Folk History at Henderson County's Blue Ridge Technical College. Also in celebration of the inauguration were featured programs such as a craft show and the premier showing of Hugh Morton's latest film, Richard Evans Younger, Wild- life Artist - The Black Bear. Morton also made available his film, Americas Scottish Highland Games at Grandfather. Morton, who is a member of the Lees-McRae College Board of Advisors, is an outstanding and noted photojournalist and is the producer of three award-winning motion pictures: Masters of Hang Gliding, The Hawk and John McNeely, and America 's Scottish High- land Games at Grandfather. Morton also introduced Terry Sanford on the evening before the inauguration of President Crain, and the former Governor of North Carolina and past President of Duke University delivered a pre-inaugural address to a capacity audience in Hayes Auditorium. James flick, Garland, Chair- man of the Board of Trusteesf extended a welcome to Sanford and the audience.

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U. S. Army Field Band and Soldiers' Chorus Launches Inauguration QT Major Frank G. Dubuy, Director of the Soldiers' Chorus, poses with Dr. Bradford L. Crain, Lees-McRae President, during inaugural week activities. The United States Army Field Band delighted an overflow audience in Williams Gymnasium as the opening performance for the weekis inauguration activities at Lees- McRae College. The Field Band is composed of the Army's finest soldier-musicians. Many have studied in the country's leading conservatories and schools of musicg many have performed with major symphonies and leading dance orchestras before entering the service. The band's concert repertoire appeals to all audiences, offering classical, semi-classical, and popular selections, choral arrangements, novelty numbers and military marches. The program .was a stirring mix- ture that helped all those in attend- ance to reflect not only on the per- formance but on what it means to be an American. Following a patriotic prologue and several classi- cal renditions, the Soldiers' Chorus introduced several songs from My Fair Lady, and the program con- cluded with a stirring rendition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the patriotic march - Stars and Stripes Forever. The last of three standing ovations for the band brought the group back for an encore of When the Saints Go Marching Inf, The Soldiers' Chorus, an integral part of the band, performed at an 1.1200 a.m. Tuesday concert in Hayes Auditorium. With Dr. Crain's interest in literature it was appropos that the group presented three madrigals with text by William Shakespeare and two selections from Frostiana: A Girl's Garden and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening from texts by Robert Frost. Selections from The Barber of Seville were presented and the pro- gram's tone changed with a spiritual entitled Ain't Got Time to Dief' featuring tenor Sergeant First Class Jonathan E. Brown. A salute to Duke Ellington was made in the arrangement offered of the haunt- ing classic Mood Indigo. The Chorus concluded its program with the light, top-tapping, finger- snapping rendition of Save the Bones for Henry Jones. 'Sf fellow faculty member at Lees-McRae and as the son-in-law of a woman who attended fthe then Lees-McRaeJ high school and later the college and a man who was in charge of the college's business affairs for many years . . . I speak as a friend of the com- munity and the region . . . and, of course,I speak as a friend of Dr. Bradford Crain, distinguished graduate of Berea College, humanist, teacher, scholar, and academic leader whose many distinguished qualities have led him to his present achievement. I might say that while Berea cannot take credit forpall of Dr. Crain's fine qualities, many Bereans' are pleased that they might have had some small part in nurturing the excellence they could see in him early. Bereans are pleased that Brad Crain has taken the leadership of a college which has so many parallels with our own: a strong sense of Christian mission, a history of edu- cational service to the Appalachian region, a faithfulness to the past which still allows it to embrace an altered future. Dr. Stephenson continued, This institu- tion has seen almost epochal changes during its lifetime. The boarding school which was the foundation for the establishment of the college was here before Avery County was created. In the early days before the founding, good education in this area was not readily available . . . yet there were un- daunted souls who were challenged by what they found here . . . Edgar Tufts was one of these. He set aglow a sacred flame by building a church and a school . . . change continue strong in this high place. Inauguration - 15

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- , -'rd' : ,' f---gr if. ff S, Dr. Brad Crain introduced the U. S. Army Field Band to an overflow capacity crowd in Williams Gym. The Lees- McRae Highlanders and Choir made numerous appear- ances during Inauguration Week. A special program by the Sidewalk Dance Theatre gave theatrical concerts for the public and Lees-McRae students. Terry Sanford launched the inauguration activities with a pre-inaugural address. Faculty and students enjoyed a picnic on the campus sharing the meal with members of the community and honored guests of the inauguration. Dianne Hinson, John Wilson and Grace Woody at registration. Dr. Crain chats with Trustee Chairman Jick Garland and wife, Bet- sy, at the inaugural dinner. 1 'X Nm, K K F Jeff i ft Xa: s if , K, 'IAQW .K Q x f , X 'sm WH., 1 , S S X E 1 l 'Q N .