Morgan State University - Promethean Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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THE SPENCERIAN 1937 spring of 1934, with Mr. Randolph Edmonds’ “Nat Turner.” At that time Mr. Edmonds was the head of the English department and the director of the Morgan Players. In the spring of 1936, Morgan was host to the N.I.D.A. Tournament. At that time our class president, Mr. Byrd, was also president of the Morgan Players. In this year’s “theatre season,” beauteous “Herm” Reckling has had a conspicuous place. And little Ollie Saxon won a trip to the tournament this spring along with Hermione, because she, too, has a place in the art. Incidentally, Miss Saxon forsook St. Augustine to join our troop in ’35. We think she made a most excellent choice. It was in the year 1933 that Founder’s Day became a red letter day on the campus. The following year the Governor of Maryland, Hon. Harry W. Nice, was among the addressees. Speaking of men in the public eye brings others to our mind. During our history-making quarter-of-years, the Chapel has been hallowed three other times: twice by the Dr. E. Stanley Jones of India, and once by Kagawa of Japan. Those were the times when everyone went to Chapel. With the entrance of the Class of 1937 there began an organization which never reached the heights it intended to reach. It belongs in our history because it has left its impression upon the hearts of many of us. This was Delta Chi, which meant “developing culture.” Among its members ’37 had Corinda Stewart, Hermione Reckling, Herbert Hardin, Lola Allen, Beatrice Hayes, Blanche Bourne, Wilbur Jordan, David Henderson, Arthur Barrow, and Joel Ferguson. Delta Chi was the first sponsor of a May Day Festival on the campus. The nucleus of a stadium began almost three years ago. If a nucleus is present one may be sure that it is a sign of life. Conditions were also favorable for its growth. With such two factors, a nucleus and conditions favoring growth, it can only be natural to see growth as the outcome. Growth has been the outcome of the early dream of a stadium. We will not be here to see it in its final stages, but we have been here long enough to see a tiny spark of life grow to near maturity. The begin- ning of a stadium and the cutting down of some of the old trees are not the only physical improvements made on the campus. When we first came to the campus Washington Hall was a vacant, decaying building that seemed only a dwelling for ghosts. Today it is a bright and shining Music Hall. There, voices blend and chords ring out where once were only dirt, cobwebs, and dusty books. There is also a practice apartment on the campus this year. It is for the home economics majors. The apartment is within the portals of the senior women’s home—Young Hall. The final physical improvement is that of the Morgan College Alumni Gate. The gates stands at the entrance to the institution. It is in its infancy, being just about a year old. It was our privilege to see it born. It will be our privilege to see it grow’. In 1926 Morgan was glorified by the publication of “Em See,” the year-book of the Class of 1926. Since that time no other such book had appeared on the scene until the class of 1937 undertook the ambitious task of publishing one. Longing to end the years with a tribute to the memory of our President, Dr. Spencer, we conceived the idea of dedicating a year book to him. Having gone through the usual trials of such an endeavor, the class is able to realize its dream. After a period of eleven years another year book is published by a class of Morgan. Clarence Wigfall, assisted by Lola Allen and George Moore, was editor of the publication. Wigfall, who hails from Augusta, Georgia, joined our forces in 1935. The re-organization of a Pan-Hellenic Council has been most successful this year. In the year 1936 another council was given life again—the Student Council. The success of it has not been so marked. Members of the class had prominent parts to play in both organizations, however. With all the joys we’ve had at Morgan, we’ve had sorrows, too. In 1934, one of our classmates, Alice Ballard, was claimed by death. We felt sincere sorrow at her passing. Sadness touched us again in the spring of 1935 when we suffered the loss 28

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---THE SPENCERIAN 1937 History of the Class of 1937 It is my privilege to view in retrospect those events which made up the activities of the Class of 1937. Let us glance through the class roll. As the eyes wander over names, names, and more names, events pop into the mind—events which bring back crowds of memories surging into our consciousness and making us poignantly aware that we can only look back and not step back. Since we must ever step forward, we now take the time to look back and review those things which form our history. Each name reminds us that our history must be made up of the accomplishments of the individual. To touch each one would be impossible, but we can remark upon those persons and the connected events which mark the milestones of our way. It was September in the year 1933. With fluttering hearts, happy hearts, full of anticipation and eagerness, droves of green freshmen signed the cards which registered them as students of Morgan College. Freshman Week was full. Examinations of our proficiency in English and examinations to determine I.Q.’s so that all morons might be eliminated, formed our greatest worries. Right at the beginning, the dog house—Woolford Hall—found groups of us worrying about those old examinations way into the wee sma’ hours. Bea Hayes always had the two beds in her one room full of girls in those first nights. They started with the discussion of nouns, verbs, and adjectives and ended with discusions of men and life—or whatever it is freshmen discuss. Those early days did not consist of examinations only. We had lectures, tea, dances, tours, and all those activities which mean so much to a freshman during his weeks of adjustment. In 1933 Morgan was “tops” in football. And don't you think the class of ’37 didn’t help to contribute to some of the glory! There was “Wild Bill” Simpson who, right at the beginning, made a name for himself in football. Then, Troupe is never to he forgotten. Perhaps he did not begin with us, hut he does end with us. So we may claim some of the stardust which falls from the halo of athletic glory around his head. Mosby, that great, tall youngster from Lynchburg, did something other than sing. Fie played football, too. We have watched, since 1933, our coaches build a team. In 1936 we learned how it feels to lose the C.I.A.A. Championship in football. Yet we have always watched a team which has yet to be defeated. In the making of our histor;', our members have aided in the making of football history. However, football is not all in which Morgan has been interested. Through the years we’ve watched basketball games and track events. In the minor sport events we have the name of Warren Weaver, a tennis star. The Intramurals brought forth talent we had not dreamed of, particularly among the women. Corinda Stewart and Beatrice Hayes even have bright orange numerals which boldly tell that they are of ’37. Incidentally, Lola Allen was Student Director of the Intramurals for the year 1934-35. Still among our minor sports, we have seen golf gradually become a bit of a craze. Herb Hardin—who joined our numbers in ’34 as a Sophomore— likes to swing a wicked golf club, along with Mosby and Troupe. In those early years of 1934 and 1935, Morgan had a class known as Mid-year Freshmen. Such a class no longer exists. Elvera Nickens has shown us that such students can finish in three and one-half years. Life is made up of a continuous stream of in-flows and out-flows. So, too, is made up our class. In a streaming out-flow went Ruth Cummings, Esther Young, and Elizabeth “Reds” Roberts. We hear “Reds” is somewhere doing her beloved nursing. Richard Blackwell has responded to the call of the post-office. Do you remember that tall fellow from Tulsa, Oklahoma—Joel Ferguson? He used to loom in the dramatic productions. There, too, lay another interest of ?37’s dramatics. Remembering our interest in dramatics reminds us that it was in our Freshman year that Morgan won the N.I.D.A. Tournament. The tournament was won in the 27

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— THE SPENCERIAN 1937 of Louise Whitlock. They, as the years, cannot return again. Yet, we need no history to make us remember them. They remain in our hearts. Individuals have stood out in the past four years. Should an accounting for such be needed, it may lie in the fact that the opportunity for mass action is not so great as that for individual. Nevertheless, the class has stood together when it was necessary to do so. In the Junior year of this class the time naturally presented itself when mass action was needed. That was during Senior Week. The Juniors entertained the Seniors with one of the grandest of Junior-Senior proms—so we were told. On Commencement Day the Seniors were preceded by a Junior procession. This event of the Commencemnt of 1936 was due to the inspiration of Professor Calloway. It was something new in the history of Morgan College and its junior classes. Very often there has been a complaint of nothing to do, particularly over the week-ends and particularly among the campus dwellers. Yet, as one looks into the past and memories of past events surge forward, there seems to have been very few moments when one could not have found something to do. There were always classes to prepare for if nothing more. And we've managed to keep a fair percentage of our members on the Honor Roll. Pi Lambda Psi, the honor society of the college, admitted three members of this class into its folds. They were Corinda Stewart, Blanche Bourne, and George Moore. Life moves onward, carrying us with it. Our years here are ended. Our history is made. This account is only a glimpse of what our life has been and of what our accomplishments have been. Untold events are in our memory. None are less vivid in memory for the telling or for the not telling. Our social pleasures have not been so limited. We’ve had teas, conferences, discussions, lectures, dancing, and literary programs. Most recently amateur programs have become quite a fad. Rounds of gaiety, rounds of sobriety, rounds of play and work, and a great round of four enjoyable years make up the circuit of years beginning with 1933 and ending with 1937. I. Blanche Bourne 29