North Carolina School for the Deaf - Clock Tower Yearbook (Morganton, NC)

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Waverly Thomas Hood I was born on a farm near Goldsboro on July 27, 1918. When I was a baby, I was very ill. I was sick all summer. While my family were out at work on the farm, my sister nursed me. My family was worried because I was very ill. I almost died but finally recovered. When I got better, my relatives spoke to me again and again, but I did not speak. They found out that my illness had caused me to become deaf. When I was six years old, my family moved to Wilson where Daddy had a position. He wondered where the school for the deaf was, so he went out to talk with the people to find out about it. One of them told him that Gordon Pace, whose father lived in that town, used to go to this school. Daddy met him and talked about sending me to school. He decided to send me here in the fall of 1926. At the age of eight I entered school. I had never seen any deaf children before I got on the train. The signs were strange to me. When I arrived here, I did not know where I was. One of the older boys led me to Goodwin Hall. I was shy and afraid of the children there, but after awhile I was all right. I made many friends and played with them. The next morning after I came, Miss Joiner, our principal, put me in the preparatory class. Miss Katherine Walton was my first teacher. Our class consisted of ten pupils, six boys and rour girls. One of the boys looked like me. Many teachers mistook Walter Diggs for me and scmetimes me for Walter. Carrie Morgan and I have been classmates all the years and we have been promoted regularly for twelve years. When I was transferred to Main Building, I was eager to play games and take exercises to keep my bedy in good condition. My favorite sports are football and swimming. I have been playing football for three years. I have been learning carpentry and have worked in the carpenter shop for four years. I have learned a great deal under Mr. Smith who has been my instructor. My ambition is to get a position in the hosiery mill at my home when I am through school. Carrie Mae Morgan It was in a little green and white house on a farm in Penrose, North Carolina on March 20, 1919 that I was born to deaf parents. When I was in my third year, I lost my hearing from an attack of influenza. My father being a farmer, I spent most of my life in the country. I have a hearing sister older than I and a younger brother who can hear. I can very well remember when I first came here. I wore a red silk dress and a blue hat. My mother had attended this school and she had explained to me all about the school so I did not feel bad about coming although many of the new children cried and cried. The next morning after my arrival, I was put in Miss Katherine Walton’s class. Of this class Waverly Hood and I are the only ones who will graduate together. I enjoyed school and my stay at Goodwin Hall and have many precious memories, which I treasure, of my life there. When I first came to Main Building, Miss Kate Walton was our matron. I was a mis- chievous girl and most of my escapades ended up in standing in the corner or a spanking with a hairbrush. Nevertheless I liked Miss Walton and tried harder to do right. Best of all, I was glad to have Miss Katherine Walton teach me again. She taught me three years. Of all the sports, I have enjoyed swimming, basketball and hiking most. I like tennis also. Reading and collecting articles for scrapbooks are my hobbies. I am fond of sewing and cooking. My chief aim in life is, of course, like any other girl’s, to have a nice home. I know that as I graduate, I am facing a very hard world and hope that I shall be able to earn my bread and butter and not be dependent on any one.

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Class Autobiographies q aie Ermine Mary Stanley I was born early one Monday morning in the spring of 1917. The day was the second of April, only four days before the United States entered the World War. The place was New Smyrna, Florida, a pretty town on the extreme east coast of the state about fifteen miles south of the well- known Daytona Beach. It was there that I spent my early childhood. How well I remember the orange trees, bend- ing down with golden fruit, the gray Spanish moss hanging from the oak trees, the sweet-smelling magnolias, the stately palms, and at Christmas, the beautiful poinsettias that grew far above my head. Most of all I remember my old home, the sea-shell school building and the little brown brick church where I enjoyed going on Sunday mornings. My father and mother were both North Carolinians and when I was in the fourth grade my family moved back to North Carolina. We had moved once before, but this time we were to make the O.d North State our permanent home. I started my fifth year of school at White- ville, where my home is at present. I successfully completed my grade and was promoted to the sixth. I felt very proud because I thought I would have only two more years in grammar school. But then, I did not know what the near future would bring. A little more than two months later, the first of July, I was taken seriously ill and carried to the James Walker Hospital, in Wilmington where I underwent several operations. In the fall of that year, as a result of my sickness, I lost my hearing. Attempts were made to restore it, but all failed. I was in bad health for several years. Knowing that I was deaf, I knew that I could not attend public school again. Mother and Father had heard of the School for the Deaf at Morganton and since I wanted to go to school, they decided to let me come here, so after missing six years of school I started again and in such a different place. At first I thoroughly disliked it and wanted to go back home. Seeing the girls signing, made me feel like a foreigner in some distant land. This feeling soon left me, for I found that the girls could talk to me and understand what I said. After being with them a few weeks, I felt like one of them. This is my fourth year here and not a day have I regretted that I came. I think that I have been greatly benefitted by coming as have many others who came before me and as will be many others who come when I am gone. A great deal of credit, I think, should go to the teachers for nowhere have I seen teachers who were so interested in their pupils and so willing to help them. I think that we were very lucky to have Dr. Goodwin for our superintendent so long and lucky again to have his son-in-law, Dr. Rankir succeed him. Dr. Goodwin’s life work was teach- ing and helping the deaf and as a result of his work many a deaf person’s life has been made brighter and more useful than it otherwise would have been. When I leave school I expect to be a dress- maker or take up beauty culture.

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Grover Woodrow Fordham I was born in Kinston in Lenoir County, on December 27,1916. I am partially deaf and my deafness was caused by an attack of influenza when I was two years old. I have a deaf brother younger than I whose deafness came from the same disease as mine. I had been to the public school before I came to this school but learned very little on account of my deafness. I came to Goodwin Hall in the fall of 1929. Mrs. Howell was my first teacher. At that time our class was in a small room at Goodwin Hall, then after Christmas, we were moved to the new school building which is now called East Hall. The next year I was put in the second grade and Miss Hicks was my teacher and taught reading, writing and language drill. We learned fast while she was our teacher. After that I stayed at home for a year attending the public school again. I did very well with some of my subjects but could not learn others on account of my hearing so I had to come back to this school again in the fall. I was transferred to Main Building and put into Mrs. Francis Davis’ class, the fourth grade. Since then I have attended school regularly. When I came to Main Building, I began my vocational work in the carpenter shop and later in the tailor shop in which I am still working. When I was promoted to the eighth grade, Mr. Alexander was my first man teacher and he was very good as a teacher of arithmetic. Carrie Morgan, Nelda Rozzelle, Waverly Hood and Paul Crutchfield have been my classmates since then. I was a Boy Scout for several years. I have hiked to Table Rock twice and also have been to other mountain peaks, Swimming, playing football and baseball are my favorite sports. When I leave here, I hope to get a position in a tailor shop in my home town. Edgar George Newnam I was born near Ruffin, Rockingham County on August 6, 1918. I was born totally deaf. The cause of my deafness is unkown. I have an older brother who is deaf. He attended this school several years ago. When I was almost three years old, my family moved to Pelham where I still live. I have been living on a farm all my life. After I spent three years at Goodwin Hall, I was promoted to Main Building. I was interested in many useful things. I joined the Boy Scouts when I was thirteen years old. I often went on hikes with the Scouts. I was a Scout for about two years. During my first year in the trades depart- ment, I worked in the Manual Arts class under Mr. Hawkins. At first I was interested in wood- working and designing. Later I did not get along well with my work so I was put in the tailor shop. I have worked there for six years. I have enjoyed all kinds of sports. I played football on the first team for three years. Sports have helped me grow strong and well. I remember that I spent the day visiting here before I entered school in the fall of 1925. From the first year I liked the place very much and there were so many boys to pay with that I was not lonesome when my family left me. When I was in Goodwin Hall, I often went to swim in our school pool. I learned to swim very we.l and still enjoy swimming. I have come to school regularly every year. I was put into this class last year. The class was then composed of four boys and two girls but this year another girl was put in our class. I am grateful that my family sent me here. If they hadn’t sent me, I would have grown up in ignorance. I am thankful that I can work as well as hearing people can. I shall never forget what the school has done for me and hope to be successful in my work as a tailor.