State Normal High School - Normal Light Yearbook (Elizabeth City, NC)

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1926 THE NORMAL LIGHT' 45 Class History History of any kind is interesting because it satisfies man's instinct of curiosity. We, the Class of 1926, wish to give to you the history of our activities and accomplishments during our stay at State Normal. By it we hope to satisfy your curiosity, to inform you concerning 100 per cent State Normals, to give you glimpses of our past road over which we hope you will tread with greater ease and comfort. It is frequently stated that class histories repeat themselves, but this statement is not altogether supported by facts. As I search the rec- ords for the history of the Class of '26, I find that in many respects our ex- periences ha.ve been different from those of our predecessors. My task is to help you recall many things that have happened, which in the busy world of affairs, one is more or less likely to forget. The Class of 1926 was organized in September 1921 with 23 members, representing four states. From the first our boys took an active part in the athletics of the school. We also had a number to distinguish them- selves in scholarship, namely: Raymond Purnell, Norman Parker, Lester Spellman, and Louise Smithwick. Manly Royal, 'Owen Thompson, Ralph Hill, and the Parker brothers gained special honors in football. Rev. J. T. Doles was our class father during this first year of high school, and a very excellent guide did he make. On May 25, we bade our classmates adieu until September when we would take our places as Sophomores. September 12, found many of us again at State Normal. Some of our beloved classmates failed to return, but a number of new students kept us from feeling too lonesome. We were not successful in getting our former class adviser, but we were fortunate in securing as his successor, Miss L. D. Quarles, who proved to be a very considerate and capable class mother. We began this year with a determination to do much better than we had in the preceding year. We had in our midst as many good scholars as before and several more made good reports the first quarter. Many of our boys and girls were very active in musical affairs, the talents of whom still stand out in the choir and quartet. Those among us so noted are Willie Hurdle, Katherine Grandy, and Manly Royal. Friends, we do not present these attainments merely to show you what we have done. That, fortunately, has never been our policy. What we have done or what we have not done is of no great consequence now. What is finished is finished. We realize the thing which will remain longest in the minds of the teachers is not what we did, but how we did it. We know we are not the best class which State Normal has produced, we have not set records which cannot be equaled, neither have we been especially com- plimented for our brilliancy, but we know that the recognition we have gained has come to us because people have seen that we are a conscientious, hard-working group who are not merely seeking a place in the limelight. On September 13, 1924, we met as Juniors, a class of eighty-nine. Our first official act was to elect Norman Parker president. Once again we succeeded in getting Rev. Doles as our class father, one who has proven himself worthy and capable of leading us on to victory. We were begin- ning to realize what it meant to be Juniors. Class spirit became strong among us as we began to see that our thoughts and aims should be one. During this year there was need for someone to represent the school in the State Interscholastic Debating Contest. Raymond Purnell, an hon-

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