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Page 13 text:
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Kemp Plummer Battle, LLD. WE are glad to dedicate this number of our annual to Kemp Pluminer Battle, LL.D., Alumni Professor of History, and former President of the University of North Carolina. Dr. Battle was born in Franklin County, N ' orth Carolina, Decoud er 19, 1S31. His father, William Il.n-u liiittle, nf the class of IS O. a lircat- grandson of Elisba Battle of the Cnustitutional Convention of ITTU, was fur years a Supreme Court Judge of tlie Stat . His mother, Lucy lartiu I ' lum- mer, a grand-daughter of Colonel Nicholas Long of Kevcilutinnarv fame, was a daughter of Kemp Pluuuncr, State Senator from Warren Cnuuty. wlm was known as The honest lawyer. He entered the University in 184.5 ami graduated four years latter at the age of seventeen. Tlie ])rizc nratinu, tlic Valedictory address, was drawn for by the three first honor men (d ' the class, and l r. Battle was the successful one of those who drew for this coveted ]irizc. In bis senior year, as PresidenI nf the Dialectic Society, ho, in cuiiiiiauy with Hon. James Mebane, first President cd ' the Society and ex-Speaker of the House of Connmius, ]iresidcd ;it the dedicatory services ai the then new Dialectic Hall, wliieli is uow known as the History Room in the Old West Building. After graduation, he was elected tutor of uiatheumties, in wliicli capacity he sensed for four years, during wliicb time he studied law under liis fatiier, receiving his license in IS.M, ami at once began a remunerative ju ' actice in co-partnership with Quentin Busbee of the Raleigh Bar. In 1855 he married Miss Martha Battle, a distant rcdative, who is still living, the joy of his life. 1 ' liey liavc ' been blessed with seven children, five of whom reached maturity. His daughter Nellie, wife of Dr. Richard H. Lewis of Raleigh, N. C, died in lS8y. His four living children are Dr. Kemp P. Battle, Jr., of Raleigh, N. C, Thomas 11. Battle of Rocky Mount, N. C, Herbert B. Battle of Montgomery, Ala., and W. J. Battle, Pli.i)., of the University of Texas. In 1860, he Avas one of the Whig camlidates for the House of CVimnions in Wake County, and, although himself defeated, he aided in changing a Democratic majority nf o ci- ti e liuudreil to a Whig majority of two hundred. In this campaigTi he ] re| ared a pamphlet on ' ' Ad Valorem Ta.xation Explain ed by Questions and Answers, which was so highly valued by his party that one hundred thousand cojiies were |ii ' inteil and distributid among the people of the State. During the pi ' esidential campaign id ' ISliO, he was President of
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Page 14 text:
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the Wake Cmmty Union ( ' hili and actively (i])j;n)si ' (l Imtli Lincoln anil Ereeken- ridge, bnt when the great Civil War liroke ont, hi ' i-nibraced the canse nf the South with eqnal zeal and enthnsiasni, and was elected a member of the Secession ( ' unventinn, in which he, tViresceing that the Confederacy wonld need fuel for its navy ami fur its factnries, snccessfnlly advocated the bnildinji (if a railroad to the coal Holds of Chathani, which later became a ]iart of the Ilaleiiili and Angi ' sta Air Line of the ]ircsent Si ' aboard Air Line system. . t ]•( ipicsf of (inveriKir ll■th, he was a siu-cessfnl candiihite before the Legisla- tnrc foi ' State Li ' easnrei ' in lst). i, and in IsCiT was re-tdected practically iinaiiimon- ly, to be tnriK d ont id ' otHc ' by the opci ' ation of the Keconstrnctioii Acts in lS(is. In ISCiL ' lie was made a trnstee of the University, and sonn tliereafter he was ])laced on the Execnfive Conimirtee. in which |iosirioii liis jnve for his Alma IMater at once began to assert itself constrncti -c]y. Tn ISCT, tlic University ( nti red the darkest ]i-riod of its history; its fnnds were rnnning low; and its ]iri:fe- ;iirs wire fast ri siu ' ning. Dr. IJattle, as ciiaii ' num of a conimitfie of the trusties, of which Solicitor-General Siiniiicl F. IMiilli]is and e.x-(jovcrnor Villiam A. (iraliam were members, wrot( an claliorate rc]iort iccommcnding a rc-ni-ganization along the lines of the present svstini. This report was adopted almost nn-uiimonsly. bnt onr dear old Uni- versilv in a slmri time passed into hands fbif failed to keep its door- open to the yonth of the State. In 1 74, the University, whicdi had for eight years been bnt a pathetic reminder of better days in . ortli Carolina, was reached after by the strong ai ' iii of the State and, bv eonsfitntion ' tl amendment, was given b:ick into the. elad bands of its old-time friends. I )r. liattle, one of the new trustees, was electi il Secretiirv and TreasHri r. and, on his recommeiidatioii, siiccessfnl apjdi- catioii was made to the (iinerd Assinddy for $7,. )00 a year, inti-rest on the Laml (irant. With this amount :;s a beuinning and, relying on the University sentiment in Xorlh Carolina, he Ingan a imivemint to re;i])en the doors of onr ancient seat of learning. lirt, its linildings were diciyin ' i-, its beaiitifitl cam- ]ins w:is arowing n]i in weeds, wreck and rnin were on every band, and money must be had to jiiit glass in tl e wimb;ws, stnj) the many leaks in the various roofs, and cnt down the w ei I ' s in the cam]ins. ( ' onhdcnt that the great heart of North Carcdina still bent with lo e for the Lniversity, Dr. Battle appealed to its friends, who gladly answered his call for bilp, and ijave to him $1S,000 with which to make the needed re])airs. In Sejitember, IST. ). the doors of the institution were once more thrown open; sixty-nine students were enrolled; ; ' iid the Univi fsity, with face n])lifteil toward the coming of better days, began its ])resent career of service to the State. After the first year, it was seen that a ]iresident was needed ami Dr. Bat- tle, upon nrgent solicitation, aliandoned a lucrative |)raetice and reluctantly
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