Elon College and the First World War, part 3: The SATC at Elon, 1918-1919
By Randall Bowman, Archivist and Assistant Librarian. In May 1918, the War Department formed the Student Army Training Corps (SATC). Similar in many ways to the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), the SATC was created to encourage young men to attend college and receive military training at the same time. Unlike ROTC, however, SATC members were not training to become commissioned officers. Elon College became one of twelve colleges in North Carolina to qualify for a SATC unit; the Board of Trustees overwhelmingly approved plans to host the company, and the college administration began working with the War Department to prepare Elon to receive the unit for the fall semester 1918. As part of this preparation, a group of Elon students were chosen to attend a school for military instructors in Plattsburgh, New York, during the summer months of 1918. A photograph published in the August 1918 issue of the…
Read MoreElon College and the First World War, part 2: Patriotism at Elon, 1917-1918
By Randall Bowman, Archivist and Assistant Librarian. As soon as the United States entered World War I, Americans began volunteering to enlist in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, and the Red Cross. Elon students were no exception to the patriotic fervor that swept the country. On the very day war was declared, three Elon students volunteered for military service: W. F. Odom, William M. Horner, and Elvin Tuck. Such enlistments soon had a visible effect on Elon’s campus; some members of the graduating class of 1917 were graduated in absentia since they were already in uniform. This was possible because the faculty chose to give credit for courses to any male or female student whose studies were interrupted because they were serving. Elon College encouraged other ways of supporting the war effort; it was announced by the Board of Trustees that the college would give three…
Read MoreCelebrating Women’s Athletics at Elon
Jennifer Smith March 14, 2014 On March 11th, 2014 the Elon University Women’s/Gender Studies Program and the Athletics Department sponsored a panel about the history of women’s athletics at Elon. Panelists for the event included: Ana Nicksic ’16: Elon sophomore from Valparaiso, Ind., exercise science major and setter on the volleyball team. She was named to the NCCSIA All-State Second Team, and earned Elon’s top newcomer award in 2012. Sloane Kessler ’17: Lacrosse player, first-year Elon student and communications major from Owings Mill, Md. At McDonogh High School, she was a 2012 IAAM all-star and also won awards in basketball and field hockey. Priscilla Awkard ’95: Starting setter for Elon’s volleyball team from 1991-94 where she broke numerous records that still stand today. She is a member of the Elon Sports Hall of Fame, continues to play competitive volleyball and is a coach and administrator at Jammers Volleyball Club. Jackie Myers:…
Read MoreBlack History Month: The William H. Maness Collection
Immanuel Bryant March 3, 2014 William H. Maness Sr. ’38 had several rare books in his possession. While observing the range of subjects within his collection I ran across several books that I was surprised to see that Maness had read. They include but are not limited to: Soul on Ice by Eldridge Cleaver, Eyewitness: The Negro in American History by William Loren Katz, For Whites Only by Robert W. Terry, and A Pictorial History of the Negro in America written by Langston Hughes & Milton Meltzer. Below is an annotated bibliography of four out of the many prized possessions and rare books I found within his collection.
Read MoreBlack History Month: Through the Legacy of Elon Alum, William H. Maness
Immanuel Bryant February 7, 2014 While going through the inventory of the Special Collections of Belk Library I came across a set of books that weren’t on the inventory list. The theme of the books spanned from race relations, social inequality, and other historic issues that have affected the United States. After asking for more information on the unlisted set of books I discovered that they belonged to William H. Maness Sr. ’38, an Elon alum who served as a vocal supporter of the civil rights movement. The more I went through his collection the more interested I became in the man who had been its owner.
Read MoreBryan Burney, 1991 Elon Sports Hall of Fame
Shaunta Alvarez January 31, 2014 You may have seen him strolling into the library during the late afternoon as he makes his way to the newspaper rack. To look at him, you would never know that this quiet man with laid-back mannerisms set impressive records during his time at Elon.
Read MoreHoliday Recipes from Edith Brannock
Shaunta Alvarez November 22, 2013 As was stated in a previous post, Edith Brannock ’39 recently donated a collection of recipes to the Belk Library Archives and Special Collections. These recipes were taught to students taking home economics classes during the 1960s to 1980s, when Ms. Brannock was a member of the Elon College faculty. Ms. Brannock did not include a Thanksgiving menu in her recipes collection, but she gave instructions for a number of dishes that one might serve during a traditional Thanksgiving meal. We have included a sampling of those recipes here. (Note: these recipes are taken directly from Ms. Brannock’s collection and have not been edited.) If you try any of these recipes for the holidays, please let us know how it turned out by emailing us at belkarchives@elon.edu. Main Course Even though she did not give instructions for the perfect turkey, Ms. Brannock did include a…
Read MoreHome Economics Maven with a Heart of Gold
Shaunta Alvarez November 13, 2013 Edith Ruth Brannock ’39 received the Heart of Gold Award this year during Homecoming festivities. This lifetime achievement award was presented on behalf of members of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and its predecessor, Tau Zeta Phi, to a sister alumnus that has “motivated and inspired others to know the power of one heart touching another heart; that has led a life that has exemplified to others that selfless service is a noble virtue.” This was the second time the award was been presented. The inaugural presentation was in 2010 when the award was given to Dr. Jo Watts Williams ’55, Vice President Emerita. One could say that service and dedication to the Elon community are in Edith Brannock’s blood, even going all the way back to Elon College’s very beginnings. Ms. Brannock is a descendant of Rev. James O’Kelly, founder of the Christian Church,…
Read MoreVeterans Day: Remembering Elon’s First Fallen Hero
Shannon Tennant November 11, 2013 We celebrate Veterans Day on November 11 because it marks the end of World War I, when hostilities formally ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. The first Elon student to die in the service of our country did so during this conflict, nearly 100 years ago. This Veterans Day, let us remember Charles N. Whitelock.
Read MoreHats Off to Elon College’s First Homecoming King
Julia Mueller November 6, 2013 In 1993, the first Homecoming King at Elon College was crowned. David Bynes (Class of 1997), a Communications major, represented the Black Cultural Society. Holly Good of Alpha Omicron Pi was crowned Homecoming Queen. The nominees represented twenty organizations, and the theme of Homecoming was “Hats Off to Hollywood.” Each nominee wrote a personal statement and was interviewed by a Student Government Association Homecoming committee. This constituted 40% of the score. Popular vote accounted for the remaining 60%.
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