Elon College and the First World War, part 1: On the eve of The Great War
By Randall Bowman, Archivist and Assistant Librarian. November 11, 2018, is the 100th anniversary of the cease-fire that ended World War I, often ironically called “The War to End All Wars.” What was Elon like in the early years of the Twentieth Century, before this First World War? When William Allen Harper became Elon College’s fourth president in 1911, the school was very different from the university it is today. In the fall of 1911, total enrollment for the college was only 234, although that was the largest enrollment since the school opened its doors in 1890. Dr. Harper, then thirty-one years old, was an 1899 alumnus of Elon College, and the first graduate to serve as president. He set out on an ambitious program to expand the school’s physical size, allowing for an increase in enrollment. He was also determined to standardize and expand the curriculum. In addition, Harper…
Read MoreElon’s First Library: The Reading Room
Randall Bowman August 1, 2014 Elon’s very first library was a far cry from the libraries of today. It wasn’t even a separate building like Carlton, McEwen, or Belk Libraries. According to George Troxler, in his book From a Grove of Oaks: The Story of Elon University, “…the library and reading room occupied two adjoining rooms on the second floor of the college building.” It served the college for thirty-three years, from 1890 to 1923. Along with most of the college’s book collection, both rooms in the Old Main Administration Building were incinerated in the 1923 fire that destroyed this building.
Read MoreTornado touchdown at Elon–June 1989
Katie Nash June 27, 2014 As thunderstorms pass through Alamance County and the Elon area this summer, let’s take a look back at a fierce storm that damaged a large part of campus in June of 1989. Around 7:15pm on June 16, 1989 a tornado-like storm touched down on Elon’s campus, causing havoc and damage to the grounds and buildings. There was over $150,000 worth in damages, power outages, and numerous trees were uprooted. The summer of 1989 had already included a lot of rain fall, and in June the Elon area experienced numerous tornado warnings and watches. The tornado-like storm that struck campus came without much warning and lasted for about 15 minutes, with about 50-70 mile per hour wind gusts.
Read MoreWest Dorm as Summer Resort in 1909
Katie Nash May 21, 2014 As the campus prepares for commencement exercises on May 24, 2014, we can’t forget about all the history and interesting stories that have involved West Residence Hall since it opened on campus in the fall of 1906. As the campus community and guests enjoy the shade and cool breezes under the oaks and facing West Residence Hall during commencement, here’s an interesting story about West during the summer of 1909. Here’s to the beginning of summer!
Read MoreThe Loy Center ‘Spirit Rock’
Julia Mueller May 9, 2014 In 1997, the Elon College Greek Courts were renamed from the Greek Lodges to the Loy Center in honor of William (Bill) E. Loy, Jr. and in memory of his wife, Elizabeth Apple Loy ’47. Two rocks were added to the neighborhood. The first rock belonged to Mrs. Loy’s family, and was placed in the Greek circle. A plaque commemorating the Loy family is attached to the rock. This rock is not to be painted. The second rock became known as the ‘spirit rock.’
Read MoreState of the art: The Carol Grotnes Belk Library
Randall Bowman December 6, 2013 By the mid-1990s, it was very obvious that the Iris Holt McEwen Library was woefully inadequate to serve as Elon College’s library. The college was growing and progressing as an institution; the student body was not only increasing in size, but in quality. Planning began to build an innovative library that would be a key component of Elon’s increasing emphasis on engaged learning. Fundraising for the new library was part of the Elon Vision, a five-year, $40 million strategic plan for strengthening academic programs. An Elon Vision brochure established that this library would be something new. “The new library will be located at the center of campus, serving as a dynamic intellectual hub between instructional facilities to the south and residential halls to the north. This 75,000 square foot facility will combine the traditional library collection with the latest electronic information capabilities and an array…
Read MoreThe Big Move: McEwen Library Opens
Randall Bowman October 11, 2013 The 1960s brought many changes to Elon College, not the least of which was a new library. With one reading room that could only seat one hundred students at a time, Carlton Library was now too small to serve the growing college of 1200 students. A new library, with space for a larger book collection, was needed. Plans for the new facility were drawn up by the architectural firm of Guy Crampton and Associates of Raleigh, North Carolina. Abrams Construction Company of Greensboro, North Carolina was the general contractor. McEwen Library, as it would later be named, cost $700,000 to build, and was part of a large campus expansion that took place in the mid-1960s. On Parent’s Day, Saturday, November 4, 1966, on the same day the Long Student Center and three other buildings were dedicated, the ground-breaking ceremony for the library took place. By…
Read MoreThe Story of Carlton Library
September 13, 2013 Randall Bowman Housed on the second floor of Elon College’s original Main Building was a one-room library and reading room, the first library on campus. The infamous fire on January 18, 1923, destroyed this room, along with most of the college’s library collection. But more than just books were lost that day; irreplaceable records of both Elon College and the Christian Church of the South, Elon’s parent denomination, were lost. A free-standing library was among the five new buildings planned to replace Main Building. The Carlton family of Richmond, Virginia, donated the funds to build the new library. On June 22, 1923, less than six months after the fire, ground was broken for the new library, which would be located next to Whitley Auditorium.
Read MoreThe story of the Martin Alumni Center (MAC)
Katie Nash August 27, 2013 Ever wonder about the history of the white house on the corner of Haggard Avenue and O’Kelly Avenue on Elon’s campus? It’s one of the few older houses still standing on Elon’s campus, and to trace its history we have to travel back in time to 1965. Records show that in October 1965, a gift agreement was set-up between Algier Lloyd Rich, his wife Minnie Allene Patton Rich (Class of 1911), and Elon College in which the Rich family gave their home and land (which included a barn!) to the College, while still able to live in their home and maintain lifetime rights. The house was built between 1938-1940 and upon the death of Mr. Rich in 1986 and Mrs. Rich in 1987 the house became officially part of the Elon College campus.
Read MoreIsabella Cannon’s Bust: Stolen then Found
Julia Mueller April 12, 2013 Isabella Walton Cannon was a beloved Elon alumnus, Class of 1924, who served as a role model to many. She became involved in public service and worked around the world. In 1977, Cannon made the last minute decision to run for mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina against the incumbent Jyles J. Coggins, and won with 52% of the vote. This caused Cannon to become an immediate national celebrity as she was the first female mayor of Raleigh. Cannon continued to serve the community after her term and founded the Isabella Cannon Leadership Program at Elon in 1989. The same year, on Thursday, October 19, the Isabella Cannon bust was stolen from its wooden pedestal in the Isabella Cannon room in the Center for the Arts building.
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