100th Anniversary of Latin at ECU
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the day when classes were first offered at East Carolina University, then known as East Carolina Teachers Training School. Among those first classes was instruction in Latin, offered by Ms. Birdie McKinnie. Below, I copy Chancellor Steve Ballard’s announcement of this occasion, along with a photograph of the first ECTTS faculty.
The first faculty sitting on the steps of Austin Building. Top row, left to right, Kate W. Lewis, art; William Ragsdale, education; Birdie McKinney, Latin; Sallie Joyner Davis, history. Middle row, left to right, Maria D. Graham, mathematics; Mamie E. Jenkins, English. Front row, left to right, Claude W. Wilson, education; Jennie Ogden, home economics; Fannie Bishop, piano; Herbert E. Austin, science, and Robert H. Wright, president.
A Centennial Moment…the First Day of Classes at East Carolina
One hundred years ago today, on October 5, 1909, 123 students (104 women and 19 men) entered the institution known as the East Carolina Teachers Training School. Today marks the last major event in our Centennial Celebration – the first day of classes at East Carolina.
On the day preceding the opening of school, citizens of Greenville had turned out in large numbers to welcome the arrival of a new type of Greenville resident – the student. Most of these young men and women had arrived by train from 31 counties in North Carolina and from four states. They traveled on Greenville’s dirt and plank roads to the campus by carriage.
Upon arrival, the students discovered four completed buildings – an administrative building, Old Austin; West Dormitory, the women’s dormitory (later called Wilson, and razed in 1968); East Dormitory, the men’s dormitory (now Jarvis Hall); and a dining hall (now Old Cafeteria), then called a refectory. Two other buildings, a central power house and an infirmary (now the Mamie Jenkins Building) were under construction. Despite attempts at having the campus ready for the first day of class, chairs had not been delivered, so borrowed church pews were used; electricity had not been connected, so kerosene lamps were requisitioned from the local hardware stores; the paving of Fifth Street had only just begun; and the podium in the auditorium from which the new president spoke was borrowed.
Greeting the first students were 10 faculty members (7 women and 3 men) and the president, Robert H. Wright. The faculty members were: Claude W. Wilson, pedagogy (he was also the bursar) ; W. H. Ragsdale, public school administration; Mamie E. Jenkins, English; Herbert E. Austin, science; Maria D. Graham, mathematics; Sallie J. Davis, history; Birdie McKinney, Latin; Jennie M. Ogden, household economics; Fannie M. Bishop, public school music and voice; and Annie Lee Davis, music. Staff members included Mrs. Kate R. Beckwith, lady principal; Charles O. Laughinghouse, physician; and Emma R. Jones, stenographer.
Today, 100 years later, East Carolina University enrolls 27, 666 students (16,831 women and 10,835 men), has a faculty of 1,867 and a staff of 3,548 (including 187 administrators). Today’s class comes from all 100 of counties in North Carolina, 46 other states, and 46 foreign countries. Today’s campus includes three sites, the original campus (now referred to as the east campus), which includes 150 buildings on 523 acres, the health sciences campus (referred to also as the west campus or medical campus) which includes 55 buildings (two under construction – The Family Medicine Center due to be completed in fall 2010 and the School of Dentistry due for completed by the end of the year 2011) on 206 acres, and the former Voice of America site northwest of the City of Greenville which includes 7 buildings on 650 acres.
What a difference 100 years has made!! Please join the entire ECU family today in celebrating in your own way the centennial anniversary of the first day of classes at East Carolina.
