STETSON-LETTER
VOL 3. NO. 1
STETSON UNIVERSITY, DeLAND, FLORIDA
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 1954
Biggest & Best Homecoming Planned Oct 22-24
Homecoming 1954, designed to be the biggest and finest Homecoming Stetson has ever had, will be observed
this year October 22, 23, and 24.
There is something special in store for every graduate
and former student who returns to the campus during
this period of celebration. There are 24 events scheduled
for Saturday, October 23. Spare time, rather than something to do, will be at a premium.
Some of the major events—things everyone will be
interested in—include the parade, convocation, barbecue,
football game, open house in the new men's residence halls
and the unveiling of plans for the new residence halls for
women.
For special groups, there will be breakfasts, class reunions of the classes of 1904, 1929, 1939 and 1949, and
other events.
The 1927 football team, one of the finest ever produced
at Stetson, will be the special guests of their coach, Herbert R. McQuillan, who returned to Stetson this year as
head coach of the Hatters. The team members will be at
the pep rally Friday night, will sit on the field with the
team at the game against Wofford on Saturday, and will
have a dinner at the Commons Saturday night.
Plans for the Homecoming are in charge of DeLand
chairman John Socash, alumni chairman Carroll T. "Spike"
Welshinger and student Frank Slaughter.
Walter E. Smith, president of the Alumni Association,
and G. E. "Eddie" Gilliland, Director of Alumni Affairs,
are spreading the word to the alumni in an effort to have
a record number on the campus this year.
"The old campus is really taking on that new look these
days," Smith said, "and I am sure that you will want to
see for yourself the substantial progress that is being
made to make your Alma Mater one of the outstanding
small independent universities in America. Stetson is definitely on the move and rapidly forging to the forefront
among the truly fine Christian educational institutions
of our time".
Slaughter's student committte chairmen include Martin
Stevens, Umatilla, ticket sales; John Westervelt, Umatilla,
arrangements; Mark Hollis, Lakeland, publicity; Chuck
Franson, Orlando, parade; Frank Hathaway, Racine, Wis.,
(Continued on Page 5)
WANTED: 1,500 MEMBERS OF USA FOR 1954
Charles E. Merrill Gives $100,000;
"American Studies" Chair Created
A new liberal arts major course to be
called "American Studies" was opened
last month in a double barreled effort
aimed at exposing "the false and stupid hypocrisies of the Communist movement, while teaching the development
of American ideals and institutions.
Creation of the new department was
made possible through an initial
$45,000 gift of Charles E. Merrill, directing partner of the nationwide brokerage and underwriting firm, Merrill
Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane. The
trustees have agreed that it should be
called the "Charles E. Merrill Chair
of American Studies," president J. Ollie Edmunds stated at a special convocation in July. Before the term opened,
an additional gift of $56,250 was received from Mr. Merrill for this department.
"We intend American Studies to be
come a part of the training of all those
in our student body, especially those
who are preparing to teach in the
public schools," the president said. The
new course will lead to a bachelor's
and master's degree in American Studies. Planned primarily for prospective
and in-service public school teachers,
the curriculum will be built around
American history and American literature.
"Until the Communist threat is defeated, we want this course to afford
a systematic comparison and contrast
between the ways of life proposed by
the United States and the Communists,"
Dr. Edmunds said.
He further stated "we are confident
that other business people will join
in the new program by providing
scholarships to make it possible for
public school teachers to take advantage of the studies."
The 1954 United Stetson Alumni
Proxy Endowment Campaign will be
successful if the enthusiasm of the class
agents and a few early USA memberships can be taken as an indication of
the alumni as a whole.
In another story in this issue, brief
quotations from alumni accepting appointment as class agents are listed.
"We had almost 100 per cent acceptance to appointment as class agents,"
Walter E. Smith, president of the Stetson Alumni Association, said. "I was impressed not only by the acceptance but
by the enthusiasm with which the appointments were received."
This year, for the first time, the USA
proxy endowment plan is set up under
a class agent system. Each class agent
is responsible for seeing or writing to
ten of his or her classmates to ask them
to become a member of United Stetson
Alumni.
"The first class agents cards had
been out less than a week when the
first subscription came in," said G. E.
(Continued on Page 2)
You've a Date October 22-24 to
SEE STETSON ON THE MARCH
