Flora Macdonald College
(Please note that this is NOT the official website for Flora Macdonald Alumnae. Please see Saint Andrews Presbyterian College website at http://www.sapc.edu)
Jean Fitzpatrick Andrews (Class of '41)
invites
Flora Macdonald College Alumnae
to join her
on Sunday, July 22nd, 2007
in Port Washington, NY (Long Island)
for an
AFTERNOON OF SHARING
(Bring your yearbooks and photographs!)
The event will begin at 2:30 pm
and for those interested
there will be a concert of Scottish Songs
and a dinner held at her church prior to the gathering.
For more details please contact Jean at
(L-R) Frank McNeill and wife Ann Jordan McNeill Frances S. McNeill (FMC '32) receives Flora
(FMC '51) and Pat Harris Rankin (FMC '51) and Macdonald Legacy Award from Ball Co-Chair
husband Jack Rankin. Flora Macdonald Ball 2006 Rosalynde Gibson Cowdrey (FMC '59) at the
2007 Flora Macdonald Ball
Some of the Flora Macdonald College graduates pose with members of the Vardell
Family in the parlor of the main building during the Ball.
For more photographs of the Legacy Foundations First Annual Ball please see page titled
"Ball Pics 2006."
The Flora Macdonald Legacy Foundation is a relatively new nonprofit organization comprised of graduates of the three educational institutions of learning that have shared the Flora Macdonald Campus along with community leaders who wish to preserve and promote an appreciation for the rich culture and history of this region. We sponsor various events throughout the year, produce an annual newsletter and produce an annual ball in October of each year (Please note that the next ball will not be until October of 2008). For more information on the foundation and those involved visit the page titled "About Us." If interested in supporting the mission of the foundation please visit the page titled "Giving." Your support and interest is appreciated!
If you would like to submit class news and/or a photograph please e mail:
Rosalynde Gibson Cowdrey (Flora Macdonald Class of '59)
Gladys McCain Kerr (Flora Macdonald Class of '56)
or Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews at macdonaldball@aol.com
Please include address and other contact information in
case we have questions on the information submitted. Your
contact information will not be posted.
Jpeg format is prefered for photographs; however, they can
also be maild to us and we will scan them. Please e mail for
mailing address. Thank you and hope to see you in October!
Entrance to Flora Macdonald Campus
Red Springs Seminary opened in 1896 and was renamed Flora Macdonald College in 1914 to honor the famous Scottish heroine who had helped Bonnie Prince Charles escape the king’s men during the Jacobean uprising. She and her husband also lived in the Cape Fear area of North Carolina during the late 18th century. The college existed on the Red Springs campus until 1961 when it was merged to create Saint Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, NC. Scroll to bottom of page for a detailed history.
Class of 1956 45th Reunion: (L to R) Kittye Oliver Sowell, Mary McLean
Aiken, Pat Farmer Moore and Gladys McCain Kerr
Flora Macdonald College Alma Mater
Far away from noisy tumult
And the city's throng
Stands our cherished Alma Mater
Worthy of our song.
REFRAIN
On her wide and spacious campus
Springs of crystal rise,
Which for joy and health and beauty
She shall ever prize.
REFRAIN
Stately pine trees waving o'er her
Proud her guards to be,
Whisper faith and hope and courage,
Faithful listens she.
REFRAIN
Now we lift our joyous chorus
Full of love to Thee,
Hail to thee, O' Alma Mater!
Hail, O', F.M.C.
May Day Celebration at Flora Macdonald College 1916
Mary Archie Brown McNeill - '56 Betty Lou Lamb, ???? & Lucy Fleming Stanford (Please
e mail if you know the middle girl's name.
macdonaldball@aol.com)
Alumnae News
In November of 2005 Flora Macdonald College graduate Rosalynde Gibson Cowdrey ('59) joined the efforts of the Flora Macdonald Legacy Foundation as Co-chair of the First Annual Flora Macdonald Ball. Rosalynde is a second generation Alumna of Flora Macdonald College and a relative of Flora Macdonald College founder, Dr. Charles Vardell. She resides in Jacksonville (FL) and Red Springs (NC).
Flora Macdonald College graduate Rebecca Williams Bracey ('57) joined the efforts of the Flora Macdonald Ball in February of 2006 as Alumna Liaison. She is an Interior Designer based in Pinehurst (NC).
Gladys McCain Kerr (FMC '56) and Flora Macdonald College Class of 1956
Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews (Grandmother,
Mother, and Aunts attended FMC) stand in
front of Gladys' father's store in historic
Waxhaw, NC.
“Teaching and Tartans” by Al Stewart. Our State magazine, June 2005. Reprinted by permission of the publisher and author.
Teaching and Tartans
Although its doors are closed, the legacy of Robeson County’s
Flora Macdonald College lives on through the memories of its alumnae and the observance of cherished traditions. by Al Stewart
Main Building in 1922 Main Building today
It opened its doors in 1896 and closed them in 1961. Such is the relatively short life span of Flora Macdonald College (FMC), a Presbyterian-supported, senior liberal arts college for women in Red Springs, Robeson County. The institution known as Flora Macdonald College began as Red Springs Seminary, changing its name and focus in 1903 to Southern Presbyterian College and Conservatory of Music. Eleven years later, its name was changed to Flora Macdonald College and remained so until the college’s demise.
Red Springs Seminary - 1896
The new name was suggested by Dr. James A. Macdonald, editor of the Toronto Globe, while he was attending a Scottish Society of America meeting in Fayetteville. He had visited the campus several times, and, impressed by the quality of work being done there, he saw an opportunity for preserving the rich traditions of Scotland. He reminded Society members of the Scottish heroine who lived for five years in the Cape Fear section of North Carolina during the Revolutionary War period; Dr. Macdonald (who was no relation to Flora Macdonald) proposed naming the college in her memory. Society members approved Dr. Macdonald’s proposal and voted to give the college $500,000 “to ensure its success.”
Dr. Charles Graves Vardell - Founder Dr. Charles G. Vardell, Jr. - Son of founder
and first president of the College. and professor at Flora Macdonald College
The college’s trustees chose Dr. Charles Vardell as its first president. A graduate of Davidson College and Princeton Theological Seminary, he served as pastor of New Bern Presbyterian Church for 15 years before moving to Red Springs. His wife, Linda, a talented musician, was appointed as director of the Music Conservatory. A year after he took office, Dr. Vardell said, “Our idea was to provide a solid, well-rounded education, including the household arts, to bring young women into close contact with a carefully selected faculty to train them to live effective lives.” During his tenure, FMC’s first president started the school’s 10-acre gardens that earned the school national renown. Under the guidance of Dr. Vardell and his superintendent of gardens, Dexter Garner, these gardens became nationally known as “a tranquil place to relax and enjoy some of God’s beautiful creations.”
Japanese Bridge on Flora Macdonald Campus
(Side note: More than one proposal of marriage has occurred at
this site spanning ALL of the institutions of learning. Let us know
if you are one of the lucky ones! Or, if you know of a relative who
received a proposal here. Patricia Watson Price, who was proposed
to by her husband Andrew at the bridge in 2002, is keeping a list!
E-mail us at macdonaldball@aol.com and we will forward the
message to her.)
Life on campus
By 1915, the college had its own waterworks, heating system, and electric light plant; the faculty had grown from six to 30; the student body increased from a dozen to 250; and one year’s tuition was $200. From its beginning, the college considered “the development of Christian character its chief aim.” Two years of Bible courses were required of all students as well as church attendance each Sunday and regular chapel services. Social activities available to students were concerts, lectures, teas, receptions, dances, and banquets.
Many well-known Tar Heel citizens supported FMC during the first three decades of the 20th century: Governor Angus W. McLean, the state’s chief executive 1925-29, served as chairman of the college’s board of trustees for 25 years. An ad in the May 1943 issue of The State heralded the academic, spiritual, physical, and social advantages offered to students and proclaimed that the college was “building leaders for the home, school, church, and business.”
In May 1946, the college celebrated its 50th anniversary. The highlight of this occasion was the presentation of the pageant “Flora Macdonald — Preserver of Prince Charles” before an audience of more than 3,000 in the campus amphitheater. Special guests who spoke at the event were Josephus Daniels, secretary of the U.S. Navy, and Angus L. Macdonald, premier of Nova Scotia.
Additional cultural opportunities included writing for two publications — The Pine and Thistle, a quarterly literary magazine, and The Skirl, a bi-weekly student newspaper. Recreational facilities included basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts, soccer fields, archery ranges, shuffleboard court, bowling alleys, and outdoor swimming pool. Courses were offered in natural gymnastics, sports, and dance.
May Day Celebration early 1900s
During the late ’40 and early ’50s, the best student dancers traveled to major cities along the East Coast to spread the fame of FMC and the Highland Fling, not surprising since a glance at the names on the student roster during this period reveals that the majority were Scottish. During the 1950s, enrollment at FMC ranged from 300 to 400. During the 1958-59 academic year, 368 students were enrolled; of this number, 290 were residents of North Carolina, with residents of nine other states, as well as Canada and Korea, completing the total. During the same year tuition was $450, with total expenses adding up to $899. Students who took music courses such as piano, organ, voice, and violin incurred additional expenses. By FMC’s final year, 1960-61, enrollment was 381.
Consolidation and closing
In 1953, the North Carolina Presbyterian Synod received a $50,000 grant from the Ford Foundation for a comprehensive study of the eight Presbyterian colleges in the state. This study was carried out under the guidance of a commission of 30 leading ministers and lay people. Recommendations based upon this study were approved by the commission and later adopted by the Synod. The major recommendation was “to establish in the eastern section of the state a four-year, co-educational institution through the merger and consolidation of FMC, Peace College in Raleigh, and Presbyterian Junior College in Maxton.” Peace College later withdrew from this agreement.
Laurinburg was selected as the site for the new college, and ground was broken in 1959. FMC closed its doors in the spring of 1961, and the new school — St. Andrews Presbyterian College — opened that fall. Since it opened 44 years ago, St. Andrews’ students, faculty, and staff have made a vigorous effort to strengthen the hallowed traditions that have given Flora Macdonald College its distinctive reputation.
The impact of FMC’s closing on the town of Red Springs was palpable. It was a blow to the town’s pride and prestige. One resident expressed the view that the town “had lost a central part of its identity.” Probably the greatest loss was the cultural events such as concerts, plays, and lectures. To some degree, the closing meant severing the community’s close Scottish ties. However, one of Red Springs’ continuing traditions is the annual Flora Macdonald Highland Games, held each October on the FMC campus. The 2004 event featured a reception and Scottish music concert, Scottish vendors of arts and crafts, Highland dancing, and a parade of tartans and massed pipe bands.
Remembrances
FMC alumnae are unanimous in singing their praises of their alma mater and share fond memories of their time at the school. Several recall dating soldiers from Fort Bragg during their student days. Even though fraternization of students and faculty members was prohibited, several young ladies married faculty members shortly after their graduation. Others remembered learning to play bagpipes and drums during the “Kirking of the Tartans.” One former student recalls commencement exercises in May 1903, at which Governor Charles B. Aycock was the principal speaker. Still others remember the lasting value of messages delivered in chapel services. All are justifiably proud of FMC’s heritage and grateful for its traditions.
In 1964, a private institution known as Vardell Hall was established on the old FMC campus under the leadership of Colonel Leslie Blankinship. It served as a boarding school for high school and junior college students. Because of financial instability, Vardell Hall closed in 1973, and the Robeson County Day School became the next occupant of the facilities. This school, which changed its name to Flora Macdonald Academy, continues to serve pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students today. Physically, the campus today looks much like it did when the college closed. The heavy damage done to the gardens and president’s house when a tornado struck Red Springs in 1984 escapes the visitor’s notice.
A state historic site sign at the corner of Main and 3rd streets in Red Springs reminds visitors of the college and its wide-ranging influence in the community and state.
Freelance writer Al Stewart lives in Greensboro. He is the author of College Football Stadiums: An Illustrated Guide to NCAA Division I-A.
For more information on other institutions noted in this article please see "Links" page or tabs at left. If interested in learning more about the Flora Macdonald Legacy Foundation or in supporting the organization please see tabs at left titled "About Us" and "Friends of the Ball." Thank you.
