Roberts, David (-1968)

Monuments of Brick and Learning Dave Roberts Class of '68 Have you ever strolled about the Wake Forest Wait was a powerful influence in the formation University campus, admiring the trees and Georgian of the Baptist State Convention in 1829, and he was architecture, paused before a name on a building and chosen general agent to travel throughout the state stared in ignorance at meaningless metal letters on red and gain support for it. Two years later, plans for a brick? Of course these letters sometimes evoke stray school to train ministers began taking shape. A farm images - W-A-1-T ... chapel ... founder ... runaway about fifteen miles from Raleigh was chosen as its horse ... More often they evoke only a nagging desire site, and Wait was named its principal. His title was to know something about the people they represent, changed to president in 1838 when the name of the to see beyond the impenetrable brick into the school was changed to Wake Forest College. background of their lives. Who were these people? Although ill health forced his resignation as Why are these buildings monuments to them? President in 1845, Wait remained president of the Twelve buildings are named for people, plus board of trustees until the end of the Civil War. He Efird and Huffman Halls, Wingate Hall, Davis Chapel died in 1 867. and DeTamble Auditorium. Of these seventeen Wingate Hall, adjacent to Wait Chapel, was people, one was the first dean of women, six were named for Washington Manly Wingate, who graduated presidents of the school, and ten were benefactors. from Wake Forest in 1849 and became acting The buildings not named for people are Winston and president only five years later. After graduating, he Salem Halls, of which the origin is obvious, and attended Furman Theological Institute and became Reynalda Hall, named for the Reynolds' Reynalda pastor of a Darlington, S.C., church. He was later estate. chosen by the Wake Forest trustees as agent to Samuel Wait, for whom the chapel was named, increase the endowment, and after a successful was born in New York in 1789. He studied at fund-raising campaign he was made acting president. Columbia College (now George Washington He became president in 1856 and remained in that University) and became a Baptist minister. After post until his death in 1879. He tried to resign after teaching at his alma mater four years, he became its the Civil War, but he was induced to remain and led assistant financial agent and came to North Carolina the school in its recovery from the effects of the seeking fuhds, Because stage fare was so high at the conflict. Among his accomplishments was a greatly time, Wait and the financial agent bought a horse and increased endowment. wagon in Norfolk. Va., to use on their Tar Heel trip. A men's dormitory was named for Charles E. As they were leaving New Bern after a short stay, the Taylor, president from 1885~ 1905. He was educated horse bolted, demolished the wagon, and ran away. at the University of Virginia and went to Wake Forest They remained about a month and Wait preached in l 870 as a Latin professor. As president, he worked four sermons at the Baptist church there. He was actively to raise more money for the. endowment, in apparently so impressive that he was later invited to addition to beautifying the campus with trees and become its pastor, and he returned to accept the shrubs and an unusual system of walks placed where position. the trails of students' feet indicated they were 15 needed. The law and medical schools were begun' Harold W. Tribble succeeded Kitchin as under Taylor's administration, and he also started a president in 1950 and led the school through the drive for a college hospital. period of transition from the Wake Forest campus to Forced to resign as president in 1905 because of the Winston-Salem site. When this task was completed his increasing deafness and its effect on his natural in 1956, he guided the college into another time of nervousness, Taylor remained head of the school of transition, toward university status. Graduate work moral philosophy until his death in 1915. was resumed in 1961 and gradually spread to more Another men's dormitory honors William L. departments. Finally, in 1967, the school's nam ... was Poteat, Taylor's successor, who received the B.A. officially changed to Wake Forest University. Having from Wake Forest in 1877 and M.A. some years later. presided over the achievement of these goals, Tribble joining the faculty in 1878, he taught languages for retired to his home in Blowing Rock. He Was doubly six years before becoming assistant professor of honored for his accomplishments; he was made science. Though he is best known for defending the President Emeritus of the University; and the teaching of evolution, his administration also saw the humanities building was re-named Harold W. Tribble curriculum enlarged, two dormitories and a central Hall. heating plant built, and the library improved. Lois Johnson, for whom a women's dormitory In 1922 Poteat was taken before the Baptist was named, was Wake Forest's first dean of women. State Convention for teaching evolution. He spoke in Her brother, Gerald, attended Wake Forest and later his own defense before the body and eloquently became a famous journalist and author. She received overcame his opposition. But the story does not end a B.A. degree from Meredith College in 1905. She there; Poteat also led the fight against adoption of an taught for several years, received an M.A. in English anti-evolution bill in the General Assembly. Of 22 from the University of North Carolina, and became Wake Forest men in the Legislature, 21 voted against principal of Thomasville High School. the bill, and it was defeated. She left that position to teach French at Wake Though he retired from the presidency in 1927, Forest in 1942, and she was chosen dean of women Poteat continued to teach biology until a few months that year when the school decided to admit women before his death in 1938. for the first time. On the old campus she always lived Thurman D. Kitchin, also honored by a men's in a dormitory with the girls. She enjoyed being with dormitory, became president in 1930 and served until them and disliked being separated from them by 1950. He was one of eight brothers, all of whom house mothers after the move to Winston-Salem. Miss attended Wake Forest. After graduation in 1905, he Johnson retired in 1962 and now lives in Wagram. studied medicine at the University of North Carolina One of the most important benefactors in the and at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, history of Wake F crest was j abez Bostwick, a receiving the M.D. degree in 1908. He scored highest Standard Oil official from New York, for whom on the state medical examinations that year, and he another women's dormitory was named. President was a family doctor for ten years before joining the Charles Taylor went to New York in 1885 seeking faculty of the Wake Forest Medical School. He financial aid from rich Baptists there. Bostwick was became president of the medical division two years the only one to answer Taylor's inquiring notes, but later. he gave $10,000 to establish a loan fund for needy Among the achievements of Kitchin's students. In 1886 he gave the school $50,000, and he administration were eight buildings, a stadium, the added another $40,000 in 1891. He died the admission of women, the acceptance of the Z. Smith following year, and his will provided for a donation Reynolds Foundation offer for the move to of Standard Oil stock which has grown in value to Winston-Salem, and the sale of the old campus. The $10-12 million in recent years. medical school moved to Winston-Salem and became Paul Price Davis, for whom Davis Chapel was a four-year school, and the law· school became a named, attended Wake Forest from 1905-07 and later member of the Association of American Law Schools. became sales manager of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Although he suffered from a weak heart for the last Company. He was the brother of Egbert L. Davis, for quarter-century of his life, Kitchin accomplished all whom Davis Dormitory was named. He supported the these things and dealt with serious problems such as move to Winston-Salem, but he died in 1952. His wife those caused by the fire which destroyed two campus and children added gifts to those he had made to buildings in 1934. After his death in 1955, the finance construction of Davis Chapel. Raleigh News and Observer said of him, "He was a Egbert L. Davis graduated from Wake Forest in man who could smile at death and work for his fellow 1904 and rose rapidly in the business world after man .... working 21 years for R.J. Reynolds. He organized the 15 \, BECOMING Kate Huyvaert '95 Senior Oration, May 14, 1995 The hardest part of my journey to the Galapagos last summer was convincing my grandparents that I wasn't crazy. Although their encouragement never waned, their confidence in my sanity sure did; but I suppose it had something to do with the idea of my living on an uninhabited island that made them hesitate; and I guess it did me too. On May 9, 1994, just two days after exams had finished last year, I found myself in Quito, Ecuador contemplating the cracks in the walls of my "luxurious" six-dollar hotel room, and perhaps I was contemplating the wisdom of embarking on this journey as well.

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