Happy Retirement, Bill Giduz!

This week marks the retirement of Bill Giduz (Class of 1974), the roving campus Director of Photography & News Writer. Bill on his bike, trekking around campus in search of the best photos, has been a familiar sight to many Davidsonians throughout the years. Bill’s author biography for the Davidson Journal, written in 2014, describes him this way:

Bill Giduz’s association with Davidson began in 1970 when he enrolled as a freshman. Nine years later he attended his fifth reunion, learned of an opening in the communications department, and has now worked gratefully in that office for 34 years. He commutes on two wheels, juggles on Sunday afternoons and regularly plays basketball with much quicker young men.

He is also a joggler, as chronicled in the Huffington Post in 2015. While Bill is most familiar as the person behind the camera, this week’s blog reflects on his years at Davidson through another lens – pictures of Bill Giduz, rather than by Bill Giduz! Fortunately we have several images of Bill throughout his Davidson career in the archives:

The first image of Bill Giduz comes from the 1970 Wildcat Handbook, the freshman handbook at Davidson.
Just two years later, this is Bill as a sophmore in 1972 – one of the advantages (or disadvantages) of retiring from your alma mater is that there many pictures in the archives to draw upon.
Bill’s senior photo, in the 1974 Quips and Cranks.
Ten year alumni reunion for the Class of 1974, April 1984. Bill is on the far right.
Two images of Bill Giduz from the college’s personnel directory, 1983 – 1990.
Bill with Eugenia Deaton, then Vice President of First Union National Bank in Davidson, on the occasion of her birthday and retirement in 1985.
Rusk Scholars in 1986, pictured with their host families, including Bill and Ellen Giduz. Ellen is currently the manager of the Davidson and Cornelius branches of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, and previously worked at Davidson College as a librarian, visiting lecturer, and adjunct professor.
Davidson employees gather around a cake with icing spelling out “Congratulations Davidson, 2,007,481, 41.7%” at a Development retreat in 1986. Bill is seated far right, next to the cake.
The faculty/staff intramural basketball team in 1987. Bill is on the far left.
Undated (circa early 1980s) image of College Communications staff. Bill Giduz is in the front, and Melanie Bookout, John Slater, and Pat Burgess are in the back.
Personnel directory photographs of Bill, 1990 – 1996. A handwritten note on the back of these photos reads “Zoro!” [sic], likely a reference to the 1950s TV series.
College Communications staff in front of the Copeland House in 1990. From left to right: Jerry Stockdale, Bill Giduz, Pat Burgess, Barbara Mayer, Amy Burkesmith, Michele Miller, and Mike Van Hecke.
The most recent personnel directory photograph of Bill Giduz that we have in the archives is this one from 1996 – 1999.
Bill Giduz and Meg Kimmel stand with a student at the Belk Scholarship Awards Ceremony in 2000.

Bill Giduz has been a valued member of the staff of Davidson College for 37 years, and will continue to be a important part of the Davidson community – happy retirement, Bill!

The Davidson-R.E.M. Connection

Like many college students in the early to mid 1980s, Davidsonians were fairly obsessed with R.E.M. The weekly campus newspaper, The Davidsonian, featured reviews of every R.E.M. album and local show (see the April 22, 1983, September 21, 1984, and September 21, 1987 issues for examples), and during the Spring 1983 semester, R.E.M. played at Davidson twice.

Interview with R.E.M. at Reflections Studio in Charlotte in the February 4, 1983 Davidsondian - a few days prior to the band's first show on campus.
Interview with R.E.M. at Reflections Studio in Charlotte in the February 4, 1983 Davidsonian – a few days prior to the band’s first show on campus.

R.E.M. played in the College’s 900 Room on February 5, 1983, and by all accounts the show was a major campus success – the room was packed to capacity and students had to be turned away. The band was had been in the area for a few weeks, recording their debut studio album Murmur at Charlotte’s Reflection Sound Studios (R.E.M. would return to Reflection the next year, to record their second album, Reckoning).

Ken Pooley (Class of 1985)'s February 14, 1983 Davidsonian article on the 900 Room show: "All things considered, R.E.M. was possibly the best thing to happen since Davidson best Chapel Hill in 1926 to win the state football championship."
Ken Pooley (Class of 1985)’s February 14, 1983 Davidsonian article on the 900 Room show: “All things considered, R.E.M. was possibly the best thing to happen since Davidson best Chapel Hill in 1926 to win the state football championship.”

After the show, Director of the College Union, C. Shaw Smith (Class of 1939, College Union Director 1953 – 1983, and namesake of the C. Shaw Smith 900 Room) received a postcard from the physical embodiment of Davidson’s connection to R.E.M. – Bertis Downs IV, then a recent Davidson College alumnus (Class of 1978) who began giving legal advice and assisting R.E.M. with contracts as a law student at the University of Georgia, after seeing the band’s second-ever show at Athens’ Kaffee Klub in April 1980. Downs’ father, Bertis Downs III, was also a Davidson alumnus (Class of 1953).

Downs to Smith, March 24, 1983: "Enjoyed seeing you last month - hope to again soon."
Downs to Smith, March 1983: “Enjoyed seeing you last month – hope to again soon.” Downs became R.E.M.’s  manager, taking over from previous manager Jefferson Holt in 1996, in addition to providing legal counsel. He is currently in charge of “orchestrat[ing] the afterlife of R.E.M.” (Bloomberg Business, “R.E.M.’s New Business Plan,” November 26, 2014)
After Murmur was released in April 1983 (and reviewed in the April 22 Davidsonian), R.E.M. returned to the Davidson campus, to play a larger venue – the Love Auditorium, in New Chambers, on Friday, May 6th.

The concert promotion in the April 29, 1983 Davidsonian notes that the February R.E.M. concert was so popular that Concert Chairman Jim Hoskins "had to turn students away. I didn't talk to anyone who didn't like it."
The concert promotion in the April 29, 1983 Davidsonian notes that the February R.E.M. concert was so popular that Concert Chairman Jim Hoskins “had to turn students away. I didn’t talk to anyone who didn’t like it.”
The Davidsonian has a long tradition of tongue-in-cheek humor - this special commencement issue of "The David'sStonedAgain" spoofed the recent R.E.M. feature.
The Davidsonian has a long tradition of tongue-in-cheek humor (still demonstrated today by The Yowl) – this special commencement issue of “The David’sStonedAgain” spoofed the prior R.E.M. feature.

In addition to numerous student newspaper references to R.E.M.’s perfomances and albums, the Davidson College Archives & Special Collections hold a copy of the band’s contract for the May 1983 performance. There are several interesting nuggets to pull out of the contract:

A copy of the show contract, signed April 25, 1983. C. Shaw Smith, as the College's representative, signed after repeatedly correcting references to Davidson College as the "employer" - preferred DC nomenclature is that the College was the "presenter" of bands, not the "employer."
A copy of the show contract, signed April 25, 1983. C. Shaw Smith, as the College’s representative, signed after repeatedly correcting references to Davidson College as the “employer” – preferred DC nomenclature is that the College was the “presenter” of bands, not the “employer.”
R.E.M. makes it clear in their contract - it is not an abbreviation or a word.
R.E.M. makes it clear in their contract – it is not an abbreviation or a word.
C. Shaw Smith is fine with the 8 large towels, but wants R.E.M. to know that "Davidson College provides refreshments as a courtesy - but not by contract."
C. Shaw Smith is fine with the 8 large towels, but wants R.E.M. to know that “Davidson College provides refreshments as a courtesy – but not by contract.”
The stage setup for R.E.M.'s spring 1983 shows.
The stage setup for R.E.M.’s spring 1983 shows.

Unfortunately, R.E.M. didn’t play at Davidson again after the Spring 1983 semester, but we here at Around the D can still be proud of the success alumnus Bertis Downs has found with the band. According to an interview with the Gwinett Daily Post in 2012, Downs’ love of music also fueled his Davidson activities:

At Davidson I had been on the concert committee and had a radio show. I was always interested in music but I was interested more in the business side of music: how does it work? You know, the inner-workings of the business, concerts etc.

Downs also recently wrote a reflection on Davidson College Basketball for the Davidson Journal. Downs remains an employee of R.E.M., and is a retired adjunct professor of entertainment law at the University of Georgia.

An Archives Surprise

Earlier this month, a mysterious parcel appeared in the Archives & Special Collections mailbox.

...
The note that accompanied our mystery parcel, from Hendersonville’s Shelley and Son Books.

The package turned out to be a collection of Davidson-related photographs – a treasure trove of mid-twentieth century group shots, as well as images of the old Chambers Building after the fire that gutted the structure in 1921. Here are a few favorites from our newest photo collection:

We're not sure what the award on the table is, but it's being presented by then College President D. Grier Martin (standing, center) and Professor of Spanish James Young Causey (standing, right).
We’re not sure what the award on the table is, but it’s being presented by then College President D. Grier Martin (standing, center) and Professor of Spanish James Young Causey (standing, right).
Alex Gibbs (Class of 1963) raises money for muscular dystrophy on behalf Phi Delta Theta in the middle of Main Street. Gibbs went on to a long football coaching career, most notably for the Denver Broncos.
Alex Gibbs (Class of 1963) raises money for muscular dystrophy on behalf Phi Delta Theta in the middle of Main Street. Gibbs went on to a long football coaching career, most notably for the Denver Broncos.
Possibly a meeting of Interfraternity Council in 1963 - students we have identified are:
Possibly a meeting of Interfraternity Council in 1963 – clockwise from top row, left (all are Class of 1963, and presidents of their respective fraternities): Gene Wells, Lawrence Kimbrough, Bernard Swope, unknown, Alex Gibbs, Bill Clingman, Jamie Long, John Oehler, Lewis Martin, Bud Robinson, and Steve Butler.
C. Shaw Smith (Class of 1939, and Director of the College Union for 31 years) performs one of his well-known magic tricks. The Smith 900 Room in Alvarez College Union bears his name.
C. Shaw Smith (Class of 1939, and Director of the College Union for 31 years) performs one of his well-known magic tricks, with assistance from an unidentified man. The Smith 900 Room in Alvarez College Union bears Smith’s name.
Another group shot, possibly from a college staff party in 1961.
Another group shot, possibly from a college staff party in 1961. Third from the left, top row is future College President John Wells Kuykendall (Class of 1959, in his role as Assistant Director of Alumni and Public Relations). Also pictured are John R. Horton (to the right of Kuykendall, Class of 1938, Director of Alumni and Public Relations), and Nancy Blackwell (seated, far left – the Blackwell Alumni House is named for Nancy, who worked at Davidson for 54 years).
Dean Rusk (left, Class of 1931) laughs with an unidentified man. Davidson's international studies program is named for Rusk.
Dean Rusk (left, Class of 1931) laughs with an unidentified man. Davidson’s international studies program is named for Rusk.
The fire of November 21, 1921 completely destroyed the original Chambers Building ("Old Chambers"), which had been completed in 1860.
The fire of November 21, 1921 completely destroyed the original Chambers Building (“Old Chambers”), which had been completed in 1860.
Another view of the gutted original Chambers Building. The "Ghost of Old Chambers" can sometimes be seen on particularly dry days.
Another view of the gutted original Chambers Building. The “Ghost of Old Chambers” can sometimes be seen on particularly dry days.
blog12172014010
The columns from Old Chambers remained standing until 1929.

I hope you enjoyed our mysterious photograph delivery as much as we did! If you can help identify any of the people in these images, please contact the College Archives.

October is for Archives-Lovers

October is American Archives Month (and North Carolina Archives Month), and here at Davidson’s Archives & Special Collections, we’ve had a busy few weeks of sharing stories, leading class discussions, promoting archival advocacy, and assisting users! Here’s a few highlights of what public-facing activities each member of our team did this month:

Jan Blodgett, College Archivist and Records Management Coordinator:

Promotional poster from the Charlotte Teachers Institute panel that Jan spoke at.
Promotional poster from the Charlotte Teachers Institute panel that Jan spoke at.

Sharon Byrd, Special Collections Outreach Librarian:

  • Planned Ghosts in the Library event, with assistance from Peer Research Advisors
  • Taught, led discussion, or facilitated: ART 215 Intro to Print Media (Tyler Starr), ENG 240 British Lit to 1800 (Gabriel Ford), LAT 202 Int. Latin (Britta Ager), AFR 101 Africana Studies  (Tracy Hucks)
  • Helped lead an archival donor visit (with Caitlin)
The display Sharon and I set up for a donor visit - we pulled collections and objects to highlight the donors' father (an alumnus), as well as the athletic history of Davidson.
The display Sharon and I set up for a donor visit – we pulled collections and objects to highlight the donors’ father (an alumnus), as well as the athletic history of Davidson.

Caitlin Christian-Lamb, Associate Archivist (me!):

  • Helped lead an archival donor visit (with Sharon)
  • Gave a campus historical tour and set up archival exhibition for Pi Kappa Phi alumni reunion (1962 – 1969 classes)
  • Spoke on a Society of North Carolina Archivists‘ panel for current University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SILS students
  • Taught three sessions of  DIG 350 History & Future of the Book (Mark Sample), and one session of HIS  382 Science and the Body in East Asia (Saeyoung Park)
  • Helped facilitate and attended THATCamp Piedmont (see the schedule and collaborative Google docs here) after a few months of serving on the planning committee
  • Met with students for MAT 110 Finite Mathematics class about archives data visualization projects (with Jan)
  • Gave a short presentation on digital archival resources at the monthly education and technology gathering on campus (GitPub)
Pi Kappa Phi Epsilon chapter alumni (class of 1962-69) listen to an overview of what's changed on front campus in the last 50 years.
Pi Kappa Phi Epsilon chapter alumni (classes of 1962-69) listen to an overview of what’s changed on front campus in the last 50 years.

We also have a few more upcoming public events. Tonight all three members of Archives & Special Collections will be at Ghosts in the Library – come to the Smith Rare Book Room on the second floor of the library at 8:00 PM to hear scary stories and eat delicious treats. Tomorrow (October 30th), Jan and I will be participating in #AskAnArchivist Day, a national archival outreach initiative – simply tweet a question and #AskAnArchivist to @DavidsonArchive, and we’ll tell you everything we know! Early next month, on November 8th, the first ever Piedmont Triad Home Movie Day/ Personal Digital Archiving Day will be held at Wake Forest University’s library – HMD/PDAD is co-hosted and co-planned by the archives and library staff of Davidson College and Wake Forest University. Come watch college archival footage, share your own home movies, and learn basic digital preservation tips!

Valentine’s Day with Scripts N’ Pranks

Davidson students have a long history of extracurricular writing during their time “around the D,” and one example of that tradition is Scripts N’ Pranks, which focused on “literature (scripts) and humor (pranks) as well as a horrible parody, for which we have already apologized.” (Quips and Cranks, 1936) The magazine ran from 1936 to 1965, and its more “serious” features often appear to spoof women’s magazines or crime fiction of the era. In celebration of Valentine’s Day later this week, we present a sample of both the literary and humorous takes on love found in the earliest few years of Scripts N’ Pranks:

frances003

“Fullback and Frances” by Charles Crane, December 1936. Tagline: “Romance Comes to the Small College Campus… Brawn vs. Brain Trust…”. Summary: dumb football player falls for “dreamy, theatrical” girl, who he attempts to save from a fire, only to learn that she was not in her dormitory because she had eloped with the campus “brain” instead. “She liked to study and build air castles, and seemed to have intellectual curiosity, something that was scarce in a cheap little educational mill like Lennox-Smith. Professor Patton would have diagnosed the whole affair as a psychological mis-adjustment, but Bill, being a freshman, with an IQ of 88, didn’t go in for diagnoses, even of his own problems.”

sorrow1

“Spring Sorrow” by Hugh Stone, March 1937. Tagline: “A Story of Growing Things – Pale Pink and Yellow – And of Blonde Hair Like a Halo.” Summary: college junior embittered about the “romance of spring” after being jilted by hometown sweetheart. “That was last year, but now that it’s spring again and the shrubs are blooming just the same way they did last year, is it any wonder that Bill turns away with a cold laugh when love is mentioned?”

hiscoming001

“His Coming,” The Yowl, November 1937. Summary: a woman gets exactly what she wants. “If he would only come and say that single, longed for, hoped for, little word!”

“Chapter in Chivalry” by Bob Ramsey, November 1937. Tagline: “Dreckney’s hero was a sucker for two things – middle-aged chivalry and a girl.” Summary: college football hero is engaged to a student at another school, who ditches him in favor of the rival school’s football captain. “Of course, he realized now, she hadn’t answered his telegram, for why should she encourage him in his fight against her new fiance, the captain of Grendel’s football team?”

“May Storm” by Erle Austin, May 1938. Tagline: “Michael thought, ‘Can Heaven be as gorgeous as this?'” Summary: college student goes home on a whim to visit his girlfriend and witnesses her being fatally struck by lightning. “He had not noticed a threatening black cloud which had suddenly come over the horizon. It had begun to rain. At the clap of thunder the olive green canoe with his own beautiful Anne had vanished.”

“Late Date” by Erle Austin, March 1939. Frat brother asks a beautiful, mysterious girl to a dance and falls in love, but when he attempts to give her his pin, he finds that she already has one. “… he unclasped his pin from his vest and was about to pin it on her when she said ‘Please Wycliffe, don’t do that… Let’s always be the best of friends though. Look here. I want to show you something.’ Becky had opened her evening bag and he gazed in amazement at a gorgeous Beta pin clasped to the silken lining. Wyc stammered out a very weak ‘Congratulations.'”

truelove002

“True Love” by John McKinnon, December 1940. Summary: college boy is frantic to see the woman he loves most… his mother. “He ran to her, gathered her in his arms, and smothered her with kisses. ‘Mother dear,’ he cried, ‘I’ve missed you so much. Why don’t you give up teaching and move to Davidson where I can be with you every day?'”

To read the full versions of these tales or to search for more love stories, visit the archives!

The Twelve Days of Davidson

For this Christmas Day edition of Around the D, we offer a play on “The Twelve Days of Christmas” – The Twelve Days of Davidson, collapsed into a single post:

On the first day of Christmas

Davidson College Archives & Special Collections sent to me

12 Original Houses on Patterson Court

Patterson Court, circa 1960s
Patterson Court, circa 1960s.

11 Seniors Graduating at the First Commencement Exercises (1840)

A young E. Constantine Davidson, one of the those eleven graduates in 1840, and the diploma of Oni Davis McNeely (Class of 1840), currently on display in the Library's Davidsoniana Room
A young E. Constantine Davidson, one of the those eleven graduates in 1840, and the diploma of Oni Davis McNeely (Class of 1840), currently on display in the Library’s Davidsoniana Room.

10 Wins in the Undefeated 2000 Season for the Football Team

Excited Wildcat fans tear down the goalposts after the last game of the undefeated season; a few fans hang off the posts
Excited Wildcat fans tear down the goalposts after the last game of the undefeated season; a few fans hang off the posts (from Quips and Cranks 2001).
Those goalposts ended up in the senior apartments, as seen in this photo from Quips and Cranks 2001 - shown here with Chris Thawley, Jeff Larrimore, Rob Neuman, and William Childs (all Class of 2004).
Those goalposts ended up in the senior apartments, as seen in this photo from Quips and Cranks 2001 – shown here with Chris Thawley, Jeff Larrimore, Rob Neuman, and William Childs (all Class of 2004).

9 Decades of Wildcat Logos

Top row, left to right: 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Middle row: 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Bottom row: 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.
Top row, left to right: 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.
Middle row: 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Bottom row: 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

8 Teams Left in the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship when Davidson Reaches the “Elite Eight” in 2008

Davidson Men's Basketball Team in 2008
Davidson Men’s Basketball Team (from Quips and Cranks 2008).
Poster advertising a celebration of the 2008 basketball team, after March Madness
Poster advertising a celebration of the 2008 basketball team, after March Madness.

7 Cemeteries Under Lake Norman (that we know of!)

Original site of Baker Cemetery
Original site of Baker Cemetery.
Current site of Baker Cemetery, at Centre Presbyterian Church in Mooresville, NC
Current site of Baker Cemetery, at Centre Presbyterian Church in Mooresville, NC.

6 Deep South Field Hockey Championships in a Row (1990 – 1995)

Team photograph of the 1990 field hockey team, the first in the run of 6 championships
Team photograph of the 1990 field hockey team, the first in the run of 6 championships (from Quips and Cranks 1991).
1995 field hockey team, the last in the conference title run (Davidson's field hockey team currently plays in the NorPac conference, not Deep South)
1995 field hockey team, the last in the conference title run (from Quips and Cranks 1996; Davidson’s field hockey team currently plays in the NorPac conference, not Deep South)

5 Years of “Ghosts in the Library”

Posters from the first three years of Ghosts in the Library (2009 - 2011)
Posters from the first three years of Ghosts in the Library (2009 – 2011)
Posters from Ghosts in the Library, 2012 and 2013.
Posters from Ghosts in the Library, 2012 and 2013.

4 College Library Directors

Cornelia Rebekah Shaw, 1907 - 1936; Chalmers Gaston Davidson (Class of 1928), 1936 - 1975; Leland M. Park (Class of 1963), 1975 - 2006; and Gillian Gremmels, 2007 - present.
From top, left to right: Cornelia Rebekah Shaw, 1907 – 1936; Chalmers Gaston Davidson (Class of 1928), 1936 – 1975; Leland M. Park (Class of 1963), 1975 – 2006; and Gillian Gremmels, 2007 – present.

3 Students Taking One of the Earliest X-Rays (1896)

Eben Hardin, Pender Porter, and Osmond L. Barringer snuck into Dr. Henry Louis Smith's lab to X-Ray: a cadaver finger wearing a ring and stuck with two pins; magnifying glass; a pill box containing two 22 cartridges, one pin, two rings, and six Strychnine pills; and an empty egg with a button inside.
Eben Hardin, Pender Porter, and Osmond L. Barringer snuck into Dr. Henry Louis Smith’s lab to X-Ray: a cadaver finger wearing a ring and stuck with two pins; magnifying glass; a pill box containing two 22 cartridges, one pin, two rings, and six Strychnine pills; and an empty egg with a button inside.

2 Chambers Buildings

Original Chambers Building
Original Chambers Building (1860 – 1921), before the fire of November 28, 1921.
New Chambers Building, completed in 1929.
New Chambers Building, completed in 1929.

and the First Woman President at Davidson College

Dr. Quillen receives the College mace (photograph from the Davidsonian)
Dr. Quillen receives the College mace (photograph from the Davidsonian).

Happy Holidays (and a merry winter break) from Davidson College’s Archives & Special Collections!

The Farm at Davidson: Now and Then

This week is North Carolina Archives Week, and since this year’s theme is “Home Grown: A Celebration of N.C. Food Culture and History,” what better time to delve into the history of farming at Davidson?

Davidson College was founded as a manual labor school, which meant that the earliest students “perfom[ed] manual Labor either agricultural or mechanical in the manner and to the extent determined by the Board of Trustees,” as mandated by March 1839 Constitution of Davidson College. Manual labor was seen as a way of reducing the cost of education and thereby making college affordable to more than the sons of the upper classes, and as a benefit to both the physical and mental heath of students. President Robert Hall Morrison spelled out the societal benefits that manual labor education could bring about in his August 2, 1838 close of term address, stating that:

The efforts of all enlightened men should be combined to improve the moral condition of society by rendering manual labor more reputable and inviting. This is not to be done solely by pronouncing eulogies, but, as time and circumstances will permit, by holding the spade, the axe, the plow, and the plane. Educated men should prove that they are not above doing as well as praising the labor by which society lives.

But while President Morrison waxed poetic on the possibilities of labor, the students had very different feelings. Alexander Bogle (class of 1843), wrote to a friend that “now comes the work which is not so pleasant… We have to work very hard three hours which is the time allotted and you know that it is pretty hard to work that long.”

Page 2 of Bogle's letter, November 22, 1839
Page 2 of Bogle’s letter, November 22, 1839

Similarly, Pinckney B. Chambers (class of 1840) recalled for the Charlotte Daily Observer in 1903 that “The farm work was greatly hampered by the tendency of the mischievous and shiftless to misplace the tools and outwit the overseer.” He was more colorful in his distaste for manual labor in a letter to John M. Sample in 1837, after he had transferred to Caldwell Institute:

There is no labor attached to it. (which is one of God’s blessings) All you have to do is to pay your money and go to school… It is I think a much better school than Davidson College. For several reasons but I will give you but two at present as I am in a great hurry, they are very particular reasons with me, the first is we do not have to work, and the second is we get plenty to eat and that, that is good.

First page of Chambers' letter to Sample, December 9, 1837
First page of Chambers’ letter to Sample, December 9, 1837

By 1841, it was clear that the manual labor system wasn’t achieving its aims – rather than lowering costs and making education more accessible, Davidson was losing money on the endeavor. The Board of Trustees voted to abolish the system, and the college farm experiment came to a close.

More than 170 years later, Davidson students are back on the farm – this time on a voluntary basis, rather than a mandatory one. The Farm at Davidson, purchased in 2008, became a working farm again last fall. The College farm provides sustainable produce for Vail Commons, Davis Cafe, and Much Ado Catering, as well as a space for students and members of the Davidson community to learn about where their food comes from.

 

As Farm Manager Theresa Allen explains, there’s a great deal of student interest in the farm: some students help work the farm, some conduct soil experiments, and some even take naps – a far cry from the manual labor farm days! The farm’s office hours/ work days for this semester are Fridays from 1 to 4 PM, so head over to 1603 Grey Road to check out the veggies you’ll be eating later!