Vaccines at Wilmington College

COVID-19 is not the first virus to affect American college students. We are just beginning to learn about the long-term health effects of COVID. Another life-threatening virus was polio.

First some background information from the Mayo Clinic: Polio is a contagious viral illness that in its most severe form causes nerve injury leading to paralysis, difficulty breathing and sometimes death. Poliovirus can be transmitted through direct contact with someone infected with the virus or, less commonly, through contaminated food and water. People who have polio but don't have symptoms can pass the virus to others.

Polio came to United States in 1894. The first successful vaccines—developed by Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Albert Sabin—were not available until the 1950s.

_{^{Dr. Albert Sabin, inventor of the oral polio vaccine / Photograph from Hauck Center, University of Cincinnati Libraries}}

Caring for the health of all the students at Wilmington College, Dr. Samuel Ravenel sent a letter to college president, Dr. William M. Randall, recommending that the college require polio vaccines for all students before admission (Board of Trustees minutes, 14 Jan. 1959 p. 2). After review by the executive committee, the board decided not to make the vaccine mandatory for students (Board of Trustees minutes, 11 Feb. 1959 p.3).

Later, at the Board of Trustees meeting on 26 January, 1965 (p. 3), Dr. Randall recommended that enrolled students meet “... certain physical examination entrance requirements .... This would require smallpox vaccination, tetanus toxoid, polio immunization, serology, and a chest x-ray.” 

Bibliography

The History of Polio Vaccines. Available at https://www.historyofvaccines.org/timeline/polio.

Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Wilmington College. (14 January, 1959). Available at https://digitalcollections.uncw.edu/digital/collection/bot/id/207/rec/1.

Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Wilmington College. (11 February, 1959). Available at https://digitalcollections.uncw.edu/digital/collection/bot/id/208/rec/3.

Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Wilmington College. (26 January, 1965). Available at https://digitalcollections.uncw.edu/digital/collection/bot/id/285/rec/4.

Photograph of Albert Sabin. Courtesy of Hauck Center for the Albert B. Sabin Archives, University of Cincinnati Libraries. 

Polio. The Mayo Clinic. Available at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polio/symptoms-causes/syc-20376512.

In 1973, the book collection of the William M. Randall Library of the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) reached 100,000 volumes. To celebrate, the library acquired a first edition Huck Finn by Mark Twain (published in 1885) and held a special ceremony. This first edition is in Special Collections.

An announcement for the Nov. 30 ceremony was in the Seahawk student newspaper.

For comparison, according to 2012/2013 statistics, Randall Library has 481,134 books. 

A couple notes from the library's history:

*Wilmington College Library moved from a few rooms in Alderman Hall to its own building during winter break of 1968. It opened in January of 1969 and the official dedication was March 30.

*Randall Libray began planning an expansion in 1985, which was completed in 1987. 

This model of Randall Library, circa 1985, is in University Archives in Randall Library at UNCW.

The Order of Isaac Bear

On October 24, 1993, a plaque was dedicated in Randall Library to commemorate and honor the members of the Order of Isaac Bear, an honorary organization of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Former Chancellor William H. Wagoner founded the organization as a way to recognize members of the UNCW faculty. These members of the faculty had taught in the Isaac Bear building on Market Street, the original location of Wilmington College later UNCW, and were still employed by UNCW in 1987. The original Isaac Bear building had been an elementary school before it was home to Wilmington College. The former elementary school, Bear Hall on our current campus, and the Order of Isaac Bear were all named in honor of Isaac Bear, the brother of a local businessman.

As inscribed on the plaque, "Founded in 1988, the Order recognizes those who have demonstrated loyalty to UNCW, contributed to the academic quality of the University, or had a significant role in uniting the institution and the community." Listed are charter members Louis Adcock, Mary Bellamy, Walter Biggs, William Brooks, Thomas Brown, Joanne Corbett, Marshall Crews, Calvin Doss, Thomas Lupton, Dorothy Marshall, Duncan Randall, Gerald Rosselet, and Doug Swink. Chancellor Wagoner had an honorary membership. 

In 1991, the Order expanded membership beyond faculty members who worked at Wilmington College on Market Street. Members of the staff and faculty who had contributed to the development of UNCW are invited to the Order. Associate memberships are for people who aided in the founding of the institution and for members of the Board of Trustees.  

A 2007 article about the Order of Isaac Bear in UNCW Magazine

John T. Hoggard, William M. Randall, Trustee L. Bradford Tillery, and unidentified College Trustee examine plans for new property. (Photo courtesy of Tyrone Rowell)
 

College selects property for new campus, September 18, 1958

       On September 18, 1958, the Board of Trustees agreed to purchase land off NC Hwy 132 for Wilmington College's first campus. This campus became the permanent home for the college and eventually the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

The Board of Trustees had previously rejected two possible sites--Hugh MacRae Park and the municipal golf course--due to public controversy.

In 1958 Wilmington College was located in the Isaac Bear Building on Market Street. The Board of Trustees knew the college had outgrown this space and needed another location, but the board did not merely plan for immediate growth. Instead, the members chose a property that would fulfill future needs of expansion. The new property consisted of over 600 acres.

The ability of Wilmington College to purchase the land stemmed from the passage of the North Carolina House Bill 761, An Act to Provide a Plan of Organization and Operation for Community Colleges (1957). It was the first Community College Act in North Carolina. Both Wilmington College and Williston College--a unit of Wilmington College for African American students--were included by name in this act, as they were two-year schools at the time. The act gave the trustees the authority to purchase land deemed “necessary for the proper operation of the college.” It also allowed for the trustees to present the need for a tax levy to the County Commissioners, who would approve a public bond vote. The state would match funds raised by the college up to $600,000 as long as the request was made before June 30, 1958.

Following these guidelines, the Wilmington College Board of Trustees agreed in April 1958 to bring a resolution before the New Hanover County Commissioners. The County Commissioners approved the resolution unanimously and set the bond vote for May 30, 1958. The citizens of New Hanover County voted to support Wilmington College and the bond passed.

Board of Trustees Minutes--April 1, 1958, approved resolution to go before the County Commissioners

New Hanover County Commissioners Minutes--April 14, 1958, approval for the bond vote

Board of Trustees Minutes--September 9, 1958, approved the use of funds to buy land for expansion

Board of Trustees Minutes--September 18, 1958, selected the land on NC Hwy 132 for expansion site

Board of Trustees Minutes--September 22, 1958, approved architect and planned for future growth

Board of Trustees Minutes--December 8, 1958, final approval for the purchase of the land off NC Hwy 132

Unidentified College Trustee, Trustee L. Bradford Tillery, William M. Randall, and John T. Hoggard examine plans for new College property. (Photo courtesy of Tyrone Rowell)
 

^{Photo: Judge Ernest Fullwood in 1992}

Desegregation begins at Wilmington College, September 10, 1962 

Marshall Collins and Ernest Fullwood were the first African Americans to attend Wilmington College--the institution that grew into the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). Fullwood became the first African American student to serve on the Wilmington College Student Senate, and in March of 1966 he was the first African American graduate. Fullwood became an attorney and judge, and Marshall Collins became a minister. Fullwood returned to UNCW on April 17, 2004 to administer the Chancellor's oath of office to Rosemary DePaolo at her installation.

Until September of 1962, African American students attended class at the Williston College campus of Wilmington College. Due to segregation, African American students were not allowed to enroll at the College Road campus.

 On July 15, 1981, Dr. H. Eaton, chair of the Board of Trustees recalled a meeting he had with Dr. John T. Hoggard in 1961:

It has been 20 years and almost four months to the day since I sat in the parlor of Dr. John T. Hoggard, the Founder of this Institution, and expressed to him my disappointment and concern with the unfairness of the grossly unequal dual program of college education being provided for white students as compared to that being provided for Negro students  ....

A gentlemen’s agreement was reached. With a handshake and no paperwork, Dr. Eaton and Dr. Hoggard agreed that Dr. Eaton would not pursue legal action against the College, and in return Wilmington College would begin admitting qualified African American students in September of 1962 (From These Beginnings: Wilmington College, 1946-1969). 

From the University Archives--This Week in UNCW History: Dr. Eaton was the first African American chair of UNCW Board of Trustees, July 15, 1981

1966 Wilmington College graduation program

Marshall Collins' picture, Wilmington College yearbook 1964

Ernest Fullwood's picture, Wilmington College yearbook 1964

Ernest Fullwood on Student Senate, Wilmington College yearbook 1965