Creasy K. Proctor, Superintendent of Oxford Orphanage

In undertaking this task I had no idea of its immensity. Of a more practical turn of mind, I found it difficult to dig about in old records for original information and as I understand the purpose of a paper of this kind, it is in the hope that it may make a real contribution in its particular line. The greatest discovery that I have made lies not in the facts concerning these two institutions, but in the contribution made by Masonry to the cause of education in North Carolina. I think some time I would like to develop that from the original sources as I am quite confident that the contribution of our fraternity to the cause of education is worthy of a place in writing in the history of education in this state.

There was a time in North Carolina when Masonry, in its Grand Lodge gatherings, was experiencing many of the birth pains of leadership in North Carolina in their effort to work out a program of education for the youth of the state. There was a time when Masonry fostered more than one institution of learning that was above the average and that reports concerning these were made by the proper officers at the meetings of the Grand Bodies. An institution existed at Franklinton and at Germanton and others were scattered over the state of a similar nature, but the one that seems to be destined to the greatest amount of consideration and which represented the greatest outlay of money, of effort and of greater lasting quality was that of the St. John's College in Oxford, North Carolina.

In the Grand Lodge of 1838 a resolution was passed looking to the establishment of a charity school under the care of the Grand Lodge. Consideration was asked concerning this establishment and in a report given on page two of the Grand Lodge Proceedings of 1839 a committee composed of Robert G. Goodlow, J. S. Burgiss and F. H. Reeder asked for a "postponement of the consideration of the resolution concerning a charity school to the next annual communication of the Grand Lodge." In 1840 a committee again asked for a postponement. In a circular on the subject of education is shown that the matter had taken on definite form. This circular was prepared by W. F. Collins and dated on the 28th of December 1847. This Grand Master was performing a duty assigned to him by the Grand Lodge to impress "upon their notice the subject of a seminary of learning to be established under the immediate control and direction of the Grand Lodge of Masons of North Carolina." He further writes, "It is known to every member of the fraternity that this subject has occupied the attention of the Grand Lodge at every communication since 1838. I will, however, here remark, that very little has been done, except to resolve and report upon the subject: the time has now arrived for action - ACTION! Let us, then, not leave to be done by others that which is our duty to perform."

"Although the contemplated institution is to be established upon the plan of benevolence, it is not expected to debar the more fortunate and wealthy from participating in its advantages. In fact we should invite this union. With this design effected, we shall see the indigent and humble, as well as those more favored by fortune, sharing equal advantages, and nobly contending for honorable distinction. It will instruct the one as well as convince the other, that wealth, however valuable when properly used, can confer no superiority in the contest for moral and intellectual excellence." The scope of this idea and the depth of its thinking can scarcely be thought of in terms of that day, but will readily show big men capable of true pioneering. Note this sentiment in the circular, "I am sure every virtuous and intelligent mind will agree that he who is blessed with cultivated intellect is made thereby a more worthy, useful and happy citizen. Men of every profession are made more capable, more worthy and more exalted by education." This was said in a day when there existed in the minds of some the thought that it was not best for every man to be educated. His appeal in this circular was masterful. He pointed to the fact that in Pennsylvania, New York, Missouri, Alabama and other states there were flourishing schools under the auspices of Masonry. He calls attention to the fact that Hiram Lodge in Raleigh had already responded by appropriating one thousand dollars and that more would be raised and that when the enterprises started the lodges of the state would fall in line. The first three lodges to appoint the Trustees and report funds raised were Wake Forest, Concord in Tarboro, and St. John's in Wilmington. There appears to have been the same difficulty in raising money then that there is now. It is to be noticed in the resolution passed at the Grand Lodge of 1847 that in this seminary of learning there were to be educated "free from charge such poor and destitute orphans and children of living brother Masons who have not the means to confer this benefit upon their off-spring, upon a fair and equitable plan of admission to be determined by the Grand Lodge." It was further decided that when $15,000.00 had been raised that the school should be set and that the plans for raising the money could be found in the Proceedings of 1846.

In the year 1850 the Grand Lodge proceeded to take definite action as to the location of such a school. The school was finally to be located at Oxford and a committee composed of J. G. Bynum, J. A. Lillington, and P. H. Winston was appointed to prepare and publish a paper which would set forth the system of education proposed and the course of study. This was to be committed to the several subordinate lodges and the matter fully explained and their cooperation sought. This address has some very startling statements also. For instance, "It is not to be disguised that in most of the colleges of the Union the system of education has not kept pace with the improvements of the age. It is the intention of the Grand Lodge that their institutions shall be able to furnish all young men with as full and complete a collegiate education as can be obtained at any similar institution in the Union. No gentleman's education can be regarded as complete, nor ought to be regarded as complete, without a knowledge of the dead languages, but it certainly is improper that two-thirds of a young man's life should be occupied in this one branch of education - to be forgotten in most instances very soon after he engages in the busy avocations of life - to the exclusion of those other more useful species of knowledge which will better prepare him to act well his part as a man." This is 1851! We may not be so modern in our present views after all.

The committee urged in this address that something of Astronomy, Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Geology, Electricity, and Galvanism as taught in some schools should be continued, but that a larger emphasis should be placed upon Architecture, the power of Steam and its application to machinery, various processes of Manufactures, Metallurgy, Natural History and Engineering. This we think, can in a great measure be done by devoting more attention to what is useful and less to what may be called ornamental - more to what will prepare a young man to succeed in the great business of life, and less to that which will enable him to shine in the walks of literature. The following sentence closed the address: "Every Mason may rest assured, that the Institution about to be established at Oxford will be one at which his son will have every advantage to be obtained at colleges of the highest character in the United States, and where, free from sectarian influence, he shall have instilled into his mind those principles of Morality, Brotherly Love and Charity which constitute the chief corner-stone of our beloved Temple."

Property was offered for sale at Oxford and a committee composed of R. W. Herndon, R. T. Taylor, W. W. Young and J. T. Littlejohn was appointed to acquire this property and secure from the General Assembly an act of incorporation for a "Masonic College." I am sorry that I have not been able to locate the charter and the list of original trustees who were to be 30 good men and Masons, and with one man from each lodge were to cooperate in working out the plans. At a time when there were only 65 lodges in the state an agent was appointed to solicit funds for the establishment of the college. St. John's College was decided as the name for the new institution and in 1853 E. H. Hicks deeded to the Trustees of St. John's College a tract of land of 109 acres near the corporate limits of the town of Oxford, at a price of $4,480.00.

In 1855 the contract was awarded to John Berry, of Orange County, and J. N. Holt, of Warren County, for the building of said college, the contract totaling in its cost, $22,500.00. In the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of December 1855 the Grand Master reports that on the 24th of June of that year, the anniversary of the birth of St. John the Baptist, the cornerstone of St. John's College was laid with appropriate ceremonies by the Grand Lodge and that large assemblies numbering several thousand were addressed by Rev. Leonidas Smith of Warrenton. A copy of this address may be found at the library of the Grand Lodge.

A striking statement in the address of Brother Smith is recorded here. Referring to the St. John's College he said, "Let Masons then cherish this institution of itself. It will be a refutation of all the slander that has been heaped on the fraternity. It will show what we are and what we aim to accomplish. It will be a standing evidence of our character, of our ability and of our benevolent intentions."

It is of interest also to note that the Grand Chapter of North Carolina cooperated in raising funds for St. John's College.

It is interesting also to note the dimensions of this building, "The building is 122 feet by 40 feet, the center is 63 feet, is four stories and a basement, contains 53 dormitories, a Chapel 40 feet by 60 feet, four recitation rooms, two society rooms and other rooms for chemical and other purposes." The four rooms suited for the accommodations of professors were provided each with a fire-place. A spacious chapel was provided, with a gallery around it, capable of seating conveniently 1,200 persons. It was said in the report of the Board of Trustees in 1857 that the building, in architectural beauty, surpasses all specimens to be found within the border of the state.

The first financial agent was R. C. Maynard. Later L. A. Paschall, of Granville County, and S. S. Bryant were elected agents. Mr. R. W. Lassiter signed the first report of the Board of Trustees as its President.

The campaign for funds continued with opposition on the part of a great many who felt that it was an impossible task. From the very beginning a rough road seemed to be that which the young college should travel. Agents for collection of funds were appointed and each, as he went out, was instructed to refute the arguments advanced against the institution.

In 1857 it was reported that the building was completed at a cost of $23,000 and that $13,000 remained unpaid. The college was opened July 13, 1858, with Prof. Ashbel G. Brown, a distinguished educator in charge, and Mr. James Campbell, assistant. The college was for male students only. In two years another Principal and assistant undertook to carry on the work. The management of the institution was changed several times without result and the troubles of the college never came to an end. It was converted from one type of school to another, yet nothing brought success. A report of R. W. Lassiter, President of its Board of Trustees, to the Grand Lodge in 1860 indicated the college as doing splendidly with Thomas C. Tuley as principal, with Joseph Venable as assistant. It was suggested that St. John's College at this time be made a military school, and again, as the war broke out, this was renewed with an effort to offer it to the State for this purpose, but such was never done. Then came the clouds of war and with the suspension of a great many of the Southern schools St. John's College went the way of the rest; suspended its operations as the war came on.

The school was in debt with many creditors one of whom was Mr. John Berry, one of the contractors in the beginning. At the close of the war Mr. John H. Mills, who was conducting a female school in Oxford, made arrangements to move into the building and had contemplated purchasing the same. He abandoned this idea and was succeeded by Rev. J. H. Phillips, and he in turn by Rev. C. B. Riddick, whose last session ended in 1871. In 1868 the property was sold under a mortgage held by Capt. John Berry and was bought by the Grand Lodge of Masons for the sum of $7,000. An effort was made at the close of the school in 1871 to arrange for a re-opening or to lease the property. These failed and a caretaker moved into the building until further disposition could be made. Thus the story of St. John's College closed in a record of failure, but not until the Masons of the State had placed themselves in the ranks of the pioneers of education in North Carolina and had set forth ideals of education which, through the passing years, have not been wasted on the desert air, but have been embodied in the educational ideals and institutions which have been established throughout the years.

I have dwelt at unusual length in the discussion of the struggle for the establishment of a Masonic educational institution. I have gone to some length in referring to the aims and ideals prevailing and have spent but little time referring to dates and details. My purpose in this was to show, not so much when, or the details of how, but to give just what I have, namely, the philosophy back of the whole program. Strong and noble men labored with great effort to enable the continuation of our first institution.

But every crisis brings not the end of ideals and hopes but oftimes the shifting of ground and the renewing of effort in the direction of other ideals and hopes more deep-rooted in their nature and grappling with problems which represent even a more acute need. What was the significance then of seeming failure of Masonry in an effort to conduct a purely educational enterprise? It seems that private individuals, religious denominations and the State have had greater success in this field and Masonry, instead of being embittered, of growing sour in its effort to establish its own institution, has builded up in educational line since 1871 its wonderfully useful Masonic Loan Fund, which amounts to practically $100,000; placed at the various educational institutions of all sorts in the state to be loaned to worthy students, and the germ of interest manifested in earlier days by the Grand Chapters has found an outlet in the York Rite Loan Fund for the education of worthy students graduating from the Oxford Orphanage who desire to attend college; while at least one individual has become interested and made available a similar fund.

But let us return to the matter of St. John's College. At the meeting of the Grand Lodge in 1872 the all absorbing question was "What shall be done with St. John's College property?" A resolution was introduced that the property, considerably encumbered with debt, should be sold. Nobody could even be found to lease the property. It was an hour for some real man to step forward with a challenging solution. That man appeared in the person of Mr. John H. Mills, who offered a substitute resolution. Towering over the brethren with his 300 pounds of weight, this gracious man presented his substitute resolution which resolved "The St. John's College be made into an asylum for the protection, training and education of indigent orphan children." It was a great hour. Nothing of the kind had before been proposed in the State. An institution for this purpose had before gone out of business in a town in eastern North Carolina. The argument in the Grand Lodge was lengthy. Some wanted to sell and use the money to build a Masonic Temple. Others, looking over the state, learned of the sad and perilous condition of many children left destitute and homeless and felt strong in the conviction that the Supreme Architect of the Universe would have St. John's College "formed into a home for the homeless." A vote was taken, the result being a tie. Another great man - the incoming Grand Master, Mr. John Nichols, called upon to break the tie, voted in favor of the orphanage. He referred to this as long as he lived as the greatest act of his life. It is, therefore, very fitting that the portraits of these two men should adorn the walls of the Chapel this day at the Oxford Orphanage.

The next question, after the establishment of the Oxford Orphan Asylum, was who should begin its work. Mr. John H. Mills was elected its first Superintendent. At that time he was editor of the Biblical Recorder, the leading publication of the Baptist denomination of the state, but he accepted the great trust imposed upon him and with rugged way, but large in body, mind and soul, he was well equipped to begin the pioneer work for the homeless children in North Carolina. The Oxford Orphanage, therefore, became the first of its kind in the state and one of the first in the South. The sum of $500 was appropriated for the maintenance of its work the first year and the superintendent was asked to bring the matter before the minds and the hearts of the people of the State.

In February, 1873, the first children were admitted in the persons of Robert L. and Nancy Parrish and Isabella Robertson, of Granville County, who arrived in an old battered wagon. Past Grand Master Francis D. Winston states that he witnessed the scene, so I will let him describe it in his language: "It was a Saturday afternoon. A dull cloud hung in the sky. A man with a one-horse wagon drove to the door. Mr. Mills, with a gruff voice asked his mission. He told it. The gigantic form of our friend shook with emotion. He lifted the pale youth from the wagon with a paw of a lion. He raised him in the air, and with melting pity and tears let him drop upon his heart and kissed him. It was indeed the caress of a lion, but it was truly the caress of love." Thus, there was commenced by the Masonic fraternity that movement in the life of North Carolina which has resulted in this one institution having cared for, for a brief or for a longer time, approximately 4,500 homeless children. And more than this, with this beginning under the leadership of Mr. Mills, he, himself, later going into a similar task for another group, has brought sheltering care and tender training to thousands of others until tonight in the orphanages of the state there are approximately 5,000 children. In addition to this child-caring institution for the feeble-minded, for the blind, the deaf and dumb, the crippled, and training for children who have strayed from the path of rectitude, have grown up all over the state, fostered by private agencies, fraternal societies, religious denominations, states and counties and commonwealth of the state.

The struggles of this new institution were many and the discouragements to the faithful toilers of that day were not few. Eighty-four children came the first year. Supplies came in slowly. The people of Granville County and of the state responded well to the requests for help and the story of Mr. John H. Mills, with his old wagon and his foraging trips are still remembered by many, and later a little group of children, singing and taking collection, was the source of considerable help and formed a basis for the present singing class of the institution. It is reported that 109 children were in the orphanage at the end of the first year. It is interesting to note that in those early days the state assemblies of the great religious denominations passed resolutions approving the work of the Oxford Orphan Asylum and urged their pastors to take collections in all their churches and forward the same to the superintendent.

The appropriation from the Grand Lodge was increased to $1,000 the second year and additional workers were added to the staff and a more adequate course of study provided for the education of the children. In 1876 a committee composed of W. E. Anderson, J. A. Leach and F. H. Busbee appeared before the Legislature asking for assistance from the state for the orphanage. It was not secured at that time.

The year 1877 was hard for the orphanage. There was dissension over the matter of asking the State for support and there was a difference of opinion as to the assessment of newly-made Masons for the support of the Orphan Asylum. The Grand Lodge, in 1877, appointed a committee to inspect the institution and ascertain whether or not it was the thing to do to continue the work. At the same time a committee composed of Thomas S. Kenan, Zebulon B. Vance, Edwin G. Reade, J. M. Worth, Eugene Grissom, W. E. Anderson, J. A. Leach and F. H. Busbee, was appointed to again appear before the Legislature and call special attention to that body that the obligation imposed upon the state of North Carolina by the Constitution was to care for destitute orphan children within its bounds. The Grand Lodge was then appropriating $2,000 a year and the benefits of the orphanage were not then, nor have they been since, restricted to the children of Masons and there has always been a larger majority of the children whose fathers were not Masons. In 1878 a committee composed of W. R. Cox, John Nichols, Z. M. Paschall, J. B. Neathery and R. T. Gray visited the Asylum and recommended to the Grand Lodge of that year that its work be continued. Special mention was made of the generosity of the people of Granville County to the institution. The report of the committee was enthusiastically adopted. Orphan Asylum committees in all lodges were appointed to create interest in the orphanage, collect funds and send to the superintendent, and this committee be given, at every lodge meeting, a chance to present its claims. Grand Master W. R. Cox was requested to appeal to Gov. Zebulon B. Vance renewing the request for state aid and the govenor was asked to recommend this in his message to the General Assembly. W. S. Harris, senator from Franklin, introduced the resolution and the amount of $3,000 per year was appropriated. In 1881 the amount was increased to $5,000. In 1885 it was increased to $10,000, and today it is $30,000.

In 1879 there was need of additional buildings and a part of the land of the Asylum was sold and a boys’ building, located on the hill several hundred yards from St. John's College was erected and completed in 1882. A small endowment which the institution had, with the $2,500 from the sale of land was applied to the erection of this building. During the years of 1879-80 there was considerable awakening of interest in North Carolina in orphanage work. The state had made its appropriations. The religious denominations passed resolutions commending the work at Oxford and urged that collections be taken. Masonry had at last started a movement that seemed to be growing in favor. Until 1884 the superintendent of the Orphanage reported direct to the Grand Lodge and was annually re-elected by this body. The work of the orphanage was vested largely in the superintendent. A catalogue of the Orphan Asylum at Oxford, of the date of 1882, is in our possession and shows the following list of workers: J. H. Mills, superintendent; J. S. Midyette, assistant superintendent and teacher of Third Form, Boys; Mrs. E. E. Midyette, teacher of Second Form, Boys; Miss A. E. Shelton, teacher of First Form, Boys; Miss Mary S. Long, teacher of Third Form, Girls; Miss A. M. Clewell, teacher of Second Form, Girls; Miss M. A. Harrison, teacher of First Forms, Girls; Miss M. F. Jordan, in charge of Books, Correspondence and Vocal Music; Mrs. E. H. Jones, manager of Sewing Room; Miss S. P. Van Duyn, housekeeper.

It is of value here to spend a little time in acquainting ourselves with the real philosophy of Brother Mills in shaping the policy of the orphanage work. A part of the original resolution read as follows: "The orphan children in the said asylum shall be fed and clothed, and shall receive such preparatory training and education as will prepare them for useful occupations and for the usual business transactions of life… The design of the Orphan Asylum shall be to protect, train and educate indigent and promising orphan children, to be received between the ages of eight and twelve, who have no parents, nor property, nor near relatives able to assist them. They shall not be received for a shorter time than two years. In extraordinary cases the superintendent may receive children outside the ages specified." Children who had been deserted were not to be admitted, nor were children who had step-fathers. It was also deemed advisable not to admit children with deformities. It was considered beyond the reach of the orphanage to employ mechanics to teach trades. However, this was changed in a short while and plans were set up to give vocational training. It is interesting to note that the admonition was given that the institution be conducted on the cash system and that the larger girls assist in the ordinary house work, and in the making and mending of clothes, and that the larger boys assist in the preparation of fuel, care of stock and the cultivation of the soil. It is interesting to note that although $500 was given for the first year's work by the Grand Lodge, that at the end of the year Brother Mills reported that $5,704.00 had been spent and that he had $160.00 on hand.

The following appeared in the catalogue for the Orphan Asylum of 1882 - a document which had rather wide circulation: "The Orphan Asylum is doing good in four ways:

1. It stimulates education by directing the attention of parents to the value of learning.

2. It takes helpless orphans away from the vices to which they are exposed, away from the ignorance in which they are groping, away from the extreme destitution which many of them suffer, and away from the sad and shameful slavery which many of them so patiently endure. It gives them a pleasant home, sufficient food and comfortable clothing. Efficient, scholastic instruction and sound moral lessons are day by day improving their minds and hearts, and guiding their inexperienced feet in ways of wisdom and virtue.

3. It checks popular avarice and restrains the love of money, the ruling passion of the people. It opens and widens the channels of benevolence and gladdens the hearts of those who have felt themselves friendless and forsaken.

4. It teaches the world that Masonry means love, relief, and truth; the Masonic signs are eyes of pity for the poor, ears open to the cry for help, mouths ready to condemn the wrong, defend the right and comfort the afflicted; hands helping the needy, and feet going on errands of love and mercy. Genuine Masonry compels its votaries to go about doing good, and the Orphan Asylum is a perpetual appeal to the charity of every human heart, a never-ceasing sermon on the beauty of benevolence and a blessed benediction on the head of every cheerful giver."

As a justification for the work of the orphanage at the end of the first ten years, the following statement was made by its superintendent: "A large majority of the discharged Orphans are now prosperous as citizens, and useful to the State."

The foundations for the orphanage work at Oxford were further laid by Mr. Mills in the erection of some new buildings, in the increased appropriations, in a continuing stream of children pouring into the institution, and into the working out of the first set of rules or regulations and plans for the care of orphan children in the state. Children were placed from the orphanage out into homes and many of them were adopted. This statement occurs in an old catalogue: "We are always glad to accommodate childless couples who wish to adopt children as their own; but greatly prefer that they should come and make their own selections. Thus we see the beginnings of the whole program of child-placing, which had gained large proportions in our state and country.

The following questionnaire was sent to those desiring to take children into their homes:

1. Describe precisely such an orphan as you want.

2. State clearly and fully what you will expect said orphan to do.

3. Say what you are willing to do for the orphan.

4. Do not use any indefinite expressions. Do not inquire if we "have any children to put out," and do not ask if we "want homes for them."

5. Do not propose to treat an orphan "as a member of the family". A dog is a member of the family, because it is often said that every properly organized family consists of a father, a mother, a son, a daughter and a dog.

6. Those who take orphans pay their traveling expenses. Money should also be sent to pay for the usual meals.

7. Unknown parties should be endorsed by the offlcers of Masonic Lodges, or other reliable persons."

The Orphans' Friend was commenced also during these first 10 years, to be published each week at a price exactly the same as it is today.

The following schedule of studies was observed in the orphanage school:

FIRST FORM

Primers and Elementary Spelling Books.

First and Second Readers.

Making Letters and Figures.

Vocal Music and Calisthenics.

SECOND FORM

Third and Fourth Readers.

Swinton's Word Book.

Sanford's Primary and Intermediate Arithmetics.

Mitchell's Primary Geography.

Greene's Elementary Grammar.

Moore's History of North Carolina.

Writing.

Vocal Music and Calisthenics.

THIRD FORM

Fifth Readers.

Patterson's Speller.

Sanford's, Felter's and Olney's Arithmetics.

Mitchell's Intermediate Geography.

Clark's and Reed and Kellogg's Grammars.

History of United States.

History of England.

History of Greece.

History of Rome.

Hart's Composition.

Writing.

Vocal Music and Calisthenics.

I think all of this is sufficient to show us that from the very beginning the work of the orphanage was pitched on a high plane and with an aim and ideal that was probably in advance of the day, and the foundations for the pioneer work were safe and secure.

The story of the orphanage from that day until now is a story of progress and of growth in the number of children to be taken care of, in the amount of equipment involved, and in the interest of the state at large in the work of the institution. Changing ideals of child training and education have gradually found their way into the institution. I shall hurry through the few changes in the life of the Oxford Orphan Asylum.

In January, 1884, Grand Master Bingham and the Orphan Asylum Committee of the Grand Lodge of that date appointed a Board of Directors for the Orphanage and re-elected Brother Mills. The superintendent was also instructed to install a set of books. With these new features set up by the Grand Lodge, Brother Mills, feeling that he could not continue, declined to accept the superintendency, but agreed to serve until his successor was appointed. The directors elected were: H. F. Granger, Goldsboro; Thomas Kenan, Raleigh; Julian S. Carr, Durham; A. H. A. Williams, Oxford; and H. H. Munson, Wilmington. Brother H. F. Granger withdrew and H. T. Bahnson, of Salem, took his place. Dr. B. F. Dixon was chosen superintendent, and thus Brother Mills went from the Oxford Orphan Asylum, not to forget the call of childhood, but to go forth and present their appeal to the Baptists of the state, which resulted in the establishment of what is now the Mills Home at Thomasville.

The work of Dr. Dixon, commencing in 1884, was of a constructive type and his Board of Directors, with the grand master, as ex-officio Chairman of all Boards from the beginning, consisted of Fab Busbee, grand master and president of the Board, A. H. A. Williams, secretary; Thomas S. Kenan, C. T. Bailey, J. S. Carr, and T. A. Green.

Dr. Dixon, in his report of 1885, builds upon the foundation formed by Mr. Mills. This statement occurs: "At least four religious denominations shall be represented among the officers of the Asylum and the representatives of all religious creeds and all political parties shall be treated alike."

The By-Laws of that year outlined the duties of the Board of Directors and the superintendent, stating that "the superintendent shall be a married man, have board and lodging for himself in the Asylum free of charge and receive a salary of $1,200.00 a year. He shall keep two books - a book of receipts and a book of disbursements. He shall make regular reports to the Directors at their meetings and be executive head of the Asylum."

The number of children in the Asylum in 1885 was 175. Other names appearing on the Board of Directors besides the grand master's, through the years, were C. T. Bailey, J. M. Currin, G. Rosenthal, N. B. Broughton, J. W. Cotten and B. S. Royster. In 1893 the State of North Carolina appointed three members to the Board of Directors, - B. N. Duke, of Durham; J. M. Ramsey, of Seaboard; and Fielding Knott, of Oxford. Succeeding Mr. Knott, three years later, was Mr. C. W. Toms, of Durham, and succeeding Mr. Ramsey was E. F. Lovill, of Watauga County, and upon the resignation of Mr. B. N. Duke, Dr. Dred Peacock was selected.

A local Advisory Board of three Granville County Masons was created in 1889. The first members were John W. Hays, N. A. Gregory, and J. M. Currin. This board is today composed of B. W. Parham, A. H. Powell, and J. M. Baird.

Dr. Dixon, during his administration, was able to enlarge the orphanage by the erection of what is now the Walker Building, the gift of Mrs. Letitia Morehead Walker, in memory of her son, John Morehead Walker. This building was used as a residence by the superintendent until 1904 when it was converted into a hospital. Several acres of land were bought in 1884 from R. O. Gregory and L. C. Taylor. During these days the industrial departments of the orphanage were greatly increased as Dr. Dixon was quite enthusiastic along this line. In 1886 and 1887 the Shoe Shop, Printing Office, etc., were added and buildings arranged for these purposes. Tribute is paid, not only to Dr. Dixon, but his wife, who, with him, worked out the policies of the orphanage and contributed much to its progressive policy during those days. The number of children, during his administration, went as high as 264. Brother Dixon resigned in 1890 and Rev. J. T. Harris, of Durham, was elected in his place.

Hardly had Brother Harris entered on his work, when in November of that same year, he died. Dr. Dixon managed the affairs of the institution until a successor could be appointed.

In January, 1891, Dr. W. S. Black, of Raleigh, was made superintendent. During his administration the orphanage also underwent many changes and, likewise, Mrs. Black, known as "Aunt Mary", was a fine spirit within the life of the home. The age of reception and discharge of children was changed, making the dates six to eighteen. At this time Mr. A. H. A. Williams, of Oxford, was treasurer and was succeeded by Mr. G. Rosenthal, in 1892. During Dr. Black's administration the industrial features of the orphanage were carried forward and enlarged. In 1894, a few months after the death of his wife, Dr. Black gave up the work, returning to the ministry of the Methodist Church.

He was succeeded by Mr. N. M. Lawrence, of Tarboro, and early in his administration the institution was incorporated as "The Oxford, North Carolina, Orphan Asylum". The work by this time was well established and orphanage activities in the state had grown to where the Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Methodists had institutions doing a similar work. One of the outstanding pieces of work done by Mr. Lawrence was the change from the old congregate system of the orphanage to the separate building or cottage system. It is seen readily that during these days the orphanage was willing to be actually making adjustments in its plans of work in keeping with the advancing ideas of the day in regard to child-care. At this time Brother Lawrence and others were able to interest Mr. B. N. Duke in the affairs of the orphanage to a greater extent than ever and he offered to contribute half of the funds required for such buildings as were needed and planned by Mr. Lawrence. As a result, four cottages for boys and a central dining room building were started, and a little later four cottages for girls were completed, - the first in 1897, the last in 1899. Thus the gift of Mr. Duke, coming at the time which it did, guaranteed for the Oxford Orphanage increased possibility and evidenced its effectiveness and permanency. This act on his part showed that men of large means had become interested and, as the other institutions of similar kind over the state were wondering as to their future, the stability accorded the Oxford Orphanage gave impetus and encouragement to similar institutions as well as our own. Other gifts, through the years, have been made and the list of those contributing either as memorials, through their wills, or in donations, is long and appreciated.

Mr. Lawrence retired from the management of the orphanage July, 1898, and was succeeded by Col. W. J. Hicks, of Raleigh. During his administration the work of the orphanage school was greatly emphasized and improved. The business organization of the orphanage was reorganized and improved. The buildings commenced under Mr. Lawrence were finished and occupied. Buildings for laundry, sewing, printing office and shoe shop and wood working departments were completed. An office or administration building was erected. Deep wells were bored. These, along with many smaller improvements, greatly added to the efficiency and possibilities of the orphanage for a higher grade of work. Each superintendent, during his administration, was able to lead the orphanage into making necessary improvements and reorganize wherever necessary for more effective child care. The institution, during that time, was able to take care of 325 children

It is an inspiring page to read the reports through those days and learn how the orphanage rose to meet the situation. Col. Hicks offered his resignation to take effect September 1 1909, but with the election of Mr. R. L. Brown, of Oxford, as assistant superintendent, Col. Hicks remained.

On January 14, 1911, Col. Hicks, who for nearly 13 years was head of the institution, passed to his reward and Mr. R. L. Brown was selected to take his place. The capacity of the institution at that time was 325. The Board of Directors, in its report of 1911, pay this splendid tribute to Col. Hicks, "It is due to his sound judgment and wise counsel that the institution has attained its present high state of efficiency".

During the administration of Mr. Brown the progress and development of the institution continued. Cottages were remodeled; a beautiful fire-proof school building, second to none, was erected and named in honor of Past Grand Master John Nichols; a new hospital, fire-proof and commodious and well equipped, was erected and named in honor of Col. Hicks. The work of the orphanage school was reorganized and set apart as the distinctive enterprise, with a principal giving his full time to the directing of the school.

Many changes have occurred during these years in the members of the Board of Directors, but always men of large vision have been selected and have dedicated themselves to the sacred task intrusted to them. Mention should be made especially to Gen. B. S. Royster, of Oxford, who for many years was a tower of strength and help in the affairs of the institution and too much cannot be said of his valuable service rendered most graciously to the institution. There are other names among the Grand Lodge officers, other names among faithful workers at the orphanage, that might well be mentioned, each having contributed his or her part, for although the orphanage has received much in material assistance, it takes men and women to translate these ideals into actual life.

It was during this administration that the York Rite Loan Fund, to aid worthy orphanage students desiring to enter college was established, and that the A. B. Andrews Loan Fund, for practically the same purpose, was established, and also the York Rite Library Fund, to furnish books and magazines for the children. The Shrine Swimming Pool, a gift of Sudan and Oasis Temples, was also built during this time, and the orphanage became the beneficiary of legacies from Mr. B. N. Duke and family, Angier B. Duke and endowments from other sources, principally the John W. Neal Trust Fund. This former orphanage boy remembered his childhood home, as well as a similar institution at Winston-Salem, and the income from this magnificent endowment is a bulwark of financial strength in the carrying on of the orphanage. During this time a home for the treasurer and superintendent were erected, and in fact, in material equipment the orphanage, during the administration of Mr. Brown, made remarkable progress.

Improvements were also made in methods of dealing with children and progress made in the direction of the adoption of more modern methods for child-care. These, however, come slowly and results can not be as quickly attained as in the field of material development.

In the midst of his work, Superintendent R. L. Brown died one March morning as he walked across the beautiful campus and under the trees of the institution into which he had put the best of his life. The institution found itself again facing the task of selecting a successor, and realizing the changing ideal and methods in the field of education and child-care, and realizing the importance of maintaining proper contacts with the state and the members of the Fraternity, and realizing that the institution had grown to large proportions, the directors were slow in their selection of a successor. Gen. B. S. Royster directed the affairs of the orphanage until a new superintendent should arrive. Grand Master R. C. Dunn announced in May that Rev. C. K. Proctor, of Rocky Mount, had been elected superintendent of the Oxford Orphanage and would assume his duties on August 1, 1928. Since that time I have given the best I have to this inspiring task. The record from August 1, 1928, therefore, must be written by another.

It may seem that in the review of the history of the orphanage that I have given the superintendents a major part of the credit for the growth and development of the orphanage. How much is due to them no one can ever know and it is certain that no one would attempt to deny them the credit which they deserve, but it needs to be brought out that the progress of the institution has been led by outstanding men and Masons of the State who were grand masters in their day and who, after serving their fraternity as grand masters, have still counted it a pleasure to promote the interests of their beloved orphanage. In the forefront with these there have been other Masons-members of various boards and committees who have taken the leadership in campaigns to raise money or in efforts to protect the orphanage from all inroads, and to spur the superintendent to greater activity, and to lead the State and the Craft in making suitable provision for the orphanage. Campaigns for the school building, the hospital, and for the buildings recently erected, led by men like Gen. Royster, of Oxford; R. C. Dunn, of Enfield; Leon Cash, of Winston-Salem; and others whose names emblazen the tablets of history, should all come in for their part of the credit. To these, and to the far-sighted leadership of many others, and to the faithful leadership of each man in the ranks, too much honor can not be given.

Let us return to another phase of the work of the orphanage. The task of the orphanage is not simply to feed and clothe and keep the children from degradation, but to prepare them to take honorable places in the social order to which they shall some day go. The program of life, therefore, at the orphanage is gradually changing. The Oxford Orphanage, as the institution is now called, stands among the leaders in the country, its staff of workers numbers approximately 65 and it is really a city within itself. It has kept pace with many modern improvements. However there is much yet to be done. There are buildings that need to be remodeled, material equipment of a new type necessary in many places, and there is need for a larger endowment and for a larger interest in the further education of the boys and girls; there is need for the consideration carefully of the plans of service for the future, both in internal reorganization in policy, as well as the general policy to be worked out by Boards of Directors and the Grand Lodge. The orphanage property today in permanent equipment, endowments, special funds and all of its assets, is approximately $1,300,000, with an annual budget of approximately $175,000, when expenditures for all purposes are considered.

At present there are 393 children here and the capacity will not soon be increased. The present Board of Directors is composed of: J. W. Winborne, grand master; Marion H. C. Alexander, deputy grand master, Charlotte; Peter T. Wilson, senior grand warden, Winston-Salem; Roy F. Ebbs, junior grand warden, Asheville; A. B. Andrews, Raleigh; R. L. Flowers, Durham; T. A. Green, New Bern; R. C. Dunn, Enfield; S. M. Gattis, Hillsboro; Luther T. Hartsell Jr., Concord; J. LeGrand Everett, Rockingham; and Thomas J. Harkins, Asheville. Three of these are appointed by the Governor of North Carolina. The grand master of the Grand Lodge is ex-officio member of the Board and is chairman. The Deputy Grand Master, the senior grand warden and the junior grand warden are members of the Board ex-officio. Appropriations come to us from the state amounting to $30,000 per year, and the Grand Lodge $50,000 per year. The difference between this and the budget is made up from the income from endowments and investments and especially the voluntary gifts of Masons and friends.

The Oxford Orphanage has struggled upward through the years and although it is not grown, - and we hope will never be, - we feel that it is secure and permanent in the life of the Fraternity and the State. It is the pride of Masons in North Carolina and in it will be the pride of all the people of the State. It is the recipient of love and admiration and of gifts of a material sort from people throughout the commonwealth and of the approximately 4,500 who have come within its sheltering care. Many have, of course, passed into the Great Beyond; many are scattered o'er all the earth, and engaged in all pursuits. The Orphanage has failed in many respects, to be sure, but the mistakes are not of the heart. Some of her children have not turned out well, but most of them have. The orphanage gathered to her bosom and to her great loving heart these hundreds has done the best she could, has saved for the State and society the Lord only knows how much in dollars and cents, has saved from sin and crime more than the world will ever know, and from this campus throughout the world a stream of life, carrying joy, happiness, culture, the will to work and to serve, has gone forth through the years.

The question has been asked, "What has Masonry done for the Oxford Orphanage, or what has North Carolina done for the Oxford Orphanage?" I close with this question, "What has the Oxford Orphanage done to, and for, Masonry; to, and for, the State of North Carolina?" May we pledge ourselves anew to the carrying forward of the work.

Proctor was Superintendent of Oxford Orphanage at the time of this writing.

NOCALORE

Volume 1-Part 1-1931

Copyright, Grand Lodge of North Carolina, AF & AM