Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1922-09-30
WOMAN REFUSES
TO BECOME OLD
Mrs. Crawford of North Carolina
Enters Columbia University
at Age Of Seventy-0ne
GRANDSON JUST GRADUATED
This Mentally Alert Grandmother
Wont to vassar More Than Hall
Century Ago, but Declares
There ls No End TO Growth.

New York.-At seventy-one Mrs. A.
p. Crawford Of Greensboro, N. c., has
entered the summer session of Column
bia university as student. College
graduate and Vassar student more
than half century ago, and mother
Of six, Mrs. Crawford Is studying in
order that she may keep mentally alert
and up to date, which, she says, is
the real secret of youth. She Is Co
lumbia's Oldest student.
There is no need to grow old, men
tally at least" said Mrs. Crawford,
who Is living at 400 West 10th street
during her stay here. "Stagnation and
intolerance are ones greatest foes in
keeping young. These changing times
demand new viewpoints, and the wom-
an of today must keep herself well in
formed. 1t Is her duty as citizen"
Mrs. Crawford sees nothing I'M
usual In going to school" at her age,
explaining that she lost her job" when
her children grew up and established
themselves, and in her long, busy life
she has never had as much leisure as
she would like for reading and
study. Three of her five sons are
teachers, another Is merchant In
Winston-Salem, N. c., and the fifth is
connected with the Reynolds Tobacco
company in that city.
Grandson Just Graduated.
A grandson, K. 3. Crawford, was
graduated from the University Of
w. Crawford, is assistant director of
the summer session at Columbia Rich
ard NJ. is teaching at William and
Mary college In Virginia and F. M.
Crawford is an instructor in the high
school at Girard, O.
Mrs. Crawford was teacher her
self for two years after graduation
from the Greensboro College for Won
en- In 1869 and year Of study at
Vassar, then just four years old. Mar
riage to Methodist clergyman inter-
rupted her work and brought with II
home duties and parish work, but she
WAS always an ardent reader, and
kept herself young she believes, by
striving always to be intellectually
awake, keeping herself In constant as
ISOLATION with young people and safe
guarding her health with judicious ex-
ercise and simple rules of hygiene.
'"There is no end to growth" she
declares energetically. Her six
weeks study here she will USE she
explained. as basis for her reading
during the winter months at home
Philosophy and literature interest her
most Comparative literature and
Professor MOntague's course In rad
ical, conservative and reactionary
tendencies In present-day morals are
the subjects she is taking up here.
Doesn't Condemn Flappers.
Asked her opinion Of the modern
"fapper," she replied that the term
was used so Unfortunately that she
was not sure Of its meaning, but that
she did not condemn the young girls
Of today for reaching out toward freer
broader lives. Girls of today do not
study so hard as they used, she said.
but have broader and more intelli-
gent outlook than the schoolgirls of
her generation. But no one has any
excuse for narrowness and stagnation
today. she declared, because knOwl-
edge has been made so accessible in
our schools. libraries and the wealth
Of periodicals In this country.
Her physical youthfulness Mrs
Crawford attributes to life full of
activity, plenty of outdoor exercise
and obedience to the fundamental
laws Of hygiene. In Greensboro she
lives with her daughter, whose two
little girls. seven and eight, are keep
ing up with grandmother" by good
records in school.