The Lincoln times., 1956-04-26
Dr.. PIennnons
Taking Over As
ASTC President

at Appalachian State Teachers
college on Tuesday, the gath of
April. On that date will be the
inauguration of DR.. w. H. Plem-
mons as President of the college -
the first such ceremony in the
history of the fifty-seven-year -old
institution. DR.. Plemmons succeeds
DR.. B. B. Dougherty. the co-found-
er and president of the college
from 1899 to July /, 1856, and DR..
]. D. Rankin, who served as in
terim president from July 1 to
September l.
Visitors from all parts of North
Carolina, and from many other
states, are expected on the campus
for the Inauguration. The formal
program will include D. S. Col
trane, assistant director Of the
budget, who will be Governor
Luther H. Hodges personal rep
resentative for the occasion; Will
liam j. Conrad, chairman of the
Board of Trustees of the college;
DR.. D. Hiden Ramsey, chairman
Of the State Board of Higher Edu-
cation; Mayor Gordon H. Winkler
of Boone; DR.. Hoyt Blackwell of
Mars Hill college; Harry Hally-
burton, president of the Alumni
Association; William H. Benson,
president of the student body; and
DR.. j. T. c. Wright, oldest men,
ber of the faculty in term Of
service.
DIR. PLEMMONS
Dr.. Plemmons was born on a
farm in Buncombe County, N. C.
He attended a three-room school
for the first six years of his edu-
cation; this school and two or
three others being consolidated
into the West Buncombe School,
which he attended first as a sew
enth grader - and until he was
graduated in 1924. CThe hi 6 h
school department of this and two
or three other schools were con-
solidated at the beginning of this
year into the new Clyde A. Erwin
high SchoolD
He attended Mars Hill College
1924-26, graduating in 1925. He
worked in a grocery store during
the fall semester of 1926-27 to
earn money to continue in col
lege. Entered Wake Forest College
in midyear and was graduated
cum laude in 1923. Majored in his
tory and completed requirements
for certificate to teach. After sew
eral years of study at Duke Uni
versity he received the AM. de-
gree in 1895. During the summers
of 1887, 1899. 1910 and 1941 he
attended the University of Chi
cago, and in 194l was appointed
Teaching Fellow at the Univer-
sity of North Carolina from where
he received the Phi. D. degree in
1943.
About the time he finished the
requirements for the PHI. %. degree
in the spring of l943. the Director
of Admissions at the University OF
North Carolina went into military
service. Dr.. PlemmonS became the
admissions officer of the Univer-
sity. In 1914, the Registrar took
leave of absence, and DR.. Plem-
mons became also the registrar
He combined and held these two
positions until after the war.
When the Director of Admis-
sions returned from service, Dr.
Plemmons became associate pro-
fessor of education at the Univer-
sity of North Carolina - posi-
ton he held during 1946-47. In
the summer of l947 he was a
member of the summer school
faculty at Appalachian State
Teachers College.
During the session of l947, the
General Assembly of North Caro-
lima authorized the Governor to
appoint an Education Commission
to make a comprehensive study OF
public education In this state. The
Commission elected DR.. Plemmons
to serve as it's executive secretary
which position he filled through
out the life of the Commission
l947-49.
From l949 to 1855 DR.. Plemmons
was professor of education at the
University of North Carolina. Dur
ing the past summer. 1855, he
taught at the University OF Den
YER. On September /. 1885, he be-
came President of Appalachian
State Teachers College.