Barron Mills - July 2, 2008

July 03, 2008 04:32 pm

— My parents met one another for the first time at the Old Well on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
My mother was attending classes at summer school. Only females who were daughters of faculty or full-time residents of Chapel Hill were allowed to enroll as full-time students during the regular terms since there was no lodging available for female students.
Mother was meeting there at the Old Well because a student in her class, Tom McKnight, had asked her to meet him there to go out for a stroll through the campus to show her around.
Mother, Elizabeth May Pickett of Madison, N.C. was a regular student during the school year at Sweet Briar College at Sweet Briar, Va.
Actually, my father, Lapsley Barron Mills Sr., went to the old well to meet Miss Pickett because his roommate Tom was sleeping off a hangover and asked my father to meet the attractive young lady at the Old Well and show her around the campus.
Apparently Barron and Elizabeth liked one another because he saw her several times during that summer session before she returned to Sweet Briar College to continue her preparation for a teaching career.
Both of my parents were born in 1901 and were too young to be involved in World War I.
Mother graduated from Sweet Briar College in 1922. Elizabeth and Barron Sr. continued their courtship and were married Sept. 1, 1926, in Madison. Mother then joined him in Statesville where my father and his brother, Lathan, were partners in a clothing store.
I was born on July 17, 1927. Their only other child, Joan, was born June 2, 1929. As a young lad I never could understand why my sister celebrated her birthday before I did. After all I was the first born child! I bet my Mother tried to explain that to me many times, but I was hard to convince.
My thoughts turned back to Chapel Hill because I can hardly believe the size of the student body these days and the sprawling campus of the University of North Carolina.
I first matriculated there when I entered summer school in the summer of 1944 after finishing 11 grades and graduating from Laurinburg High School at age 16.
However, I turned 17 a few weeks later but managed to become a member of the sophomore class before I had to volunteer for the Navy in World War II.
During my first semester at UNC I lived in Steele Dormitory in the heart of the cam
СТТТpus. This was the only dorm available to men Ц the ROTC and other military students occupied the other dormitories, except the female dorms.
Civilian females far outnumbered the males who were not there with programs regimented by the Navy, Army or Marine Corp.
I joined Alpha Tau Omega fraternity whose beautiful fraternity was almost across the street from Graham Memorial Student Center. However for lack of membership, the house was rented to a female sorority.
I started out at the Old Well and I guess I had better end there also. The Old Well is still a prominent feature of the old campus.
However, there is no old oaken bucket and long rope to lower into the well to capture a long drink of cool water.
I believe there is a water fountain there, but only the brave would dare to drink the water!

Barron Mills came to Asheboro in March 1955 when he bought The Randolph Guide and became its editor and publisher. He sold the paper in 1991 but still lives in Asheboro.