school and his services as head and
teacher, the institution was given
the name of Graham Academy. In
the year 1897 by act of the General
Conference of the Methodist Epis¬
copal Church, the Atlantic Mission
Conference was organized at Ocra-
coke by Bishop Edward G. An¬
drews, and Graham Academy be¬
came the Conference Seminary. At
the annual meeting of the Board
of Trustees, May 16, 1903, it was
voted that the name of the school
be changed to The Graham Col¬
legiate Institute, and that the same
be incorporated.
The Academy at the start was
co-educational, for the dual pur¬
pose of giving to the young people
of the church educational and reli¬
gious training. In stating its aims,
one of the year books says. "We
have facilities for teaching the
alphabet or the reading of Virgil,
the simplicity of addition or the
l>erplexities of Geometrical propo¬
sitions. The child of eight, the
youth of eighteen and the adult of
twenty-five will find the studies
they require.”
From 1888 until 1898, Mr. Gra¬
ham gave untiringly in thought
and labor to the work under his
supervision. As the school grew
the faculty was increased, until in
1904 it comprised ten members.
More than eighteen hundred stu¬
dents were enrolled during the
eleven years of the school’s ex¬
istence, and thirteen young men
were trained for the work of the
ministry.
With the expansion of church
interests in the Eastern District,
over which Rev. Graham presid¬
ed, as well as the rapid growth of
the Academy, he was relieved of
his teaching duties, and in 1899,
Rev.
С.
M. Levister became head
of the Institute.
During the administration of Mr.
Levister. many improvements were
made. The Esther Pomeroy Hall
as a dormitory for men was built;
also Rose Hall for the use of the
faculty, while the entire upper floor
of the main building became a
girls dormitory. Outlying depart¬
ments were established at North
River with Mrs. N. L. Harkcr as
principal and at Marker’s Island
with Miss Helen G. Ditmass as
principal.
Mr. Levister’s program of expan¬
sion is said to have exceeded the
income and conference appropria¬
tions, putting the Institute greatly
in debt. He resigned in 1906 and
Mr. Graham again became presi¬
dent. On November 11, 1911, fire
(Continued on page 16)
THE STATE. NovtMOER 1. 1047
Graham Institute
(iraliam Collegiate* Institute was lo¬
cated in Carteret County and for a
number of years «lid an outstanding
educational work in that section of
the state.
By F. C. SALISBURY
WHEN one reviews the early
history of religious and edu¬
cational life in Carteret
County, no name stands out in
stronger recognition for such de¬
voted service to these causes than
that of the late Rev. W. Q. A.
Graham, the organizer and for
many years the head of Graham
Academy at Marshallberg. later
known as The Graham Collegiate
Institute.
This institution grew up and
flourished in the vicinity of the
Star of Bethlehem church which
was erected in the year 1874 on a
site known as Eph’s field, a mile
west from the present settlement
of Marshallberg. This society was
supplied by various pastors for sev¬
eral years until it came under the
supervision of the Coast District
of the Blue Ridge Conference.
The work of the Methodist
church in eastern North Carolina
sixty years ago was very widely
scattered. In the year 1887, Rev.
W. Q. A. Graham. D.D., was sent
to the district by Bishop W. F.
Mallalieu, as Presiding Elder of
what was then the Coast District
of the Blue Ridge Conference. Mr.
io
Graham established his home at
Marshallberg where a parsonage
was built adjoining the Star
church.
In his work throughout the east¬
ern part of the county. Mr. Graham
soon discovered that educational
advantages were very meager.
Schools of any importance were
conducted only at Harker’s Island
and Atlantic, with yearly sessions
of less than three months of school
lizing the need of a church
school among the people of the
coastal region, Mr. Graham offered
his services as a teacher if a build¬
ing could be furnished, agreeing
that the term school be as long as
the patrons might wish, but not
less than six months.
As the Star church lot consisted
of several acres, it was decided to
erect a suitable school building on
it about one hundred yards south
of the church. As a result of do¬
nations of material and labor a
suitable school building was erect¬
ed and in 1888 the school was
opened.
In recognition of the effort of
Mr. Graham in establishing the
