Claire Miller
Reporter
October 22, 2004
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Dr. Jack Knowles holds class outside of Derthick during his earlier years of teaching at Milligan. |
-Photo courtesy of Milligan College archives |
Thirty-five years ago, women weren’t allowed to
wear pants at Milligan, Wonderful Wednesday was designated a day of discussion
instead of fun and three familiar names were included on the spring graduation
program.
Milligan professors Dr. Jack Knowles, Dr. Lee Magness and Dr. Pat Magness were
all part of the graduating class of 1969, when the campus was different and so
were the rules.
“Rules were unbelievable,” said Pat. She and her fellow female students were
required to observe curfew, sign out if leaving the dorm after dinner, wear
skirts and dresses every day and abstain from smoking. Men, however, were
permitted to smoke.
“There were a lot of rules for women, relatively few for men,” said Lee.
“(Milligan’s administration) admitted the way they tried to control the men’s
behavior was to control the women’s behavior.”
Wonderful Wednesday began in 1969 as an effort to control a different kind of
behavior, said Pat. “This was a rebellious time on campus,” she said. “Rules
were being overthrown, people were objecting…. I really think (Wonderful
Wednesday) was to defuse tension on campus and keep us from rioting.”
Knowles remembers the first Wonderful Wednesday. “It was actually set up as a
time to get together in groups and talk about the Vietnam War,” he said. “It’s
gone from a seminar to a Mardi Gras. Of course, that kind of release is also
good.”
Many students had been motivated to attend college because of the war, said
Knowles. “More were trying to get into college than there were spots in
colleges,” he said. “When I started college, students had a deferment.”
Pat added that for male students, “It was either you go to college or you die.”
The future faculty members enjoyed themselves despite the volatile political
scene. Lee lived in Cheek Hall, a dorm located inside what was then the gym,
which was near the current Science Building.
“We took advantage of where we lived, and we would sometimes sneak into the pool
in the basement,” he said. “We’d go skinny dipping at night.”
“My cousin was an embittered prankster,” said Knowles. “He told a gullible
student that Norton Whitewall, the only left-handed conductor of the
Philharmonic Orchestra was going to be in Atlanta and what would he think about
organizing a trip?” he said. “He bought it hook, line and sinker.” According to
Knowles, the student put out publicity for the event before learning the truth.
Pat was one of the first residents of Hart Hall. Students were not allowed to
have electrical appliances in their rooms for fear of overloading the circuit.
“I got a demerit because I had an iron in my room,” she said.
Current students may not recognize dorm names like Cheek; the campus has changed
a lot in the last 35 years.
“There was no chapel when we arrived; we watched it be built,” said Lee. He said
that many private homes lined the main road through Milligan, with two standing
on what is now the president’s lawn.
During Pat’s stay, the sidewalks leading to Hart hadn’t been built. “We had to
walk up cardboard to get in the front door,” she said.
Milligan’s spiritual life has also developed. Lee said that he has noticed a
change in spiritual life. “Spiritual life is better now,” he said. “It wasn’t
bad when we were here. It has to do with the attitude of the students. They come
with a different spirit.”
“Milligan is more intentionally and more successfully carrying out its mission
of Christian education than it was in the 60’s,” said Knowles. “It seems to me
that a greater percentage of students know the mission, embrace it and are a
part of it.” A tradition still embraced by current students is creeking All
three faculty members were creeked while at Milligan.
Knowles met his wife, Gracie, at a church camp in Ohio. After dating in high
school, the two separated when he went to college, and she stayed in Ohio to
finish her senior year.
They wrote letters back and forth during Knowles’ first year at Milligan, and
she decided to attend. During Christmas break between his junior and senior
year, the pair got engaged. “They threw me in the creek in the dead of winter,”
said Knowles.
Luckily for the Magness’, they were formally engaged in a warmer month. Pat
Magness said that the real decision to get married came in December, but the
ring didn’t arrive until March.
“Attitudes were very different then,” said Pat Magness. “We didn’t even want
money. The idea that you would have to have a big diamond ring; it seemed so
materialistic. Who needs a diamond ring? You need love.”
“It was a great four years,” said Knowles. ”I really enjoyed the class work and
living in the dorms till we got married. I had some great teachers that were
models for me of Christian scholarship.”
All three were English majors, and Lee Magness double majored in Bible. “I met
(the Magness’) freshman year,” said Knowles. “They were in a number of my
classes right from the beginning. They were among my first and best friends
early on.”