Pryor Scrapbook Dr. Joe, 1986

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA GRADUATE SCHOOL OF LIBRARY SERVICE Dr. Joseph E. Pryor Harding University Searcy, Arkansas 72143 Dear Dr. Joe: February 27, 1986 Recalling my years at Harding and particularly remembering events connected with editing the 1961 Petit Jean have provided me a delightful immersion in memories. Proceeding chronologically, I suppose my first Petit Jean remembrances are of Sally Hightower as editor and my editing one of the class sections. I remember that Sally worked for an All– American rating, incurring the dismay (if not wrath) of Mrs. Pickens when she interfiled all underclass pictures, and then missed getting the All-American rating after all. Pat Sutherlin carried on the dream, however, and did win that distinction the next year. Meanwhile I had been elected editor for the class of 1961, Dick Mock was elected business manager and Harold Tandy selected as photographer. The three of us basically enjoyed working together, but there were times when I couldn't get Harold to appear where I wanted him and the results were tears and shouts. Usually Dick was the mediator, and Janet Pace, my roommate and friend in addition to being Harold's assistant, also helped manage Harold so that we somehow got all the pictures we needed and they were wonderful! (I still think so today!) The exhaustion as deadlines neared I remember too. And the panic. But there were always people who came through. I remember an evening in the PJ office, which was then on the second floor of the Ganus Student Center, just before captions must be mailed. You, Earl Wilcox and John Milton were writing one after another, searching for interesting and unusual first words to get readers' attention. As I remember there were some quite funny discards among the lot! Also I remember a wave of panic just before the cover design was to be sent off. Dick and I took the mock-up over to Elizabeth Mason's house late the evening before mailing to get her reassurance that artistically it was acceptable and wouldn't bring embarrassment to us all. One of my disappointments as editor was not having a good quality, full-color picture of the new Bible building, which was still under construction during the summer of 1960 when I came to Searcy by train from Memphis and stayed with you and Bessie Mae, while meeting Ben Red. We got scaffolding at all angles. Eventually I had to settle for a color picture of the administration building and student center which has remained a disappointment throughout the years. 5 t 3 MAIN LIBRARY/ (205) 348-46 t O/ P.O. BOX 6242, UNIVERSITY, ALABAMA 35486