Pryor Scrapbook Clippings, 1945-2000

• NATIONAL HONOR SCHOLARSHIP SOCIETY MARCH 1979 Plans Final _-·:·For Meeting In Louisiana Plans are complete for the national convention in New Orleans April 5-7, with a record attendance of more than 309 expected. Some eighty student numbers have been submitted for the program, compared with about forty at the last national meeting in 1977, according to Dr. James Divelbiss, vice-president and program coordinator. Attendance in 1977 was 253 from 78 institutions. The large response of student papers and presentations has necessitated the scheduling of a third session for student numbers. It will be Friday morning during the time originally planned for a speech by a ·guest of national renown. Dr. Divelbiss said the extra sessions would solve the problems he had en– countered in arranging for a second guest speaker. One such speech is scheduled for the banquet Thursday night. The appearance by Dr. Daniel Boorstin announced in the Fall 1978 'Newsletter was cancelled recently by the speaker, who is the Librarian of Congress , because of unexpected government commitments. Speaking at the banquet will be Dr. Francis E. Abernethy of Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogodoches, Tex., described by Alpha Chi President Edwin W. Gaston Jr. as "one of the :. foremost folklorists in the nation, by any standard." Abernethy, a professor of English, will speak on "Folk Music of the American Frontier," illustrating his talk with singing. He is secretary-editor of the Texas Folklore Society, the oldest state organization of that type. He has written or edited twelve books on folklore and literature. He holds the Ph.D. from Louisiana State University. Gaston Carnes Gaston, Carnes to Retire President Edwin F. Gaston Jr. and former vice-president Jess G. Carnes will retire this year from the National Council after a combined 29 years of national leadership and service to Alpha Chi. Dr. Gaston, professor of English and dean of the Graduate School at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Tex., will complete 12 years as president. He served on the National Council five years, 1962-67, before being elected president. Dr. Carnes, professor of history at Trinity University in San Antonio, has served on the council since 1967. That same year he was elected vice-president, an office he held until 1975. During his term as vice-president he not only planned the national conventions but also edited the Recorder and Newsletter. Under Gaston's leadership Alpha Chi has grown dramatically in nu·mber of chapters and geographic coverage. When he assumed the presidency in 1.967 there were 71 chapters in 23 states; today there are 182 chapters in 41 states, with several other chapter applications being processed. Besides increasing the number of chapters, another of Gaston's goals as president was to expand the regional structure of the society. Currently there are six regions, with a seventh to be formed next year. In 1967 only Regions I and II existed, along with ·a number of unaffiliated chapters. Gaston's service to Alpha Chi began as an assistant sponsor of the Texas Sigma chapter at Stephen F. Austin in 1958. He also was vice-president of Region II from 1963 to 1965 and president of the region from 1965 to 1967. Born in Nacogdoches, Gaston took his B.S. and M.A. degrees in English at Stephen F. Austin and his Ph.D. in American civilization at Texas Tech University. He is the author of three books and numerous articles in professional journals. He was a Fulbright lecturer at the University of Helsinki in 1964-65 and twice received the Distinguished Professor Awards at Stephen F. Austin. Carnes became sponsor of the Texas Epsilon chapter of Alpha Chi at Trinity in 1960 and served until his retirement from full-time teaching last year. He also was president of Region I in 1961-63. He holds the B.A. and M.A. in history from the University of Illinois and the Ph.D. in history from Cornell University. Carnes is a member of the American Historical Association, the Southwestern Social Science Association, the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi.