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PAINE COLLEGE NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

   P. O.  Box 311945 Atlanta, GA 31131

"Our nettlesome task is to discover how to organize our strength into compelling power"  Martin Luther King

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The History of the Paine College Alumni Association

The National Alumni Association of the Paine Institute was formally organized in 1891.  By the end of the 1889-1890 school term, Paine Institute had graduated 33 students from its high school.  The charter members of the National Alumni Association were high school graduates.

The first officers of the Association were Thomas Levi Cobb (H.S.,1886) - president, Janie M. Gardner (H.S., 1888)- vice president, and Josie B. Smith (H.S., 1889) - secretary.  Dr. George Williams Walker, president of the Institute, acted as the treasurer until his death in 1911.  Nineteen persons have served as president of the Association. Their years of service have ranged from a few months in 1963 for Dr. William L. Graham to fifteen years for Dr. James S. Outler (A.B., 1916), from 1928 to 1943. Miss Emma C.W. Gray (H.S., 1908) served as secretary for 48 years.  For almost half a century, Miss Gray was the major link between the College and its alumni.  Mr.Yewston N. Myers, Sr., (A.B., 1927) has had the longest tenure as treasurer, 23 years, from 1958 to the present time.

In various ways, for ninety years, Paine alumni have made contri­butions to their alma mater.  Even before their organization in 1891, alumni gave The Institute "helpful articles", such as "napkins, kitchen utinsels, silver, glassware, and furniture".  "After the Association was organized, members believed that they could render a greater service. They began to work hard and attempted to help their college in a more substantial way".

During the first forty years, alumni contributed as best they could to the development of the physical plant - the grounds and buildings. The erection of Haygood Hall was begun in 1896.  Paine alumni contributed (1) funds for the construction of a brick walk to the building on the Fifteenth Street side, (2) $800.00 for the clock which was installed in the tower in Haygood Hall, (3) funds for the marble tablet behind the stage in Haygood Hall in memory of Dr. George Williams Walker.  In 1915, the Association donated funds to the College to put the tennis courts into playing condition.  In 1922, a fence was erected on the Fifteenth Street side of the campus.  The Augusta alumni gave $600.00 for the erection of a fence around the athletic field.  Some funds were raised from alumni for use in the construction of the Warren A. Candler Memorial Library.  In the second half of the existence of the College, the Alumni Association has stimulated its members to make contributions to funds for the construction of the R.A. Carter Auditorium-Gymnasium, for the purchase of the Stark Empire Laundry building, and for the construction of Haygood-Hosley Hall, which stands on the site of the former Haygood Hall, which was destroyed by fire.

In 1933, under the leadership of Dr. J. S. Outler, president of the National Association, the members voted to raise $10,000.00 for a scholarship fund and to make loans to needy students. The sum has been raised mainly from contributions of members of reunion classes. Annually, the Associa­tion awards one to four scholarships to worthy students. 

Over the decades, encouraged by the National Association, and as an expression of appreciation for what Paine College is, and has done, individual alumni have given prizes, scholarships, and other items of value to the College.  The Paine College Flag is one such item.  During the past ten years, the Association has encouraged its members to contri­bute generously to the Alumni Annual Fund campaign.  The annual contri­butions have increased from $8,395.00 in 1971-72 to $53,250.71 in 1980-81.

It was during the administration of Dr. J.S. Outler, in the 1930s, that the Association adopted a recommendation to schedule class reunions at ten year intervals. A few decades later, class reunions were sched­uled at five year intervals.  In 1959, the Association began to induct members of the 50th anniversary classes into the Golden Age Club. The five living members of the high school class of 1909 were the charter members.  In 1980, some alumni who had graduated fifty or more years ear­lier organized themselves into a Golden Agers unit which meets annually.  

From the beginning of the United Negro College Fund in 1944, alumni chapters of the National Alumni Association, in several cities, have par­ticipated actively in the annual campaign drives for funds.  Some have been very successful in their solicitation of contributors. 

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