Dedication page for Mabel Torrence and Fannie Brandon with drawing by Lisa Buckley '82 from the 1982 Quips and Cranks yearbook. Buckley was the secretary for the F and M eating house.
Group image of the F and M Eating House from 1972. Standing at the center is Fannie and Mabel, wearing white. Fannie is on the left and Mabel is on the right.
Image of Fannie Brandon and Mabel Torrence from "F and M's Celebrated Cooks." Fannie Brandon stands on the left and Mabel Torrence stands on the right.
From The Davidsonian, January 22, 1982.
Image of Kappa Alpha fraternity from the 1980 Quips and Cranks yearbook. On the right half of the image in the front row is Sylvia Sherill (in an all white ensemble, standing to the left) and possibly Hollis Moore to the right (in an all white ensemble, standing to the right.) Even though the names of the two cooks are not listed, we are able to identify them from the yearbook images of the 1990 Quips and Cranks.
This sign from the Lula Bell Houston Resource Center features biographies of Tom Anstrom and Lula Bell Houston, two people that were essential to the creation of the Lula Bell Houston Resource Center.
Text:
Tom Anstrom: Had he been given the opportunity, Tom Anstrom '04 would have reveled in the significance of Lula Bell's and its role in building equity and success on campus. Tom believed deeply that fostering equal opportunity was the key to a better world. He was passionate about serving others and believed that every Davidson student should have the opportunity to take full advantage of all that Davidson has to offer. Devoted to his friends and family, gifted with a sense of humor, strong intellect, and keen understanding of the power and complexity of politics, Tom was passionate about public service and social justice.
Tom graduated from Davidson in 2004 with a degree in history and later received a master's degree in political management from George Washington University. His career included working on or managing give campaigns in Virginia and North Carolina at all levels of government, including the presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry and Tim Kaine's successful race for Governor of Virginia. In February 2015, Tom had begun his first term as a commissioner of advisory neighborhood commission C-3, serving his neighborhood in Washington D.C. As many pointed out at the time, the guy who had worked behind the scenes for so long was finally giving politics a try for himself.
Tom died suddenly on April 8, 2015 of a heart incident related to a long standing heart condition. In his honor, friends and family created the Tom Anstrom Internship Program at Davidson, which provides summer funding to students, particularly those with financial need who are pursuing internships in public policy, progressive politics and social justice, the great passions of Tom's life.
Tom is also remembered by his parents, Sherry Hiemstra and Decker Anstrom, through their generous support of Lula Bell's.
Lula Bell Houston: Lula Bell Houston dedicated her entire career to serving and building relationships with Davidson students. She didn’t teach classes, publish in academic journals or coach one of the many Wildcat teams. Her job could more aptly be filed under what might be called a behind-the-scenes category.
For 60 years, Ms. Houston woke up at 4:15 A.M., so as not to be late for her 6:30 A.M., start time at the Davidson College Laundry, later named in her honor. And every day she washed clothes, flat-ironed sheets, welcomed students with a friendly smile and helped turn in college into a home. More importantly, she made students feel valued and loved with her warm smile and unconditional love.
She retired in 2004 and then returned to the laundry to work for three more years.
At the time of her retirement, South Carolina congressman, John M. Spratt, JR. prepared a congratulatory statement for the congressional record, honoring her years of service to the college and the town. The statement read in part, “The biggest legacy that Ms. Houston leaves the college and the town of Davidson is her warm personality and loving nature.”
On June 15, 2017, her 94th birthday, the Board of Commissioners in the town of Cornelius marked that day Lula Bell Houston Day. The resolution states that her, “Warm smile and kind words have touched countless families who have experienced her unconditional love.“
Lula Bell Houston, a name associated with making others feel valued and loved, will once again be attached to a space that makes a lasting difference in the lives of students. Her legacy will live on in Lula Bell’s, an on-campus resource center that aims to prepare students for success at and after Davidson.
Image of the ETC eating house from the 1979 Quips and Cranks yearbook. Cecelia Conner stands at the center of the image in a white apron. Verdie Heath stands at towards the right of the image in an all white ensemble.
In this excerpt from President John Kuykendall's 1997 commencement speech, he honors retiring staff members, including two laundry employees; Juanita Archie and Frances Beaver.
In this excerpt from President John Kuykendall's 1992 commencement speech, he honors retiring staff members, including three laundry employees; Harry L. Johnson, Walter E. Johnson and Beatrice C. Ponder.
Profile photograph of Reverend Brenda Tapia from the Davidson College Faculty and Staff Directory in 1986. Reverend Tapia was the first female chaplain at Davidson College and spearheaded the widely touted Love of Learning Program that engaged both the academic and spiritual needs of Black youth from local communities.
This list of laundry staff from the 1988 Davidson College Sesquicentennial Convocation includes the names of currently employed Laundry staff. If staff have been employed for over 20 years, their years of service are denoted by a series of symbols. The black dot means 25-30 years of service, the cross means 30-40 years, the star is 40-50 years and the two barred cross is more than 50 years.
Davidson College president Carol Quillen greets Lula Bell Houston at the dedication of the Lula Bell Houston Resource Center. From "Resource, Gathering Place and Community Inspiration: Welcome to Lula Bell's," Davidson News, 2017.
Image of laundry staff from the 1991 Quips and Cranks Yearbook. The caption for this image reads: Juanita Archie, Juanita Barker, Ruth Barnette, Frances Beaver, Ganell Bradford, Alice Brandon, Betty Brown, Robert Donaldson, Cecilia Forney, Dianne Forney, Dorothy Gurley, Lula Bell Houston, Donald Humphrey, Frank Johnson, Harry Johnson, Walter Johnson, Hazeline Knox, Mary Lineberger, Lavonne Payne, Bill Philemon, Beatrice Ponder, Laura Roberson, Denise Wilson.
Image of the laundry staff from the 1988 Quips and Cranks yearbook. Caption reads: Juanita Archie, Juanita Barker, Ruth Barnette, Betty Brown, Alice Brandon, Cecelia Connor, Robert Donaldson, Dianne Forney, Henry Gabriel, Betty Gosnell, Dorothy Gurley, Dessie Honeycutt, Lula Houston, Donald Humphrey, Harry Johnson, Walter Johnson, Hazeline Knox, Mary Lineberger, William Philemon, Jr., Beatrice Ponder, Denise Sloan.
