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C O N S T A N T & T R U EMemories of the MoveC ONSTANT& T RUEin Bostwick knew about the offer.Within 10 minutes everyone oncampus knew, and within 20 minuteseveryone in town knew—andthe bell in Wait Hall began to toll.Helen Tucker Beckwith (’46)Raleigh, North CarolinaThe Wake Forest Faculty, 1945–46OY, DO I REMEMBER the moveBand it surely did feel like aremoval of me from where I belongedand wanted to be. I was 8 years oldand my father was chairman of thesociology department (although onleave to work with the N.C. ParoleBoard at the time), and I was “forced”to leave lovely and idyllic WakeForest to go to a big new town, abig new school, a new home andnew people. I was a very unhappychild. I’m pretty sure I cried duringthe entire trip to Winston-Salemand, if I didn’t, that’s the way Iremember the move!I was a child and I certainly didnot understand or care that this wasa wonderful opportunity for theCollege (later to become the university).On trips to the “new” campus,what I saw was endless red clay andit definitely did not compare to theplace where I had lived since infancyand enjoyed a wonderful childhood.It was horrible to think of leavingthe beautiful magnolia trees and thesmall town for what appeared to beconstruction, dirt and the mostunappetizing unknown!What an interesting experiencein retrospect! Nearly all my friendsand folks I had known also movedand, in some ways, it seemed thatonly the surroundings had changed.Adele Patrick (’69)Athens, GeorgiaWOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU howIthe students and townspeopleof Wake Forest learned about theReynolds offer in 1946. It wassupposed to be a big secret untilannounced by the ReynoldsFoundation.Simmons Fentress (’45) was areporter on the Raleigh News &Observer. One night he was standingby the AP machine and saw astory coming over about the (then)$16 million offer from Reynolds.This was about 10 p.m. He immediatelycalled his fiancée, RuthBlount (’46), who was a senior andlived in Bostwick Hall. Withinfive minutes of that call, everyoneAM OBVIOUSLY not old enough toIhave even been alive much lessbeen a student at the Old Campus.However, I do feel that the OldCampus and the Wake Forest traditionsare as much a part of my lifeas anyone’s. You see, I grew up inthe town of Wake Forest. I attendedWake Forest Elementary School,Wake Forest-Rolesville High School,and of course graduated from WakeForest University. My home churchof 15 years is the original WakeForest Baptist Church which sits onthe grounds of the Old Campus. Iwas also married in this church.My graduation ceremony from highschool was held in Binkley Chapel.I have spent many, many hours inShorty’s shooting pool and hangingout with friends, listening to thetrain go by, just as students did.Growing up I was told story afterstory about the Old Campus. I haveplayed in more than one oak andmagnolia tree there. I rememberhearing stories of how the stonewall that circles the campus wasbuilt. I guess while I did not attendas a student, the Old Campus, theCollege and the town have mademe who I am. So, for me, the OldCampus lives on in a moderncampus student.Michael Coleman (’98)Myrtle Beach, South Carolina64 WAKE FOREST MAGAZINE