“Uncle” Bill McDade Has Served University Students for 50 Years. . . Faithful “Uncle” Bill, Who Has Been with University Since Its Re-opening, Celebrates 72nd Birthday Saturday—Reminiscences of Campus Life in Past—Widely Known Among Alumni—His Opinions on Many Questions
By J.H. Anderson Jr.
Of all the Carolina Alumni and employees of the University, “Uncle” Bill McDade has been connected with the University and Carolina students longest and has probably known the greatest number of alumni, many of whom later became prominent in public life or private enterprise. “Uncle” Bill passed his 72nd birthday Saturday, May 15, in good health and contented spirits, engaged in his usual service to Carolina students, which he has carried on for the past 50 years.
In conversation with the old darky, one is amazed at his store of recollections, his intimate knowledge of student life here, and with the fluency he expresses his opinions. Seated in his old chair on the back porch after Sunday night supper, following his work during a gay celebration of Carolina’s victory on the cinderpath, “Uncle” bill, smiling happily, with a twinkle in his eyes, tells of the “good old days,” and compares them with the modern student life, interspersing his stories with characteristic “all right, suh’s” and “that’s right’s.” the soft spring breeze blends with his mellowed tones and reminiscences.
“Uncle” Bill has been janitor, waiter, and servant to so many students now famous, and for such a long, long time with such merit and good disposition, that he has become the object of many visits of famous alumni and subject of many tributes. There is hardly an alumnus of Carolina who doesn’t know “Uncle” Bill, and upon every occasion of an alumni gathering at the “Hill” he is invited to attend the speeches of the ones he has so faithfully served.
Native of Chapel Hill
He was born in Chapel Hill in 1854 and has lived here his entire life. His “Marster” was Mr. Fonie McDade, who resided in the house now occupied by Mr. Merritt on Franklin street. During the War Between the States, “Uncle” Bill and his mother faithfully served their mistress, while Mr. McDade was at the front. When he was given his freedom, he voluntarily bound himself to his mistress till he was 21. Upon the re-opening of the University under respectable leadership, after the carpet-bag reign here, “Uncle” Bill became employed as “manager of the wood.” Later he was janitor and attendant of the students in Old East and West dormitories, which he continued for over 25 years, proud of his connections. For the past 25 years he has waited on various fraternities on the campus, including the Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Chi, and Beta Theta Pi, where he is now employed.
“I jes’ guess I’se lived so long cause I’se worked hard, all de time doing sumpin, and got up early. I’se jes’ tried to do right and treat folks right,” says “Uncle” Bill. He is certainly a good representative of his class in the old order of things here, and he has been greatly influenced by the life here. He likes his “lil’ tardy,” but he insists that will power is necessary to control one’s drinking, and tha the has never indulged in securing whiskey for students. “If you gonna drink, drink it right; but don’t if it’s gonna make you fly off. If it’s gonna be evil to ye, don’t do it,” advises “Uncle” Bill. He has noticed the change on the Hill from the great pipe smoking days, to the day of cigarette smoking, and he still clings to the former.
“Uncle” Bill is a firm advocate of obeying rules in the formation of which one has a voice. He is a member of the African Methodist Church and has been Steward and class leader for some time. He has been trustee, treasurer, chaplain, and has held other offices in both the Old Fellows lodge and the Masons. In the order of the Household of Ruth, he has been Most Noble Governor, and Prelate. In all these connections, he seems to have given much good advice, and still acts as advisor at the meetings. He has taken many trips in the state representing his lodges.
Antics of Former Students
“Freshmen sho’ have changed,” is the opinion of “Uncle” Bill. His description of the annual “Freshman Watermelon Treat” in the fall corresponds to the annual freshman-sophomore snow battle of the present day. According to his story, hundreds of watermelons would be saved from the season by neighboring farmers, who would bring them to the college, driving fast horses. The farmer would wager with the students for his load to their cash, whether he could drive around a prescribed course within the walls of the campus and get out of the gate before the students caught the wagon and stopped the horses. This was a favorite sport, but the odds were against the farmer. After the cutting of the melons, the upper-classmen “rined” the freshmen, often chasing the green ones for miles into the woods. “Freshmen, don’t get worried, you’ll get your blacking by and by,” was a familiar song each fall; and “Uncle” Bill says that he was well supplied with washing during his period, when black ink was freely used by unknowns. Disputes over the entrance of freshmen to Memorial Hall by back door or front door were also the cause of many “rinings.”
In many instances, “Uncle” Bill served as love-messenger for stricken youths in the University, and his discourse on this subject is true philosophy. It is his opinion that the introduction of co-eds may have made the students more gentlemanly in their behavior. “boy’s bound to do better when ladies are about. Dey check the men, and ‘at causes ‘em to do better,” he says.
Big times and celebrations are some of “Uncle” Bill’s favorite subjects of conversation. He thinks the boys used to have a better time than they do now. Washington’s birthday was always an occasion of rejoicing and speeches in the Di and Phi Halls. When a Carolina team won a victory away from the “Hill,” the entire student body swarmed to the station to carry them through the streets in a large carriage, or “phaeton,” to the old Pickard Hotel, where speeches were made by President Winston and students. The danes have always been big occasions, he says.
Served In Many Ways
Politics caused more excitement years ago than even at present. “Uncle” Bill states that most of the officers for commencement were elected by campus-wide balloting, and that the race for Chief Marshall and Ball Managers were often the cause of large fights and near riots on the campus. Often during elections dormitory rooms became to “hot” for some students, and they would answer the call of the wild, to sleep under the stars.
“Uncle” Bill is more punctual in rousing students to catch their early morning classes than any bell or alarm clock, and much surer. He has wakened more students than anyone on the “Hill.”
The many changes in the mode of dress of students and young lady visitors here is yet unexplained by “Uncle” Bill. He cannot see why the boys began the custom of not wearing any hats at all, for the custom was for the students to dress in swallow tail coats, beaver hats, and swing their canes even for a stroll around the campus.
First Auto Caused Excitement
The occasion of the first automobile in Chapel Hill, brought here by Dr. Abernethy, was a time of amazement and wonder to the residents here. “Uncle” Bill says that its appearance here was heralded long before it arrived. In describing its arrival at the Hill, he compared the occasion with the old woman’s first sight of the steam train, blowing and puffing so much, when she said, “Poor thing, it’ll soon get out of breath.” “Uncle” Bill has ridden often in autos, but he say he doesn’t even know “which rein to pull” in driving them.
“Uncle bill McDade has been at the University from the time the Yankees occupied the buildings here, when cows roamed freely over the campus and the negroes and scalawags played poker and shot crap in the dormitories; and he has known and kept in touch with the lives of most of Carolina’s famous alumni. His big annual event has been, until recently, the serving of the trustees at commencement, many of whom he waited on when they attended Carolina. He has helped to build some of our oldest buildings, having helped lay the foundation of Memorial Hall.
Many are the anecdotes and incidents explaining fine and noble characters that he earnestly tells. President Winston, Dr. Battle, Dr. Mangum, Dr. Cobb, Henry Grady, Dr. Toy, Dr. Bernard, Judge Phillips, Rev. Sinclair Hester, Mr. Frank Wood, Gov. Gregg, Gov. McLelan, Maj. Graham, and scores of others are known very well to “Uncle” Bill. He has served families here for generations, fathers, sons, and grandsons. His story of the rise of the University after its reopening is especially interesting, and his love for the institution and the students here is very impressive.
Cox Praises “Uncle” Bill
During the alumni gathering on Emerson Field in June, 1922, “Uncle” Bill was conferred the honorary degree of “Broom master-of-arts,” and was presented to the large body of alumni with the following ceremonies and tribute, by Col. Albert Cox, President of the Alumni Association, as given in the Alumni Review of that month:
“Mr. President, we have the honor to present a dusky son of the Old South and a loyal janitor of the Old East and West, a man known and loved by more alumni than any colored man in North Carolina. We present him in the name of the long line of University men whose clothes he washed, whose rooms he swept, whose water he brought, and whose sleep he broke. Though he waked us, yet have we loved him. Greter love have no men than this that they love the man who waked them on wintery mornings. Bill McDade has waked more white men than any colored man in the history of North Carolina. He has waked more sons of the University than any other man save the bugle boys who sounded the reveilles to sleeping armies. Never fear, Bill, in the times of peace your record as champion waker of University men will remain unbroken until Gabriel blows his horn and wakes a sleeping world for the great tomorrow.
“Here, today, Mr. President, in the presence of the sheltered sun to whose setting he is resigned without quitting, with his hand on the job, but with his faithful face set word waking on the morrow morn, we present him by virtue of his honesty, his courtesy, and his loyalty as a Carolina man, for the honorary degree of broom master-of-arts, honored by his own folk, loved by Carolina Folk—Bill McDade.”
From The Tar Heel, UNC-CH student newspaper, May 18, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073227/1926-05-18/ed-1/seq-1/
