While Raleigh claims Miss Elizabeth Kelly as one of its outstanding women and as such she was written up by Miss Susan Iden in the special edition of the Raleigh Times recently, Smithfield and Johnston County have a claim on Miss Kelly, she having been assistant county superintendent in this county for several years before taking up state work. Because we know the people here are still interested in her and her educational work we print the following from the Raleigh Times:
“A woman whose work concerns the State more than it does Raleigh, who loves to designate herself as one of the “mountain whites” is Miss Elizabeth Kelly, State Director of Community Schools for adults. But because Miss Kelly makes her headquarters in Raleigh and is identified with many Raleigh organizations, Raleigh has a right to number her among the outstanding women of the town.
It was in 1914 that North Carolina fell in line in the Moonlight School Movement. In 1917 the State appropriated $25,000 for the work and Miss Kelly was appointed director. The Legislature of 1919 passed an act making the schools part of the public school system. Under Miss Kelly the original moonlight school has expanded into community schools where lessons of health and thrift and active participation in community affairs are taught as well as the three R’s.
Miss Kelly is a native of Macon County and is proud to claim the mountains of Western North Carolina for her birthplace. Big of mind and heart as well as of body Miss Kelly is one of the outstanding women of the State and one would have to go far to find a more entertaining public speaker. Miss Kelly is known all over the State for her wit and cleverness of repartee, and usually has a story or a joke tucked away somewhere ready to spring at the proper time.”
From The Smithfield Herald, Sept. 13, 1921
No comments:
Post a Comment