Blount Library Blog

Archival Display, April 2024: May Day

In the spring of 1926, the students and staff of Averett College (as it was known until 2001) held their first annual May Day pageant.  Although May Day itself is of ancient origin (traditionally held to herald the beginning of summer), modern May Day pageants had been rising on women's college campuses since the late 1800s.  By 1926, Averett's neighboring institution, Stratford College, had already been holding May Day festivities for at least a decade.  Although no information survives explaining exactly why Averett opted to begin celebrating May Day that year, it became an annual college tradition for nearly 50 years; a "May Fête," as they were usually called, was held in most (perhaps all) years from 1926 to 1969.

Traditionally celebrated in the early evening of the first Saturday in May (barring weather-related delays), May Day was centered around a May Queen (always selected from the senior class) and her Court (selected from all classes).  They would don fabulous dresses and gather at the far end of an open lawn.  On the opposite side of the lawn, a crowd of onlookers were gathered.  Both the Averett royalty and the local throng would then bear witness to a collection of themed songs and dances performed by Averett students on the stretch of grass in between the two groups.  One hundred or more students would participate every year and, although one must beware of overzealous overstatement, many performances were said to have drawn upwards of one-thousand spectators.

In early years, the May Day celebrations were held in Ballou Park.  After only a few years at Ballou, however, the festivities were moved to Averett's own campus (either Sydnor Field or the grass amphitheater that used to occupy the location where Bishop Hall now stands).  Typically the Royalty would repose near eight freestanding columns along Woodland Drive, facing towards the terraced lawn rising up to meet Mountain View Avenue.

The May Fête would open with an introductory parade of the royalty to their seats - including the official coronation of the Queen (typically performed either by the President of the college, or by the Mayor of Danville) - and would often conclude with a traditional dance around the May Pole.  Between those moments was an array of song and dance performances.  The performances were most commonly conceived and designed by the theater department - former faculty member Elizabeth R. Smith is the credited author of numerous May Day pageants - and were intended as a colorful bit of light costumed-entertainment for all ages.

In order to tie together a performance that was inherently light on narrative, each year would generally have a unifying theme.  The first year's theme was a very apt "Evolution of the English May Day," covering five different eras.  Themes could range from traditional literary content (Cinderella, etc.), to cultural pastiche ("Many Nations at a May Fête", Elizabethan England, etc.), to pop-culture touchstones (the Circus, American Pop Music, etc.).  Often themes were used multiple times - for example Alice in Wonderland, which was a central element in 1939, 1951, and 1965.  The themes were little more than an excuse for the pomp and circumstance; rarely was the subject of any special importance.

By mid-century, May Day was one of the most prominent cultural events on the Averett calendar.  As such, it was a common time of year for alumni to return to campus, taking on a tone much like Homecoming has today.  The Averett archives contain numerous lists of alumni in attendance at May Day festivities of the 1960s. 

The final May Day celebration at Averett was held in 1969.  This last May Fête was held held entirely in honor of the retirement of the college's long serving Dean (and briefly interim President) Mary Fugate, who had arrived at the college in 1924 and had, thus, experienced May Day festivities nearly every year of her career.  Following the 1969 performance, May Day was deemed not appropriate for an Averett that had become a co-educational institution.  It was briefly replaced with a fall "Libra Day" event, which was abandoned at some point in the 1970s.