Archives Digital Exhibits

This mention of Halloween (the same day that Miss Seibert eloped; gasp!) in the calendar from the 1913 Echoes yearbook, is currently the earliest known mention of Halloween in Averett materials.  It is likely that this was a Halloween themed party, as both the 1914 and '15 yearbooks list a "Hallowe'en Party" in late October.

This homemade Hallowe'en party invitation from 1922, sent by Sallie Childrey to Averett student Aline Hutchinson, features handpainted text on a pressed red oak leaf.  Remarkably, the leaf has survived intact for more than 100 years.  The invitation reads: Masked fit for the witches  /  U I must C.  /  On Hallowe'en Night  /  At my house U B.

This article from the November 29, 1926 edition of the Chanticleer student newspaper describes a typical campus Halloween party of the 1920s.  Costume parades, dance competitions, and cider and doughnuts were the order of the day for students dressed variously as gypsies, pirates, pierrots, and "crinoline ladies."  Sadly, none of the "mysterious and attractive posters" advertising the event have been preserved.

In 1938, Halloween dovetailed with 'Peanut Week' - a bygone tradition in which 2nd year students were paired at random with 1st year students, to whom they would give a small token gift each day.  On Saturday, October 29th, Peanut Week '38 ended with a Hallowe'en themed banquet.  In this image from the Chanticleer student newspaper, one can see a pretty typical (for the era) array of clowns, desperados, and Native American stereotypes, among numerous students who attended with no costume other than a party hat.

These two small, grainy images from the 1954 Pendulum yearbook depict students in Halloween costumes in October 1953.  Although it may just be an odd costume, the mask-wearing bandit on the right appears to be very pregnant.

In this collage of images published in the 1955 Pendulum yearbook, numerous unidentified students are seen wearing their costumes from Halloween 1954.

In this image from the early 1960s (I believe it to be from 1961 or 62), two unidentified Averett students are trick-or-treating, in costume, on the sidewalk between Danville Hall and Main.

In the fall of 1966, a few students held a silly photo shoot with the human skeleton used in anatomy classes.  In the image on the left, the skeleton gives a lecture.  On the right, it and an unidentified student busily take notes.  Although these pictures likely had nothing to do with Halloween, they are fun and suit the occasion.

In fall of 1971, the Halloween costume party did double duty, serving as a venue to auction off donated items in order to raise money for the Student Center Fund.  In this image, Religion Professor and Director of Admissions Dr. Watson Mills (standing, upper right) acts as master of ceremonies.  Then Averett President Dr. Conwell Anderson is casually sitting on the floor next to the wall in the upper center, directly behind the light pole.

These six images of the 1972 Halloween costume competition were all featured in the 1973 yearbook.  (The pumpkin-headed costume in the image on the left would've earned my vote.)  Two of the students have been identified: Holly Gladden is the witch in the top center, and Evelyn Bowles is the hula dancer in the upper right.

These student-carved jack-o-lanterns were created for a campus contest in 2003.  The central pumpkin features a valiant attempt at recreating the portico of Main Hall, including the word "AVERETT" incised in tiny letters.