1944 Way Back When in Buies Creek… By Tyler Douglas, student writer Ester Howard – Campbell During World War II Ester Howard graduated Campbell Junior College in 1944 with a degree in education. She is a familiar name with professors and alumni alike as she visits campus often. “It was such a good place back then,” said Howard. “A wonderful Christian environment and atmosphere.” “We have better landscaping, academics, a law school, a pharmacy school, a divinity school – so much more to offer and it’s so different,” she said. During Howard’s time at Campbell world war loomed over campus activities – including physical education. “We had to run an obstacle course,” she said. “All Ester Howard, 1944 grad
A page from Ester Howard’s scrapbook from her time at Campbell.
of the students had to meet a certain requirement. Of course, by today’s standards it was really laughable.” She went on to explain just how much the professors helped shape the learning experience at Campbell during its junior years. “I paid a little extra for piano lessons, it was such a loving and caring place. It still is today, but it’s hard to explain, just how different everything was,” she said. Howard reminisced about her more rebellious times as well. “The rules were stricter back then, although we used to slip out at night and sneak up to the drugstore for a milkshake,” she said. “We knew we weren’t supposed to, but we did it anyway,” she added.
What do you remember from your time at CU? Tell us your story. Did you have a memorable professor, meet your spouse, pull a prank? E-mail ryalss@campbell.edu.
Former Campbell Wrestler Chris Pfeffer Receives Purple Heart By Joie Tyrrell, Newsday
M arine Corps Capt. Chris Pfeffer, a Bay Shore (N.Y.) native, knew that the visitor coming to his room at Bethesda (Md.) Naval Hospital was classified as a very important person but he wasn’t sure who it was going to be.
The president was there in early November to award Pfeffer, 31, a Purple Heart after he had been wounded in combat in Afghanistan. Pfeffer, a Marine in Special Operations, had been shot twice in the arm.
President George W. Bush walked in, and Pfeffer’s father, John, introduced himself. The president shook his hand and reportedly replied: “I’m President Bush.”
“He thanked me for my service and said how important it is that we have servicemen who do this to make our country better and safer,” Pfeffer said.
Alumni Class Notes
Pfeffer, a 1996 graduate of Bay Shore High School, joined the Marine Corps after going to Campbell University in North Carolina on a wrestling scholarship. He completed a tour in Iraq and was wounded earlier this year in Afghanistan. “We were just out on a regular mission, in combat in the western part of Afghanistan when there was a firefight,” Pfeffer said. The Purple Heart is presented to service members wounded or killed in combat, during terrorist attacks or while serving as part of a peacekeeping mission. More than 8,000 U.S. Marines have been awarded the Purple Heart since 2001, including 408 officers and 7,600 Marines, according to Headquarters Marine Corps Branch in Quantico. 35