Our World War I Soldier, Claude R. Pfaff-- Part 1: Student at UNC-Chapel Hill and Volunteered for the Army

From the April 2017 Federal Point Historic Preservation Society Newsletter.

CLAUDE R. PFAFF-- 1892-1983

2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army--  1918

The society's History Center in Carolina Beach, N.C. has a new exhibit marking the centennial of the U.S. entry into World War I and his uniform is on display, thanks to its loan by member Gerri Cohen.

He was born September 1892 in Pfafftown, Forsyth County, North Carolina.  He was of Moravian heritage and spent his formative years playing in the Bethania Moravian Band.  After attending Bethania High School, he earned his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Class of 1917 (1917?)).  As part of his matriculation, he taught school at Mount Tabor.

In 1917, the United States formally entered World War I.  Pfaff, like most young men to graduate that spring, knew he was likely to be drafted into the military as soon as he graduated.  The university offered to waive all final exams to anyone who volunteered so he joined the Army.

--Cooter

If It's Fall, It's Football Time: NC Football-- Part 1

From the Encyclopedia of North Carolina "Football."

Of course, in North Carolina, high school football is a big thing, but there is also college and professional football in the sport.

The first colleges to field teams were Trinity College (later Duke University), UNC-Chapel Hill and Wake Forest with the first intercollegiate football games played in 1888. Most of the state's football pioneers learned the sport at northern campuses.

In the 1890s, football started at North Carolina A&M (now North Carolina State), Davidson College and others began playing.

On December 27, 1892, Biddle Institute (now Johnson C. Smith University) and Livingstone College played in the first intercollegiate game between black colleges.

Hut, Hut, Hut. --Cooter

Back Then: Dean Smith Arrives

From the August 2nd Wilmington (NC) Star News Back Then Column.

The August 3, 1961, paper was full of stories about the departure of head North Carolina basketball coach Frank McGuire and his replacement, one Dean Smith, at age 30.

Frank McGuire had led the 1957 Tarheel squad to an NCAA Championship with a perfect 32-0 record. McGuire was leaving to take over coaching duties at the Philadelphia Warriors of the NBA.

After awhile, Dean Smith obviously made folks forget about McGuire.

If He Was a College Dean, Would You Address Him as Dean Dean Smith? --Cooter