1954-1972

EMMA LEE BA,RBER

Beloved Dean Of Women To Retire Front E:CJC

DECATUR - Miss Erma Lee Barber, dean of women at East Central Junior College, will re– tire from the position she has proudly occupied under four presidents for 19 successive years at the stroke of four, on June 30, 1971. Miss Barber is a naUve of Burns, where she and her brother, A. H. Barber of Jack– son, received their early educa– tion. She graduated from Flora High Scl111ol in 1924 and entered Mississi?Pi State College for Women, at Columbus, where she major~d in Home Econom– ics, receiving her B. S. degree in 1928. ENTERED She imme(~iately entered the profession of teaching and for the first 18 years, she taught in !Madden, Raleigh, Lake, Vicksburg, and Leland. Then, for several years, she was con– nected with the State Depart– ment of Education, checking High School Economic Depart– ments in South Mississippi . But to fulfill an ideal, she did post gradu2te work at Peabody (Nashville), University of Ten– nessee (Knoxville) , Mississippi State, and Mi 0 sissippi Southern. Being a person who loves peo– ple and with o.n overwhelming desire to help others - espe– cially girls - toward a happier and more useful citizenship, she accepted a place offered her as Social Advisor at M. S. C. W., her Alma Mater. This she found an enjoyable and rewarding position and so remained for

four years, until a larger field beckoned. Her new offer was from East Central Junior College, as Dean of Women; this she accepted, on July 1, 1952, and has re– mained under the administra– tion of four college presidents, for the 19-year period, to end, as previously stated, on June 30, 1971. INIMITABLE WAY Miss Baber smiles in that in– imitable way of hers when she admits that "there's a sadness mixed with joy," when she looks back and especially when her many former students who keep in touch with her and, i almost daily, by letter, phone, or personal call, thank her for past counsel and understanding. When they learn of her retire- l ment, they show deep disap- i pointment that their own daugh– ters will be denied the rare privilege of enjoying the same advice and counsel they them– selves have had. As one girl was heard to say the other day: "One thing we knew for sure, Miss Barber never gave us a 'bum steer'." l Another one, in a reminiscing l mien, said: "She never put a r stamp of approval on unworthy things." Her keen sense of [ fairness and her rare widsom and understanding will long be remembered. One who has been interested in the li~tle college and has watched f1; open and close as the years '. passed has ventured that the retiring of Miss Barber is "an irreparable Joss to E. C.

J. C." But he quickly added: "But, fortunately, it will be De– catur's gain, because she owns a comfortable home near the College where she has her flow– er garden and other interests; and where she will greet her friends with a smile and kiend- ly hand. j Decatur is so lucky.

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