Miles of Memories — The girls of Terral-Moore
In 1961, along with my acceptance letter to Ouachita Baptist College (now University) came my dorm assignment, Terral-Moore Hall. Congratulated by a dorm counselor, I was told it was the most preferred of the three freshman dorms. I would be a “Terral-Moore Girl!”
Moving in that September weekend was a milestone. I dreamed of spending the next four years acquiring an excellent education and life-long friends. Both dreams came true.
Girls and mothers gathered linens and hanging clothes from cars while dads lifted out trunks and luggage. At 3 p.m., we gathered in the parlor for a welcome tea presided over by Mrs. Nannie Mae Moore, the dorm mother. The word was she ran a tight ship (which pleased the parents) but, at the same time, was reputed to be fair and accommodating. She assured the parents she would take care of their little girls, seeing to their manners, behavior and dress because "Terral-Moore Girls had a special image to uphold." We then met dorm counselors who led us to our rooms while crying, “MAN IN THE HALL!” as dads followed with luggage. We learned the two second floor rooms behind the staircase were the smallest because they were right above Mrs. Moore’s apartment. Jennie Kay, my roommate, and I were assigned the only two-bed room. Vicky Osburn, Mary Carter and Sheila Waterman were assigned the smallest three-bed room next door. Somehow, from our applications, she decided we’d be the five to lend the least noise.
On Monday and Tuesday, we went through all sorts of testing. We learned to stand in long lines. We were issued our “brownies,” making us an easy mark for harassment by upperclassmen. On Wednesday, we met with assigned counselors. Dennis Holt advised me to change my major from music to English and theater arts after learning my freshman essay had won first place. (My parents received a nice letter!) We signed up for classes on Thursday and Friday night was the “Freshman Bonfire.” I was “asked” by Thomas Wilson from Camden. During the week, Jennie and I had made friends with girls directly across the hall: Maryan Thornton (MAT,) Diane Cato (Dee-Dee,) and Mary Ann Wilkerson (Wilk.) Next door to them were Jane Pouzar (Posey) and her twin roommates. We later met their friends from Little Rock, Ann Routon and Linda Hollis and Joanne Pearman from Almyra. “Hollis” would become my roommate after Jennie Kay left for health reasons near the end of the semester.
Nine of us remained roommates, suite mates or across the hall neighbors throughout our college years. At Cone Bottoms, we started out on the third floor as sophomores and worked our way down to the first floor. No elevator, just the huge elegant staircase.
Now back to our freshman year when we were the girls of Terral Moore and shared these memories …
Sign-out sheet by the door for each time we left campus … Mrs. Moore blinking the front light at 10 p.m. on weeknights (study/library time) and midnight on weekends… No phone calls between 9-10 p.m. and the hall phone ringing off the wall at 10:01 p.m. … Going to the student center at night with raincoats over shorty pajamas … Cooking soup in popcorn poppers … Keeping cafeteria cartons of milk cool on our window … No slacks allowed on campus unless we were going “kodaking” on a Sunday afternoon … EVERYONE “kodaked!” … Learning to eat fried chicken with a knife and fork … Going to Tastee Freeze when money came from home … Being treated to a hamburger steak at The Gables when your boyfriend received a check … Having chili or soup served on Friday nights with a fruit bowl … lack of cherries was made up by a LOT of banana … hence, my fetish for bananas with chili until this day … Required church service attendance on Sunday and twice-a-week Chapel services in the auditorium with assigned seats … We were only excused from these services if we had diphtheria or a fever over 103 – monthly cramps didn’t count. Smoking, cursing, drinking and dancing were all forbidden. Only one girl defied the “no smoking” rule. Once, she teased her hair and coated it heavily with Aqua Net before sneaking down for a cigarette in her car. Minutes later, she rushed back upstairs crying — her hair singed and smoldering!
The new chapel was built that year. Last to go up was the steeple lying on the lawn.
The morning after its delivery, a sign appeared beside it: “HEAVEN OR BUST!” The day after it was positioned atop the chapel another sign appeared in its place: “IT IS NOT HERE: IT IS RISEN.” The Red Shirts (Rho Sigmas) were rumored to be the culprits.
On our final night, MAT, Vicky and I secretly planned a “Last Hurrah.” After ‘lights out’ MAT and I coated commodes in our upstairs common bathroom with Vaseline and “papered” doors. Vicky placed clothes hangers in the downstairs dryer and coated with Colgate the receiver of the emergency pay phone next to Mrs. Moore’s apartment, then called the number from upstairs. She made it back to her room, but MAT and I were at the back of the hall when we heard Mrs. Moore’s tread on the stairs. We dashed into my room … not fast enough. I jumped into bed and MAT hid in our closet. The door flung open and the light flipped on. I rubbed my eyes and muttered, “M’aam?” as if I’d been awakened. She threw back the sheet and discovered me in tennis shoes and holding tape and scissors. Thus followed the most awful tirade as she told me how much she’d trusted me and how I’d disappointed her. I began to cry until I glanced at the closet and noted the yellow stream seeping out from beneath the door. MAT could never control her kidneys when tickled. Four pair of mine and Hollis’ shoes were ruined! I gave her a T-shirt once that read: “I laughed so hard, tears ran down my legs.”
Since 1961, we “Magnificent Nine” have remained in touch. Just this week, while our Mat recovers from a quadruple bypass, messages have been flying back and forth. Though scattered from East to West we remain nine ‘young girls,’ now 75, who share the same soul.
Brenda Miles is an award-winning columnist and author living in Hot Springs Village. She responds to all e-mail at brenstar@ att.net.