Mabel Powell legacy lives on

     In her 47 year tenure at Campbell, it was evident that Miss Mable Powell, named professor emeritus of English, was fervently dedicated to the success of her students. Her mission lives on today in the pages of her book, Outline of Fundamentals of English, now sold in the campus bookstore.
     The book, Outline of Fundamentals of English, is a reprinting of Powell’s original “blue book” and contains straightforward guidelines to correct spelling, grammar and writing. Dr. Frank Vaughn, associate professor and chair of the English Department, states, “Ms. Mabel Powell’s ‘blue book’ is a grammar book with a clear purpose. It is a dense book with a single focus and uses both straight prose and diagrams to explain its basic concepts.”
     Mrs. Dorothea Stewart Gilbert, a former student of Mrs. Powell’s and the current director of the Lundy Fetterman Museum and Exhibit Hall at Campbell, stated that Ms. Powell had a powerful influence on her. “It was because of her that I was inspired to major in English and become an English teacher,” Gilbert said. Gilbert commented that Mrs. Powell used to dictate the former “blue book” to her students and have them copy it down on paper. “She was so committed to teaching her students the right way.”
     Powell made her debut at Campbell in 1924, when the University was known as Buies Creek Academy. She faithfully served 47 years as a teacher of English and Latin, retiring in 1967. Described as a woman of queenly character, Powell demonstrated herself to be a woman of integrity both inside and outside of the classroom. A former student boasted that Miss Powell was a “classroom miracle worker.” Former president Dr. Norman A. Wiggins likewise hailed Powell as a “master teacher,” commenting that “her efforts in the constant improvement of the spiritual and intellectual lives of her students will stand as a challenge for all who would teach in the grand manner.”
     A native of Corydon, Ky., Ms. Powell received her B.A. degree from Georgetown College and her M.A from UNC at Chapel Hill. In addition to the achievement of her book, The Outline of Fundamentals of English, Powell was also honored with Campbell University’s Pine Burr yearbook dedication in 1949. The Mabel Powell Chair of English was also established in her honor in 1969.
     Upon her retirement in 1967, the Campbell College Alumni Association adopted a resolution of appreciation honoring Miss Powell. It read: “Like the Rock of Gibraltar, Miss Mabel towers strong and ageless. Her countless students and friends rise up to call her blessed.”