The May Day celebration, was an annual event that took place in “The Sunken Garden”, which was the field in front of Russell Hall. A very nice description of this yearly event can be found in M’Ledge Moffett’s History of the State Teacher’s College (page 354-5):
“MAY FESTIVALS
Miss Ninde, director of physical Education conducted the first May Day festival in 1919. Miss Mamie Lush of Burksville, Virginia was the first May Queen. The queen dressed in a white dress with a royal purple train was crowned with a gold pointed crown in the Oak Grove directly in front of the Administration Buidling. She was attended by a group of students as honor maids. From her throne she presided at the festiveal of oflk dances, drills, and gymnastic exhibitions by the students of Physical Education.
From this simple beginning the May festivals have become very elaborate and beautiful. It is customary to select the May Queen by popular vote of the students. The student receiving the highest number of votes as the most queenly, beauyiful, and gracious is declared the Queen. She is then attended by the students receiving the next highest votes as maids of honor.
For several years the program included marches and drills by all the students enrolled in physical education courses. Miss Ellis has made it her practice to choose some central theme sa the morif for the festivbal. Around this she has woven group and individual dances. Some of these themes have been: “Pan”, “The Japanese Sun God”, “Spring”, “Health”, “Robin Hood”, “The Circus”, Grecian Games, “Nations of the Earth”, “Southwest Virginia”.
The crowning of the queen is the climax of the festival. For many years the queen was crowned on a throne erected in front of Tyler Hall. The queen and her attendants approached the throne from the Administration Building. Many children of the city have participated as flower girls and train bearers Eleanor Bowers, Warren Bowers, Chandler Noblin, Dorothy Smith, Betty R. Roberts, Rob Roy Thomas, Elicabeth and William Cooper Gilbert, Lois Miller, Nancy and Robin McConnell.
Until 1926 the costuming of the May Queen and her attendants was very simple. Beginning at this time the students decided on a more elaborate costumes. For the last several years the queen has been attired in a beautiful white robe. The college owns a train and a crown embroidered in peals and rhinestones. This forms the nucleus around which the costuming for the pageant is centered. Organdie and taffets dresses have been used by the maids.”
Example of the May Day program:
Our digital Radford University Photograph Collection has many photographs of May Day celebrations. Click here to enjoy them! https://monk.radford.edu/records/default?search=may+day&sort=_score&perpage=10&fulltext=1&bookmarks=1&refine%5BCategories%5D%5B%5D=Radford+University+Archives%24%24%24RU+Photograph+Collection&r=&page=1#offset-
Recent Comments