, years , Dr. O.H. (Owens Hand) Browne Acting President 1940 – 1942 Before 1940, the leaders of the school had titles of headmaster or superintendent. When the Cherokee Indian Normal School of Robeson County offered its first four-year curriculum, the title became “president” and the school a college. With an enrollment of 129, the school was on a roll when Dr. Browne was named interim president. In 1941, the school’s name was changed to Pembroke State College for Indians. Unfortunately, war broke out and enrollment shrank as men everywhere headed to war. A Tradition of... Dr. Ralph D. Wellons President 1942 – 1956 Dr. Wellons was the first permanent president of the college. With him came the liberal arts designation in 1951. Following the war, the men came home armed with the GI Bill and the college flourished. This was the first era of football. O.R. Sampson, Locklear and Moore halls were completed. In 1949, “for Indians” was dropped from the name. In 1953, at the request of the board of trustees, the North Carolina General Assembly opened the college to white students. Dr. Wellons advocated for a local hospital and admission of American Indians to graduate schools. In his farewell address to the board, he advocated for a learning environment in an “atmosphere of freedom and goodwill.” Dr. Walter J. Gale President 1956 – 1962 Although enrollment had sagged as veterans graduated, it slowly increased to 758 by the end of Dr. Gale’s tenure. He began a program of student recruitment in local high schools. Dr. Gale is believed to have encouraged students to participate in the January 18, 1958, rout of the Ku Klux Klan at Hayes Pond in Maxton. Perhaps, he feared that a Klan victory would mean they would turn their attention to the biracial college next. 20 UNCP Today Spring 2012