The Young Lincolns

Mrs. Virginia Billingsley Fletcher graduated from LMU in 1950. In October 2020, she wrote the following account of her time at LMU. Today’s cover art includes an image of Mrs. Fletcher and the Class of 1950.

Jesse Stuart is arguably one of the best-known authors of Appalachian literature. At LMU, he found his first outlets for publishing.

Professor Moore’s 23 years at LMU included teaching Greek and Latin, overseeing the boys’ dormitory at Grant-Lee Hall, serving as Dean, and acting as interim President for three months. In his account, he reflects on the student body, its leaders, and historic events like WWI and the first burning of Grant-Lee Hall.

In this episode, LMU instructor Helen Anderson Ramsey reflects on her time as a student at LMU in one of its darkest periods, the 1920s. This account was originally provided to the LMU Alumnus in 1958, and also reflects Mrs. Ramsey’s concerns about the Cold War.

Today’s Lincoln Memorial University alumni story comes from Mrs. Nola Estep Comer, a member of the Class of 1917. She attended LMU while it still functioned as both a secondary school and an institution of higher learning. She also attended the Harrow School in Cumberland Gap, which preceded LMU. The following account was taken from a small booklet that she published in 1976. Ms. Nola Estep Comer passes away on October 24, 1999, at the age of 100.

Lincoln Memorial University founder O.O. Howard once referred to LMU students as “the young Lincolns of this section.” In this podcast, the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum will introduce you to alumni stories from 1897 to the present.