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Excerpt from Oral History Interview with Grace Aycock, March 28, 1990. Interview L-0037. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) See Entire Interview >>

Speaking engagements as the chancellor's wife

Aycock briefly describes some of the speaking engagements she had during her husband's tenure as chancellor of the University of North Carolina. Aycock sometimes spoke at women's organizations or to student wives. According to Aycock, this was one of her many responsibilities as the chancellor's wife.

Citing this Excerpt

Oral History Interview with Grace Aycock, March 28, 1990. Interview L-0037. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Full Text of the Excerpt

FRANCES A. WEAVER:
Grace, is there anything we haven't covered now that you can think of that relates to the, in a sense, responsibilities of the chancellor's wife.
GRACE AYCOCK:
I think of the fact that I did make a few talks.
FRANCES A. WEAVER:
Oh, you did. So you were called on to talk to what, Woman's Associations?
GRACE AYCOCK:
No, they were mostly in Chapel Hill and were students' wives groups. I remember especially the law students' wives and pharmacy students' wives. Also, to one of the Valkyrie breakfasts. I remember once presenting the Irene Lee Award.
FRANCES A. WEAVER:
Oh, that's to an outstanding woman, I believe.
GRACE AYCOCK:
Woman, yes. I was an advisor of the Carolina Woman's Council which was made up of leaders of the dormitories.
FRANCES A. WEAVER:
I see. So you did that. What message did you give to women as the chancellor's wife?
GRACE AYCOCK:
I mostly talked to the student wives about what an important thing I felt they were doing to help their husbands get through school, and some of them, of course, were working outside the home.
FRANCES A. WEAVER:
Putting husbands through, we called it. PHT, we called it. She's getting her PHT, Putting Husband Through, yes. I remember those days.
GRACE AYCOCK:
And of course, the Valkyries are mostly about being a student leader, which, of course, they were. The presentation of the Irene Lee Award was a shorter presentation.
FRANCES A. WEAVER:
Of that.
GRACE AYCOCK:
Yes, mostly about the girl who had won it.
FRANCES A. WEAVER:
Well, Grace, I think we've covered a lot of aspects of the chancellor's wife. Certainly not all there was, but I think you've given me a good insight into it. I certainly remember those days well, living down Laurel Hill Road from where the chancellor's residence was.
GRACE AYCOCK:
The only thing I can remember that I have not mentioned is that the Homecoming Queen was once selected at our house.
FRANCES A. WEAVER:
Oh really.
GRACE AYCOCK:
Yes, the group who were doing the selecting and all the candidates were there. It was an interesting, fun afternoon for me, but it was probably more strenuous for them.
FRANCES A. WEAVER:
A little stressful for the girls.
GRACE AYCOCK:
And sometime during those years I served as a jurist for the Miss Chapel Hill Contest. Not at our house, but I think it was in Memorial Hall.