Baxter Roland Ridenhour

Image Source: “Board of Trustees.” University Archives # UA55.01.1404. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N. C.

Baxter Roland Ridenhour was appointed to the ECC board in 1959 by Gov. Luther H. Hodges (1898–1974), along with fellow East Carolina alum Elizabeth S. Bennett (1895–1990), both for four-year terms. The same year, Hodges appointed Henry Oglesby (1908–1985) and James Whitfield (1916–1988), also East Carolina alums, to the board as well, though for eight-year terms. 1959 thus witnessed an unprecedented infusion of alumnae to the board of trustees. Never had four graduates been appointed in one year to serve on a board already including a significant alumnae representation as with state Senator Robert B. Morgan (1925–2016), and board chair, John Herbert Waldrop (1895–1966). Hodges’ thinking in stacking the board with alumnae is not clear, but he understood, presumably, that the trustees would soon navigate the school’s transition to desegregation per the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision declaring segregation, as still prevailed at East Carolina in 1959, unconstitutional. Rather than a board lacking deep, personal bonds to the school, Hodges most likely preferred one well stocked with alumnae presiding over the challenging course towards compliance. As things turned out, Ridenhour, one of the leaders in public school desegregation in the 1960s, proved to be a wise choice.

Hodges could not have anticipated, however, that his new board appointees would soon have to manage the abrupt transition in administration resulting from Pres. John D. Messick’s (1897–1993) unexpected resignation in the fall of 1959. Fortunately for East Carolina, however, Messick’s departure was followed by the quick elevation of Dr. Leo W. Jenkins (1913–1989) as the acting president and then in May of 1960, his installation as the new president. Under Jenkins’ leadership and with the support of the board, East Carolina began, the following year, the gradual transition to a more inclusive, desegregated campus even while continuing the exceptional momentum in growth in physical plant, student enrollment, and faculty numbers dating back to the early 1950s. As a well-respected and influential public-school administrator in Durham, Ridenhour helped guide the board forward even as he navigated similar challenges in the Raleigh-Durham area and the state during his years as a trustee.

A native of rural Davie County, north of Charlotte, Ridenhour began his undergraduate work at Rutherford College, completing its two-year program in 1933. He then transferred to ECTC and became part of the growing cohort of male enrollees in the mid-1930s. A big man on campus, Ridenhour majored in social sciences, played on the football team his first year, and then on the basketball and baseball teams his last two years, 1934–1936. He was a member of the Varsity Club, the Athletic Association, and the Lanier Society, and in October 1934, was elected the first president of the newly organized Men’s Student Government Association. After graduating, Ridenhour pursued a master’s degree in school administration at ECTC which he completed in 1938, making him one of the first graduate students to earn an advanced degree at ECTC.

Ridenhour began teaching in Durham, first at Mangum High School in Bahama, where he taught history and coached the baseball and basketball teams. In 1946, he moved to Maple Avenue Elementary School in Burlington as principal. In 1950, he returned to Durham as principal of a newly opened school, Club Boulevard. Ridenhour gained respect as a recognized leader in public school administration and was elected president of the Principals Division of the North Carolina Education Association in 1963. Earlier, he served as president of the Durham City Education Association. Between 1967 and 1973, he edited the state publication of the Principals Division of the NCAE, The Tar Heel Principal. After serving as principal of Club Boulevard School for 23 years, he retired in 1973.

Active in civic life, Ridenhour was a charter member of the Burlington Civitan Club and then joined the Durham club after moving there in 1950. He served as lieutenant governor of the Civitan Club at the district level, 1957–1958, and then as assistant to the governor, 1958–1959. In 1958, he was chosen as the outstanding lieutenant governor of the North Carolina District. In 1964, he was named Civitan of the Year for North Carolina and the following year, won the same praise from the Durham Civitan Club. A devoted alumnus, Ridenhour served as the president of the General Alumni Association of East Carolina College from 1955 until 1957.

Sources

• “Baxter Ridenhour, Educator, Civic Leader.” Durham Morning Herald. March 17, 1989. P. 28.
• “Board of Trustees.” October 1961. University Archives # UA55.01.1404. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N. C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/23084
• “Board of Trustees.” Buccaneer. 1962. P. 7. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15311
• “Club Boulevard Principal Retires.” Durham Morning Herald. June 24, 1973. P. 7.
• Hurder, Wayne. “Durham Schools Open Peacefully.” News and Observer. September 3, 1970. P. 48.
• “Men Students Organize Council.” Teco Echo. October 31, 1934. Pp. 1, 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38022
• “Men’s Student Government.” Tecoan. 1936. P. 168. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38022
• Records of the Chancellor: Records of John Decatur Messick, 1947-1959. “Box 6: Ridenhour, Baxter, Member of the Board of Trustees, 1959.” University Archives # UA02-05. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N. C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/special/ead/findingaids/UA02-05
• Records of the Chancellor: Records of Leo Warren Jenkins, 1960-1981. “Box 38: Ridenhour, Baxter, member of the Board of Trustees, 1960-1963.” University Archives # UA02-06. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N. C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/special/ead/findingaids/UA02-06
• “Ridenhour Head of Principals: Takes Over Office in State School Group.” Durham Sun. August 2, 1963. P. 1B.
• “Ridenhour Is Chosen Captain: Baxter Ridenhour Will Lead E. C. T. C. Nine.” Teco Echo. April 11, 1934. P. 4. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38016
• “Ridenhour Named NCEA Officer.” Durham Morning Herald. March 23, 1963. P. 4.
• “Ridenhour Named Trustee of East Carolina College.” Durham Sun. August 31, 1959. P. 11.
• “Ridenhour Now Heads ECC Alumni.” Durham Morning Herald. May 22, 1955. P. 7.
• “Ridenhour To Talk at Opening Meet for School Teachers.” Durham Morning Herald. August 25, 1962. P. 3.
• “Ridenhour Will Head Civitan Club.” Durham Sun. May 26, 1956. P. 2.
• “Services Set for Ridenhour.” Durham Sun. March 17, 1989. P. 26.

Related Materials

Image Source: Durham Sun, June 26, 1975, p. 1B.

Image Source: Durham Sun, June 24, 1973, p. 7.

Image Source: Tecoan, 1935, p. 59. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15340

Image Source: Tecoan, 1934, p. 86. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15339

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