Brigance - William Norwood - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Brigance - William Norwood

WILLIAM NORWOOD BRIGANCE

Source: Crawfordsville Journal Review Jan 30, 1960

Dr. William Norwood Brigance, 63, 104 W. College Street, veteran member of the Wabash College faculty, head of its speech department and nationally distinguished as an educator, author of texts and pubic speaker, died at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Culver Hospital. He had entered the hospital Jan 5 for treatment of a heart ailment and complications. Dr. Brigance came to Wabash College under the administration of Dr. George L. Mackintosh in 1922 from Proviso HS in Maywood, Ill. A suburb of Chicago. He spent the rest of his life in Crawfordsville, except for leaves of absences to study for advance degree and teaching sojourn in Hawaii. He received his Ph.D. in 1930 from the University of Iowa and in 1936-38 ws on leave of absence to the University of Hawaii, where he was professor of speech and head of the English department.

He made his presence felt early at Wabash, coming here in the days in which oratorical contests were attaining wide popularity. Dr. Brigance trained students who entered state competition in both the Pence and State Oratorical contests. Many of the speakers he trained won state honors and went on to capture national awards. Leland Bass, ’25; Maurice Robinson ’27, Ray Emensberger, ‘25 and C.E.A. Moore, ‘35 won the Interstate Oratorical Contest conducted annually at Northwestern University. In addition to men he sent to the finals, Dr. Brigance trained many other who never ranked below third.

Throughout his long service at Wabash he was an active teacher and also participated in many national and civic activities. He wrote a large number of books. His speech texts have been widely used. Added to his busy schedule were many appearances as a lecturer in all parts of the United States until the latter years of his life. Dr. Brigance was a member of the Crawfordsville Kiwanis Club and American Legion since 1922; a member of Tau Kappa Alpha, national speech honorary fraternity; was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and belonged to Lambda Chi Alpha Social fraternity and was a member of the Methodist Church. He was a member of the Indiana State Legion speakers bureau for many years. Dr. Brigance served for several years on the City Planning Commission, part of the time as chairman.

While on the commission a controversial city plan that had run into legal technicalities was passed and is currently in effect. Among many honors won by Dr. Brigance were the Order of Merit … in educational, scientific and cultural activities in 1951, awarded by TKA National Board of Awards; president in 1946 and vice president in 1934 and 1945 of the Speech Assn. of America, and president of the American Assn of University Professors, Indiana Speech Assn. Three hobbies took up much of Dr. Brigance’s time. Many years ago he took an avid interest in fishing. Later he took up golf and became interested in color photography. His interest in photography began during his two years in Hawaii and afterward he pursued the hobby in traveling over the country lecturing.

He used his color pictures as the basis for many lectures and was considered an outstanding amateur color photographer. Dr. Brigance was born Nov 17, 1896 in Olive Branch, Miss, the son of Benjamin Edgar and Rebecca Joyner Brigance. While he was a small boy the family moved to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, his father becoming an agent with the Indian Service. He was not a high school graduate – he entered college at 15. Despite the lack of high school education he made an outstanding scholastic record at the University of South Dakots.

He received his AB in 1916 and went to Dallas, SD where he taught high school in 1916-17. In 1917, Dr. Brigance enlisted in the regular Amy. He served in the field artillery with the American Expeditionary Forces for 13 months and rose to the rank of Second Lt. After the Armistice he stayed for a time with the occupation forces. After his military service he went to Nebraska, where he worked as a research assistant to the Nebraska Legislative Reference Bureau. In 1920-21 he taught at Hastings, Neb and in 1921-22 at Proviso HS. When not teaching in regular session at Wabash, Dr. Brigance served so many college and university faculties during summer sessions. Among the schools at which he taught as a member of summer term faculties were the University of Southern California 1932, 1949; University of Wisconsin, 1940 and University of Hawaii, 1947…. Serving summer sessions at the University of Iowa (1941); University of Michigan 1941, 1946; Louisiana State University 1946. He attended the University of Nebraska, 1920; University of Chicago 1921 and University of Wisconsin 1922 for graduate work. Last spring Dr. Brigance received the Wabash College Alumni Award of Merit.

Just before he came to Wabash, he was married to Jane Martin Aug 9, 1922 in Cozad, Neb. She survives. One daughter, Virginia Joyce, is deceased and another, Shirley Jane (Mrs. John R. Oest) lives in Williamsburg, Va. The father is living at Tupelo, Miss. There are two sisters, Mrs. James Riley of Tupelo and Mrs. Eddie Tidwell of Amarillo, Tex; and three grandchildren, John Norwood; Thomas Nevill and Jennie Elizabeth Oest. One sister is deceased. Funeral services are announced for 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Wabash College Chapel Rev. Hilton Whitaker of the First Methodist Church and Dr. J. Harry Cotton of the college faculty will be ministers. Interment will be in the Masonic Cemetery here. Friends may call at the Bright Funeral Home after 2 pm Monday. – transcribed by kbz

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