Burned in effigy, Ferrum VA, circa 1963

In the early 1960's, my father was dean of a small Methodist college in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains. Although this was a time of great unrest on campuses across the nation, we felt pretty isolated, and therefore insulated from much of what was going on in the outside world. But I'll never forget the night an angry mob of students descended upon our house, determined to burn my father in effigy.

Our maternal grandmother was living with us at that time, having been widowed a few years earlier. Granny Brewer loved children, and by "children" she meant anyone under 40. So, we had a built-in babysitter, and Granny had her children, including every student on campus. She knew most of them by name, and more than that about many. And Granny always loved a party!

One week in winter, the students were upset. Seven students had been expelled, and it was an unpopular decision made by the administration. I, at age 8, was unaware of all this. All I knew was that my parents were out for the evening, and there was a crowd with torches coming up our driveway, shouting for my father to come outside. Terrified, I ran and got Granny, thinking she would hide us children and lock the doors. I should have known Granny Brewer better than that!

Granny opened the door and walked out on the porch with a big smile on her face. She recognized the leaders of the group, called them by name, and invited everybody in for hot tea and cookies. By the time my parents got home, the "riot" was forgotten, and the students left somewhat sheepishly. Granny was inviting them to "come back soon, we'll have another party!"