SEAHO Report - Spring 2018 - 25

SEAHO Feature Articles
for jobs, salary negotiations etc.)
Conclusion
The holistic model provided a well-rounded approach to provide intentional reflection for the RAs as they develop their professional identity. By grounding the model in self-exploration, the RAs could learn more about themselves as they continue to grow as leaders and gain transferable skills that will aid their job search in the future.

What's in a Name? One Residence Hall
Explores the Story of Its Namesake
By Ryan Collins, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

What's in a name? Most of give little thought to the names of the buildings in which we work, attend class, and
attend programs every day. Behind each and every building name, however, is a person and a story. Some are
named after former governors of the state. Others are named after prominent faculty, presidents, or administrators. Still others tell the story of trailblazers in the history of the institution and the country.
Recently, one residence hall at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro delved into its own history and
found a fascinating story. Reynolds Residence Hall, opened in 1963, is named in honor of Katharine Smith
Reynolds (November 17, 1880 - May 23, 1924), wife of the prominent North Carolina tobacco industrialist R.J.
Reynolds and a student at the State Normal and Industrial College (now UNC Greensboro) from 1897 to 1900.
Katharine was born in 1880 in Mount Airy, about 30 miles northwest of Winston-Salem, in the foothills of the
Blue Ridge Mountains. Her father, a prosperous farmer and businessman, educated his daughters as well as his
sons. Katharine spent three years at the State Normal and Industrial College, where she learned the radical notion that educated women could change the world.
A capable business woman, Katherine used her influence as the wife of the wealthiest man in North Carolina to
influence civic and social change. She pressed her husband for better working conditions for his employees. Under her influence, he provided hot lunches and water fountains in his factories and built a nursery where working mothers could leave their children. Throughout her life, Katharine was committed to living a life of purpose.
Katharine spent much of her adult life at the famed Reynolda House in Winston-Salem. The site remains a historical landmark (more information can be found on the Reynolda House Website). Katharine gave birth to four
children: Dick, Mary, Nancy, and Smith.
On April 24, the residence life staff and hall council in Reynolds Hall hosted a program called the "Reynolds
Family Reunion." The program was intended as both an end-of-year celebration for current residents and an
opportunity for former residents and staff to return to the building that was once their home. In addition, the
community welcomed a special guest - Noah Reynolds, one the great-grandchildren of Katharine and R.J. In
addition to his role as family historian, Noah is also an adjunct faculty member and the Coleman Entrepreneur
in Residence in UNC Greensboro's Bryan School of Business and Economics.
During the event, Noah shared with students a little bit about his family's history and also presented the hall with
two books generously donated by the Reynolda House - Katharine and R.J. Reynolds: Partners of Fortune in the
Making of the New South (Michele Gillespie) and Reynolda: Her Muses, Her Stories (an anthology of the artwork at Reynolda House).
In addition to being a momentous occasion for the residential community, the event coincided nicely with UNC
Greensboro's 125th Anniversary, which the institution has been celebrating all year. Katharine Reynolds, through
her life's work, embodied the spirit of service and women's empowerment that lies at the heart of UNC Greens25

SEAHO Report Spring 2018

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