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Eunice Hutto, c. 1937

Eunice Hutto Morelock (December 18, 1904 – August 22, 1947) was a pioneer professor at Bob Jones College and possibly the first female chief academic officer of a coeducational college in the United States.

Hutto was born and reared in Ariton, Alabama, where her father owned the general store. She entered the Women’s College of Montgomery (later Huntingdon College) at age 14 and graduated in 1923, at 18, the youngest member of her class. In 1929, Hutto completed a master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Alabama, and in 1939 she earned a doctor of pedagogy from Westminster College.^[1]

In 1928, after teaching mathematics in the Alabama public schools for five years, Hutto joined the faculty of the one-year-old Bob Jones College, then located near Lynn Haven, Bay County, Florida. According to her colleague R. K. Johnson, Hutto “seemed to catch a glimpse of the vision” of college founder, evangelist Bob Jones, Sr.^[2] Hutto served as principal of Bob Jones Academy, 1931-36, and dean of the college, 1933-41. ^[3]

According to Bob Jones, Jr., Hutto was “strong [and] could be stubborn.” Her impact on the fledgling college was immediate. As dean she was “tough-minded and unyielding to pressure,” standardizing the curriculum and perceptively evaluating the faculty. She thus quickly gained the confidence of Bob Jones, Sr., who treated her as a member of his official family.^[4] Jones deferred to Hutto in “the technical educational work,” and he noted in a 1935 chapel service that the two “check[ed] each other. I might turn this school into a camp meeting, but Miss Hutto says, ‘No, this is a college.’ So she keeps me reminded that this is a college, and I keep her reminded that we have to keep our religion.”^[5] Hutto believed herself to be the only female dean of a coeducational college in the United States.^[6]

In September 1941, Hutto resigned to marry Jefferson Davis Morelock, Jr., a businessman from Cleveland, Tennessee, where BJC had moved in 1933. Jones, Sr. immediately named her to the BJC Board of Trustees. She returned to teach mathematics from 1943 to 1947.

Hutto died of leukemia on August 22, 1947, eight months after giving birth to a son, Jefferson Davis Morelock III.^[7] A building in the Academy Quadrangle of Bob Jones University, Greenville, South Carolina, is named for her.^[8]

Notes

^ Turner, Standing Without Apology, 287-88; ”Eunice Hutto” [vita], c. 1935, BJU Archives. Hutto took additional coursework at the University of California-Berkeley, the University of Michigan, and the University of Tennessee.
^ Johnson, 180.
^ Turner, Standing Without Apology, 288.
^ Turner, Reflecting God’s Light, 11; Bob Jones, Jr. to Doris Harris, February 15, 1977, BJU Archives. Hutto and Jones were both natives of southeast Alabama and had been born less than fifteen miles from each other.
^ Undated letter quoted in Johnson, 198; chapel talk, March 4, 1935, quoted in Turner, Standing Without Apology, 65.
^ ”Eunice Hutto” [vita], c. 1935, BJU Archives.
^ Turner, Standing Without Apology, 288; “Descendants of Isom Julian.”. Hutto is buried in Fort Hill Cemetery, Bradley County, Tennessee.
^ BJU website

References

R. K. Johnson, Builder of Bridges: The Biography of Dr Bob Jones Sr (Bob Jones University Press, 1969).
Daniel L. Turner, Reflecting God’s Light (Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University, 2001)
Daniel L. Turner, Standing Without Apology: The History of Bob Jones University (Bob Jones University Press, 1997)]

[1] Turner, Standing Without Apology, 287-88; ”Eunice Hutto” [vita], c. 1935, BJU Archives. Hutto took additional coursework at the University of California-Berkeley, the University of Michigan, and the University of Tennessee.

[2] Johnson, 180.

[3] Turner, Standing Without Apology, 288.

[4] Turner, Reflecting God’s Light, 11; Bob Jones, Jr. to Doris Harris, February 15, 1977, BJU Archives. Hutto and Jones were both natives of southeast Alabama and had been born less than fifteen miles from each other.

[5] Undated letter quoted in Johnson, 198; chapel talk, March 4, 1935, quoted in Turner, Standing Without Apology, 65.

[6] ”Eunice Hutto” [vita], c. 1935, BJU Archives.

[7] Turner, Standing Without Apology, 288; “Descendants of Isom Julian.”. Hutto is buried in Fort Hill Cemetery, Bradley County, Tennessee.

[8] BJU website

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 In 1928, after teaching mathematics in the Alabama public schools for five years, Hutto joined the faculty of the one-year-old Bob Jones College, then located near [[Lynn Haven, Florida|Lynn Haven]], [[Bay County, Florida|Bay County]], [[Florida]].  According to her colleague [[R. K. Johnson]], Hutto “seemed to catch a glimpse of the vision” of college founder, evangelist [[Bob Jones, Sr.]]<ref>Johnson, 180.</ref>  Hutto served as principal of Bob Jones Academy, 1931-36, and dean of the college, 1933-41. <ref>Turner, ''Standing Without Apology'', 288.</ref>
-According to [[Bob Jones, Jr.]], Hutto was “strong [and] could be stubborn.” Her impact on the fledgling college was immediate.  As dean she was “tough-minded and unyielding to pressure,” standardizing the curriculum and perceptively evaluating the faculty.  She thus quickly gained the confidence of Bob Jones, Sr., who treated her as a member of his official family.<ref>Turner, ''Reflecting God’s Light'', 11; Bob Jones, Jr. to Doris Harris, February 15, 1977, BJU Archives.  Hutto and Jones were both natives of southeast Alabama and had been born less than fifteen miles from each other.</ref>  Jones acceded to Hutto in “the technical educational work,” and he noted in a 1935 chapel service that the two “check[ed] each other.  I might turn this school into a [[camp meeting]], but Miss Hutto says, ‘No, this is a college.’  So she keeps me reminded that this is a college, and I keep her reminded that we have to keep our religion.”<ref> Undated letter quoted in Johnson, 198; chapel talk, March 4, 1935, quoted in Turner, ''Standing Without Apology'', 65.</ref> Hutto believed herself to be the only female [[dean]] of a coeducational college in the United States.<ref>”Eunice Hutto” [vita], c. 1935, BJU Archives.</ref>
+According to [[Bob Jones, Jr.]], Hutto was “strong [and] could be stubborn.” Her impact on the fledgling college was immediate.  As dean she was “tough-minded and unyielding to pressure,” standardizing the curriculum and perceptively evaluating the faculty.  She thus quickly gained the confidence of Bob Jones, Sr., who treated her as a member of his official family.<ref>Turner, ''Reflecting God’s Light'', 11; Bob Jones, Jr. to Doris Harris, February 15, 1977, BJU Archives.  Hutto and Jones were both natives of southeast Alabama and had been born less than fifteen miles from each other.</ref>  Jones deferred to Hutto in “the technical educational work,” and he noted in a 1935 chapel service that the two “check[ed] each other.  I might turn this school into a [[camp meeting]], but Miss Hutto says, ‘No, this is a college.’  So she keeps me reminded that this is a college, and I keep her reminded that we have to keep our religion.”<ref> Undated letter quoted in Johnson, 198; chapel talk, March 4, 1935, quoted in Turner, ''Standing Without Apology'', 65.</ref> Hutto believed herself to be the only female [[dean]] of a coeducational college in the United States.<ref>”Eunice Hutto” [vita], c. 1935, BJU Archives.</ref>
 In September 1941, Hutto resigned to marry Jefferson Davis Morelock, Jr., a businessman from [[Cleveland, Tennessee]], where BJC had moved in 1933.  Jones, Sr. immediately named her to the BJC Board of Trustees.  She returned to teach mathematics from 1943 to 1947.