The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 105

INTOWN EXTRA, APRIL 28, 1983 D5 Emory pays honor to its first two black students I i 1 L-n- "A 14 A 1" rj By Sarah Cash SMI WrIMf Verdelle Bellamy and Allie Frances Saxon, both of northwest Atlanta, 20 years ago this school year became the first black students to enroll full time at Emory University, and the Emory Commission on the Status of Minorities gave a reception in their honor Sun-day. "We wanted these two women to know we appreci-, ate their said commission chairwoman Jacqueline Irvir.e. Looking back during interviews last both remembered entering Emory in the fall of 1962 as a "pleasant experience," and, for the times, a relatively quiet affair. "We worried more about our studies than we did being pioneers," Mrs. Bellamy recalled.

"I was contacted by the media and asked to give an interview, but I refused." "We were no different from any other students. We were pursuing our education," she said. After receiving their masters in nursing in 1963, both women have had diverse careers. Miss Saxon is a policy specialist with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with four states under her jurisdiction.

Mrs. Bellamy is associate chief of nursing service in geriatrics at the Veterans Administration Medical Center here. Later this year, she will become manager and director of the new 120-bed nursing home care unit at the VA Center, one of 92 in the nation. The women met before they -enrolled at Emory, when both were working at Grady Memorial Hospital, and now both are members of the same church, Union Baptist, in northwest Atlanta. 3 Mrs.

Bellamy was teaching at the Grady Hospital School of Nursing when she applied to Emory. She had also been accepted by Case Western Reserve University. "Since I had a husband (Monroe) and teen-aged son in Atlanta, my first choice was Emory," she said. Miss Saxon, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.

Samuel C. Saxon, had graduated from Grady Hospital School of Nursing and was a staff nurse at the hospital. "My first job was working with premature babies," she said. Later she completed the baccalaureate program at Tuskegee Institute, returning to Atlanta to teach practi- Verdelle Bellamy Allie Frances Saxon cal nursing at Carver Vocational School before she pursed her master's degree. After receiving her masters in maternal child care, Miss Saxon's first job was teaching at Winston-Salem State College, (now Winston-Salem University) in North Carolina.

She later became education director with the Visiting Nurses Association, a "real worthwhile job which I enjoyed." In 1972, she began her work as policy specialist with the health care financing administration, U.S. De- partment of Health and Human Services in Medicaid and Medicare. Since the two pioneers enrolled at Emory, several black student organizations have flourished: Emory's Black Student Alliance, the Student National Medical Association, the Black American Law Student Association, Candler Black Caucus and Emory Gospel Choir. One black fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha and two black sororities, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta, also have been chartered. The little station that could: WABE now a big time station I j.jf I I n't i By Sharon J.

Salyer Staff Writtr When the transmitter was first switched on for WABE-FM in the late 1940s, the station limited its broadcast menu to instructional; programming for the Atlanta Public Schools. Since then, the station format has broadened to include classical music, jazz and public affairs programming. It also has become an affiliate' of National Public Radio. But because it broadcast at only its audience was limited basically to residents living within the Perimeter. However, all that ended last week with the installation of a new transmitter atop Stone Mountain in DeKalb County.

The station will now have the ability to broadcast to listeners around half state. "You can hear the difference," said WABE's development director Pam Sweat of the station's boost from 30,000 to 100,000 watts jof1' power. "Although we've been broadcasting in stereo, when I first heard it (ori a test of the system) I was just I was just surrounded by the sound. "Before, somewik down one street would hear us beautifully, but another person just one away might not. Roswell Road residents, had a great deal of difficulty hearing "the station, Now, Atlanta area residents should have no problem hearing With the increase in wattage, the station, which broadcasts at 99.1-FM, has attracted listeners as far as Macon, Athens; and Cleveland, giving the station the potential to reach half the population in the state.

Ms, Sweat said the first few. days WABE operated at the new wattage, the -station received dozens of phone calls. Many were from new listeners who were able to hear the station for the first time or from old listeners who previously received an imperfect signal from the station and were receiving a good signal for the first time. 5 However, there were some calls from old listeners, too, complaining that reception wasn't as good after the power increase as it had been before. Ms.

Sweat said listeners should not worry. The station is still fine tuning the new system and its problems will be worked out 'i a I i The station started out as a school service with instructional programming in 1948 broadcasting at 10,000 watts. Later, it upped its power to 30,000 watts. 'The station has worked for the last, five years to increase its wattage from 30,000 to 100,000 watts. wattage increase, isn't the only change the station has in store this year.

Beginning June; WABE hopes to broadcasting 24 hourt a day.1. It now sign; off at 'J aiflnd signs; back on at 6 a weekdays, 1 I 3 WABE't development director Pam Sweat vlth announcer Gene Smith. (Staff Photo Charles Pugh, Jr.) 11.