Written by Jessica Ardrey
I recently sat down with Dr. David Cole, Chair of the Chemestry Department, as he told me his unique perspective of Pledge Week, October 1965 (when they were still allowed to call it Pledge Week).Jessica:You mentioned that you met your wife during Pledge Week. How did you two meet?Cole: My dad always impressed upon me, “Son, whatever you do, marry a Christian, marry a Christian, marry a Christian.” As a result of that, I didn’t date very much in high school. When I came to Harding, I don’t mind admitting that one of the reasons I came was to find a wife.At that time, the Student Center was what is now the Ganus Building. They posted all the incoming freshman pictures on the windows of the first floor. Also, the girls had a 10 o’clock curfew and the guys basically didn’t have one.After curfew one evening, a friend and I went and kind of surveyed all the girls’ pictures. I arrogantly picked out two and said, “I’m going to marry either that one or that one.”Then during Pledge Week, we had to have a whole bunch of dates and five major dates. I happened to see one of the two girls that I had picked out coming out of the Administration Building and walking toward the library. I kind of fell in step behind her and tried to work up some nerve to ask her out on the last major date of the week.She went into the library and what used to be the reading room. I was too nervous to go in and talk to her directly, so I went upstairs and looked up some stuff I had to find for a chemistry experiment.When I came back down, I saw her in the reading room, so I went in and sat down across from her and asked her if she would go with me to this final major event of Pledge Week. She said yes and we’ve been together ever since, for almost 43 years now.Jessica:That really is an amazing story. So what club did you pledge?Cole:Well, the club is now extinct. It went belly-up about four or five years after I graduated, but it was called Pioneers.Cole graduated in 1969, but noted that after getting married their junior year, his grades immediately went up almost a full letter grade.So keep your eyes open. You never know who might sign your pledge book.
