WINTHROP EVER STAND


You likely know the words by heart and the first notes bring you to your feet. At the end of signature university events, such as Convocation and Commencement, Winthrop’s alma mater is proudly sung. Whether you punctuate its ending with an enthusiastic fist bump, as students and newer alumni tend to do, or stand reverent as the last notes ring out, the alma mater remains a piece of Winthrop history that ties together more than 60,000 alumni.


How the Alma Mater Came About In 1914, Founding President David Bancroft Johnson proposed a competition among the four classes to prepare a college song. Over the years, the alma mater was adapted to suit the changing character of Winthrop, but the tradition of an official song continues.


Donna C. Durst '83


Two former students – Donna C. Durst ’83 and Lisa Breland Spangler ’87 – created the current two-verse piece. It made its official debut, per- formed by the Winthrop Glee Club, at Convocation in 1986 in celebration of the universi- ty’s centennial.


Lisa Breland Spangler '87


Durst, who was not a music major but sang in the chorus, wanted to submit a new alma mater during her time at Winthrop. The first song she submitted was rejected because the music was not


original. So she wrote the music and the first verse, which she said took her only an hour, of the current alma mater. She then received feedback that the song needed a second verse. She recruited her roommate’s sister, Lisa, to collaborate with her on the second verse, and she then submitted the new version for consideration.


“I shared my story with [former music depart- ment chair] Don Rogers and he had the idea to have the song sung in our winter chorus concert in 1983, knowing that Interim President Glenn Thomas would be in attendance. We hoped this would add some momentum to the effort,” said Durst. “The copies of the song were destroyed after the concert since the song wasn’t official. I graduated in 1983 and left Winthrop without accomplishing my goal. I thought it wasn’t meant to be.”


But President Martha Kime Piper arrived and the initiative picked up steam. “In preparation for the centennial, Dr. Piper asked about an alma mater. Ours was sung for her, along with two older se- lections, including ‘The Winthrop College Hymn,’ and during a phone conversation that day with Don Rogers I was told our version became the official alma mater,” said Durst.


According to Durst, she’s humbled to be a part of Winthrop history. “Lisa and I are forever threaded into the fabric of Winthrop,” she said.


Spangler said that being a part of the process brought her joy. “Having a small part of creating a


new alma mater for an institution I love and which offered me not only a solid education but also incredible friendships and last- ing memories brings me great joy. One of my favorite memories was accompanying my mom to her 50th Winthrop reunion and hearing it sung right after they sung ‘Fairest Flower.’ It’s a mem- ory I will honestly treasure. I still tear up when I hear it sung.”


The Alma Mater Over the Years


“Lo She Stands, Our Alma Mater” – Submitted by the Class of 1915


“Oh Hail Dear Alma Mater” – Written by Lily Strickland and retired in 1922


“Fairest Flower” – First appeared in the 1922-23 student handbooks, officially adopted by the student body in 1936 and later retired due to the arrival of co-education in 1974 – Lyrics by Donnis Martin; music by Hascal Vaughan Stewart, Class of 1919


“The Winthrop College Hymn” – Adopted in 1976, sung annually during Commencement – Lyrics by Grace Beacham Freeman; music by John Baker


Current Alma Mater – Adopted in 1986, melody by Donna C. Durst '83; lyrics by Donna C. Durst and Lisa Breland Spangler '87


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