Sam Ragan
Encyclopedia
Sam Ragan was a journalist
, author
, poet
and champion of the arts
from North Carolina
.
in Wilson, North Carolina
and married Marjorie Usher in 1939. He served briefly as a reporter for the San Antonio Evening News, now the San Antonio Express-News
, and then returned to North Carolina where, beginning in 1941, he held various editorial
positions with The Raleigh News & Observer.
While with the News & Observer he began writing Southern Accent, a weekly newspaper column of literary criticism
, commentary
and poetry
. It became the longest running column in the United States
and appeared in forty-three states and twenty-four foreign countries. In 1969 he purchased The Pilot, a small weekly newspaper in Southern Pines, North Carolina
. Ragan served as its editor and publisher, remaining active on The Pilot's staff until his death.
In addition to his work as a newspaperman Sam Ragan published six collections of verse
including Journey Into Morning and To The Water’s Edge as well as several works of non-fiction. However, he may be best known as a public intellectual
and a widely admired advocate of the arts
. He was the first secretary of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources and the first chair of the North Carolina Arts Council
. He taught creative writing
and journalism
at Sandhills Community College
, St. Andrews Presbyterian College
and North Carolina State University
. He served as president of the Associated Press
Managing Editors and the North Carolina Press Association. In addition to serving on the boards of several associations devoted to history
, music
and the humanities
he helped found and guide the North Carolina School of the Arts
, and the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities.
North Carolina Congresswoman Eva M. Clayton
once remarked that, "Those who are acquainted with Sam Ragan's professional activities are fully aware that as an editor he fashioned a distinguished career of recording and examining newsworthy events. How remarkable, then, that in his poetry he focused on ordinary people, the small incidents of daily life, the quiet unfolding of nature--events that never rated a headline. His unique talent transformed simple everyday occurrences. He made ordinary people special and special people ordinary."
A member of the Presbyterian church, Ragan was also a life long champion of the Democratic Party. In addition to his many works of poetry in 1961 he wrote "The Democratic Party: Its Aims and Purposes" and with Elizebeth Ives in 1969 he wrote "Back to Beginnings: Adlai E. Stevenson and North Carolina." North Carolina Governor Terry Sanford
described Sam Ragan as "one of North Carolina's treasures. He was a crusading editorial force at The News and Observer where he fought for the improvement of education, the elimination of racial injustice and the broadening of economic opportunities."
Ragan was a recipient of the North Carolina Award in Fine Arts, the John Taylor Caldwell
Award for The Humanities, The Roanoke-Chowan Award for Poetry, the R. Hunt Parker
Award for Literary Achievement, the Morrison Award and the North Caroliniana Society Award. He was elected to both the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. Ragan was awarded honorary doctorates at St. Andrews Presbyterian College
in Laurinburg, North Carolina
, Atlantic Christian (Barton) College, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
and Methodist College in Fayetteville, North Carolina
. In 1982 Governor Jim Hunt
named Sam Ragan North Carolina’s Poet Laureate for life.
In 1981 St. Andrews Presbyterian College initiated the Sam Ragan Fine Arts Awards. These awards are given annually "In honor of Sam Ragan, North Carolina's first secretary of Cultural Resources, and to celebrate the fact that North Carolina was the first of the United States to establish a cabinet-level position recognizing the fine arts." Barton College founded the Sam and Marjorie Ragan Writing Center in their honor. In 2003 the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association paid tribute to Ragan's memory by establishing the Ragan Old North State Award Cup for Nonfiction.
Elena Ruehr composed a musical piece titled 'Exodus, based on four poems by Sam Ragan. The work was commissioned by the Coastal Carolina Chamber Music Festival and premiered during the 2005 season.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and champion of the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
Bio
He was born in Berea, North Carolina and was the son of William Samuel Ragan and Emma Clare (Long) Ragan. In 1936 he graduated from Atlantic Christian, now Barton CollegeBarton College
Barton College is a private liberal arts college located in Wilson, North Carolina. Barton College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, The NC Association of Colleges and Universities; the NC Department of Public Instruction; the NC Board of Nursing; and the Committee...
in Wilson, North Carolina
Wilson, North Carolina
Wilson is a city and the county seat of Wilson County in the Coastal Plain region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The 18th largest city in the state, Wilson had a population of 49,167 according to the 2010 census.- Geography :...
and married Marjorie Usher in 1939. He served briefly as a reporter for the San Antonio Evening News, now the San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...
, and then returned to North Carolina where, beginning in 1941, he held various editorial
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
positions with The Raleigh News & Observer.
While with the News & Observer he began writing Southern Accent, a weekly newspaper column of literary criticism
Criticism
Criticism is the judgement of the merits and faults of the work or actions of an individual or group by another . To criticize does not necessarily imply to find fault, but the word is often taken to mean the simple expression of an objection against prejudice, or a disapproval.Another meaning of...
, commentary
Criticism
Criticism is the judgement of the merits and faults of the work or actions of an individual or group by another . To criticize does not necessarily imply to find fault, but the word is often taken to mean the simple expression of an objection against prejudice, or a disapproval.Another meaning of...
and poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. It became the longest running column in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and appeared in forty-three states and twenty-four foreign countries. In 1969 he purchased The Pilot, a small weekly newspaper in Southern Pines, North Carolina
Southern Pines, North Carolina
Southern Pines is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 10,918 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Southern Pines is located at ....
. Ragan served as its editor and publisher, remaining active on The Pilot's staff until his death.
In addition to his work as a newspaperman Sam Ragan published six collections of verse
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
including Journey Into Morning and To The Water’s Edge as well as several works of non-fiction. However, he may be best known as a public intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
and a widely admired advocate of the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
. He was the first secretary of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources and the first chair of the North Carolina Arts Council
North Carolina Arts Council
The North Carolina Arts Council is an organization in the U.S. state of North Carolina that provides grants to artists, musicians, and arts organizations. The group's mission is "To Make North Carolina a Better State Through the Arts." It was founded by executive order in 1964, and it became a...
. He taught creative writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
and journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at Sandhills Community College
Sandhills Community College
Sandhills Community College is a community college located in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Sandhills was chartered in 1963, and officially opened October 1, 1965. It was the first comprehensive community college in North Carolina to offer a degree for transfer to a four-year college or university...
, St. Andrews Presbyterian College
St. Andrews Presbyterian College
St. Andrews University, formerly St. Andrews Presbyterian College, is a private, Presbyterian, four-year liberal arts college in Laurinburg, North Carolina....
and North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
. He served as president of the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
Managing Editors and the North Carolina Press Association. In addition to serving on the boards of several associations devoted to history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and the humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
he helped found and guide the North Carolina School of the Arts
North Carolina School of the Arts
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts , formerly the North Carolina School of the Arts, is a public coeducational arts conservatory in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that grants high school, undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is one of the seventeen constituent campuses of the...
, and the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities.
North Carolina Congresswoman Eva M. Clayton
Eva M. Clayton
Eva M. Clayton is a politician from the state of North Carolina.Clayton was born in Savannah, Georgia. She graduated from Johnson C. Smith University with a bachelor's degree and from North Carolina Central University with a master's degree...
once remarked that, "Those who are acquainted with Sam Ragan's professional activities are fully aware that as an editor he fashioned a distinguished career of recording and examining newsworthy events. How remarkable, then, that in his poetry he focused on ordinary people, the small incidents of daily life, the quiet unfolding of nature--events that never rated a headline. His unique talent transformed simple everyday occurrences. He made ordinary people special and special people ordinary."
A member of the Presbyterian church, Ragan was also a life long champion of the Democratic Party. In addition to his many works of poetry in 1961 he wrote "The Democratic Party: Its Aims and Purposes" and with Elizebeth Ives in 1969 he wrote "Back to Beginnings: Adlai E. Stevenson and North Carolina." North Carolina Governor Terry Sanford
Terry Sanford
James Terry Sanford was a United States politician and educator from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Sanford was the 65th Governor of North Carolina , a two-time U.S. Presidential candidate in the 1970s and a U.S. Senator...
described Sam Ragan as "one of North Carolina's treasures. He was a crusading editorial force at The News and Observer where he fought for the improvement of education, the elimination of racial injustice and the broadening of economic opportunities."
Ragan was a recipient of the North Carolina Award in Fine Arts, the John Taylor Caldwell
John Taylor Caldwell
John Taylor Caldwell was a Glasgow-born anarchist communist and close associate and biographer of Guy Aldred. He wrote two volumes of autobiography which recount his early life growing up in Belfast, his early career as a mariner and his political development, as well as his close involvement with...
Award for The Humanities, The Roanoke-Chowan Award for Poetry, the R. Hunt Parker
R. Hunt Parker
Robert Hunt Parker was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice and Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court....
Award for Literary Achievement, the Morrison Award and the North Caroliniana Society Award. He was elected to both the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. Ragan was awarded honorary doctorates at St. Andrews Presbyterian College
St. Andrews Presbyterian College
St. Andrews University, formerly St. Andrews Presbyterian College, is a private, Presbyterian, four-year liberal arts college in Laurinburg, North Carolina....
in Laurinburg, North Carolina
Laurinburg, North Carolina
Laurinburg is a mid-sized city in Scotland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Scotland County. Located in southern North Carolina near the South Carolina state border, Laurinburg is southwest of Fayetteville and is home to St. Andrews Presbyterian College...
, Atlantic Christian (Barton) College, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
and Methodist College in Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
. In 1982 Governor Jim Hunt
Jim Hunt
James Baxter Hunt Jr. is an American politician who was the 69th and 71st Governor of the state of North Carolina . He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.-Early life:...
named Sam Ragan North Carolina’s Poet Laureate for life.
In 1981 St. Andrews Presbyterian College initiated the Sam Ragan Fine Arts Awards. These awards are given annually "In honor of Sam Ragan, North Carolina's first secretary of Cultural Resources, and to celebrate the fact that North Carolina was the first of the United States to establish a cabinet-level position recognizing the fine arts." Barton College founded the Sam and Marjorie Ragan Writing Center in their honor. In 2003 the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association paid tribute to Ragan's memory by establishing the Ragan Old North State Award Cup for Nonfiction.
Elena Ruehr composed a musical piece titled 'Exodus, based on four poems by Sam Ragan. The work was commissioned by the Coastal Carolina Chamber Music Festival and premiered during the 2005 season.
Books by Sam Ragan
- Back to Beginnings: Adlai E. Stevenson and North Carolina. [Co-authored with Elizabeth S. Ives]. Charlotte, N.C.: Heritage Printers, 1969.
- Collected Poems of Sam Ragan. Laurinburg, N.C.: St. Andrews Press, 1990.
- Journey into Morning. Laurinburg, N.C.: St. Andrews Press, 1981.
- Listening to the Wind. Laurinburg, N.C.: St. Andrews Press, 1995.
- The New Day. [Editor]. Zebulon, N.C.: Record Publishing Company, 1964.
- Poetry under the Stars. [Editor; Friday Noon Poets]. Durham, N.C.: Moore Publishing Company, 1979.
- To the Water's Edge. Durham, N.C.: Moore Publishing Company, 1971.
- The Tree in the Far Pasture. Winston-Salem, N.C.: John F. Blair, Publisher, 1964.
- A Walk into April. Laurinburg, N.C.: St. Andrews Press, 1986.
- Weymouth: An Anthology of Poetry [Editor]. Laurinburg, N.C.: St. Andrews Press, 1987.
External links
- Inventory of the Sam Ragan Papers, 1948-1996, in the Southern Historical CollectionSouthern Historical CollectionThe Southern Historical Collection is a repository of distinct archival collections at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which document the culture and history of the American South...
, UNC-Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...