A 1934 portrait photograph of Gerald Wayne Dieter of Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The photo is from the Swastika, the 1934 yearbook of the Catawba College, Salisbury, North Carolina, available in digital form on Ancestry.com.
According to briefs which appeared in the Lykens Standard in 1935, Gerald Dieter was an editor of the Swastika in 1935. The 1935 yearbook of Catawba College was not available on Ancestry.com.
The 1934 yearbook featured the word “Swastika” atop every page and one page in particular stands out where the deans are featured with swastikas above or below their photos.
According to the Catawba Library, in 1927 the yearbook’s name name was taken from a Native American design found on campus, but was changed in 1941 due to the “corruption of the swastika symbol.”
From the Lykens Standard, March 24, 1935:
GERALD DIETER HONORED AT CATAWBA COLLEGE
Mr. Gerald Dieter was recently awarded the coveted Pioneer Key by selection of the staff of that paper. The Pioneer is the official newspaper of Catawba College, published bi-weekly, and each year awards five keys, the award being based entirely on service to the staff. Mr. Dieter, a junior at Catawba, has had three years of service on the paper, acting as business manager this year which entitles him to the award. Mr. Dieter has also been active in various other campus activities, taking part in the Forensic Society, Philomeathean Literary Society, and various other organizations, acting in an executive capacity in most of them. He was also on the staff of the Swastika, annual book published by the junior class of the school.
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From the Elizabethville Echo, May 30 1935:
HONORED FOR WORK ON COLLEGE PAPER
Mr. Gerald Dieter of Wiconisco received the “Pioneer” Keys, an honor awarded for distinctive work on the staff of The Pioneer, bi-weekly newspaper published by students of Catawba College, Salisbury, North Carolina.
Mr. Dieter who is a ministerial student in his junior year, has served three years on the paper’s staff, the past term having been spent as business manager.
Other extra-curricular activities have included membership in the Forensic and Philomeathan Literary Society and a staff member for the Swastika year book published by the Junior Class.
Mr. Dieter is a former Elizabethville resident.
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From the Lykens Standard, October 4, 1935:
GERALD DIETER TO STUDY AT LANCASTER
Gerald Dieter, son of Mrs. Elmer Umholtz, South Second Street, having completed his course of studies at Catawba College recently and entered the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church at Lancaster. Mr. Dieter finished his college work in three years with Magna Cum Laude honors. He was very active in extra curricular activities having served on the Varsity debating team his last two years; served as president of Sigma Pi Alpha, honorary intercollegiate language fraternity; as secretary-treasurer of the forensic Association; as news editor of the Pioneer and photographic editor of the Swastika.
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News articles from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.