Crisp, Lucy Cherry, 1899-1977

Lucy Cherry Crisp (March 4, 1899-November 25, 1977), daughter of Sellers Mark and Annie (Gorham) Crisp, was born in Crisp, Edgecombe County, though her family moved soon after her birth to Falkland in Pitt County. Miss Crisp received a B.S. degree in music from the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina in 1919 and later studied at Columbia University, Boston University, and Radcliffe College.

For ten years following her graduation from Woman's College, Crisp taught piano and supervised music programs in several North Carolina and South Carolina schools. She served from 1929 until 1932 as education director and student secretary at the Church of the Convenant in Greensboro, N.C. Between 1932 and 1936 she acted as general secretary of student religious activities at Woman's College in Greensboro, n.C.. The 1936-1937 academic year found Crisp at the First Congregational Church, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she worked as director of the Pilgrim Foundation. Following her work between 1938 and 1940 with the YWCA at Macon, Georgia, she spent six years (1941-1946) in Greenville, N.C., working at the Community Art Center and as director of the U.S.O. Club.

In 1947, she became director of the North Carolina State Art Gallery until 1955 and the Florence Museum (Florence, S.C.)from 1957 until 1963. Returning to Greenville, she served as director of the Greenville Art Center and spent much of her time writing.

Writing stimulated Miss Crisp throughout her life. She wrote numerous articles, including two newspaper columns: "By-way and Hedges" [ News and Observer (Raleigh)]; and "The Fence Corner" [ Daily Reflector (Greenville)]. She prepared for publication a biography of George Washington Carver and the Civil War diary of Delha Mabrey of Edgecombe County, but failed to have them printed. A prolific poet, she published two volumes of verse: Spring Fever (1935); and Brief Testament (1947). Crisp was a member of the Presbyterian church, the American Association of Museums, and the Society of Mayflower Descendants. She died in November, 1977 and is buried in Falkland Cemetery, Pitt County.