Mel's father, Robert Robertson, was transferred from Augusta to New Orleans, so Mel, her sister Anne, and brothers, Walton, McKinne, Alec, George and Gano all grew up in New Orleans and all attended Tulane. Mel attended the Newcomb High School as well as the College, where she helped found Beta Omicron chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma in 1904, and graduated as Valedictorian in 1905.
As a young mother she moved with her husband frequently in the years 1918-1928. Her husband, Ben, was in the Cypress business, requiring a life in Perry and Live Oak, Florida near the cypress swamps. Mel always sought out Kappas no matter where she went told her young friends that the fraternity connections helped forge a social life and find friends in new towns.
After Ben moved up in The Southern Cypress Association, the family moved back to Augusta. Her thirst for knowledge followed her mother's example. Her intellect led her to join the Philomathic Society. Their members prepared lunch for everybody, also had lectures and debates on current issues. It must have been a very early typewriter model of the 1930's that Mel used to write letters to national politicians and local community leaders questioning their opinions and suggesting solutions to problems. These letters went to her Senator regularly from World War II through the Civil Rights Era.
Mel simultaneously maintained a huge correspondence with her 24 cousins and later with their children, who corresponded regularly with their "Aunt Mel". Devoted to everyone who was related out to third cousins, Mel kept every scrap of paper, photo, obituary and note that was passed down from previous generations, writing to any and everybody in the family.
Mel and Ben had a son, Charles who graduated from the U.S.Naval Academy and a daughter, Marianne, also a Kappa at Newcomb. After being widowed, she and daughter Marianne moved to Tampa to be near her son, Charlie. She had new politicians to write to along with a new group of Kappa friends to entertain and cousins to see. As a very elderly lady, after her 50th Newcomb reunion, she invited her remaining pledge sisters from 1904 to come stay with her - she made congealed and fruit salads, bought a ham and a cake and the party was on!
Mel's father, Robert Robertson, was transferred from Augusta to New Orleans, so Mel, her sister Anne, and brothers, Walton, McKinne, Alec, George and Gano all grew up in New Orleans and all attended Tulane. Mel attended the Newcomb High School as well as the College, where she helped found Beta Omicron chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma in 1904, and graduated as Valedictorian in 1905.
As a young mother she moved with her husband frequently in the years 1918-1928. Her husband, Ben, was in the Cypress business, requiring a life in Perry and Live Oak, Florida near the cypress swamps. Mel always sought out Kappas no matter where she went told her young friends that the fraternity connections helped forge a social life and find friends in new towns.
After Ben moved up in The Southern Cypress Association, the family moved back to Augusta. Her thirst for knowledge followed her mother's example. Her intellect led her to join the Philomathic Society. Their members prepared lunch for everybody, also had lectures and debates on current issues. It must have been a very early typewriter model of the 1930's that Mel used to write letters to national politicians and local community leaders questioning their opinions and suggesting solutions to problems. These letters went to her Senator regularly from World War II through the Civil Rights Era.
Mel simultaneously maintained a huge correspondence with her 24 cousins and later with their children, who corresponded regularly with their "Aunt Mel". Devoted to everyone who was related out to third cousins, Mel kept every scrap of paper, photo, obituary and note that was passed down from previous generations, writing to any and everybody in the family.
Mel and Ben had a son, Charles who graduated from the U.S.Naval Academy and a daughter, Marianne, also a Kappa at Newcomb. After being widowed, she and daughter Marianne moved to Tampa to be near her son, Charlie. She had new politicians to write to along with a new group of Kappa friends to entertain and cousins to see. As a very elderly lady, after her 50th Newcomb reunion, she invited her remaining pledge sisters from 1904 to come stay with her - she made congealed and fruit salads, bought a ham and a cake and the party was on!