LETTERS HOME The Bee-Mail Letters were a Godsend, the era’s social media, and a lifeline for men in harm’s way, far from home.
“…her mailbag is filled daily with letters from these ‘PC’uns’ thanking her, telling her frankly of human feelings, in the stress of giant warfare, recounting incidents of battle and camp life, incidents humorous and pathetic. And she reads them all and digests them and weaves them together into her ‘Bee-Mail Letter,’ which is a running story of what PC men think and feel and where they are and what they are doing. To them, she is a true friend and to them, she will always be ‘Mrs. Bee.”’
T
he Bee-Mail Letters were a collection of thoughts and stories from students and alumni serving in all branches of the armed forces. For four years, these PC’uns corresponded with Mrs. Lillian Brown, known simply as “Mrs. Bee” to many PC students serving overseas in WWII. From 1928-1945, Mrs. Lillian Gross Brown served PC as registrar. In 1945, she became the College’s first lady when her husband, Dr. Marshall W. Brown, was named the 13th president of Presbyterian College.
11
– The Greenville News, 1945 edition. During WWII, Mrs. Bee served as the editor and guiding spirit of the Bee-Mail Letters. By the end of WWII, she had sent a letter to every PC serviceman who was fighting in the war. Mrs. Bee’s mailing list reached more than a thousand names by the end of the war . The College recognized the contributions of Mrs. Bee by making her an honorary alumna. The College also presented her with the Alumni Gold P Award, one of the highest awards that can be bestowed upon alumni. n
