Two from Goldsboro to be presented at Debutante Ball
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on August 14, 2013 1:46 PM
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Katherine Anne Roethling and Elizabeth McCrary "Mack" Thompson have a shared history.
"We've been best friends since we were like 2 or 3 years old," Miss Thompson said.
"I went to Wayne Country Day School up to third grade, then went to Tommy's Road Elementary School for three years and came back (to WCDS) in sixth grade. She did the same thing but came back in ninth grade."
They also grew up in the same neighborhood, went to camp together and later played on the same tennis and soccer teams.
The classmates graduated from WCDS in 2012 and, as rising college sophomores, live 30 minutes apart and get together for the occasional dinner.
And now, as the only two representatives from Goldsboro on this year's list of the state's debutantes, they will share that experience as well.
The 87th annual N.C. Debutante Ball will be held in Raleigh on the weekend of Sept. 5-7. The formal presentation of young ladies from across the state will highlight the weekend festivities.
The Terpsichorean Club, comprised of young men from the Raleigh area, was formed in the 1920s to sponsor an annual statewide Debutante Ball to present North Carolina's prominent young ladies and to honor their families. The ball has been held every year since 1923, with the exception of the World War II years.
Debutantes are selected by more than 200 nominators throughout the state, with final approval made by Terpsichorean Club members. Invitations are extended to candidates in recognition of the contributions their families have made to the economic, cultural, social and civic life of North Carolina.
During the ball weekend there will be eight functions held in honor of the debutantes, their families and their escorts.
The official formal presentation will be held on Friday evening, Sept. 5, at Meymandi Concert Hall.
Both local debutantes are legacies, having had relatives before them chosen for the honor.
Miss Roethling, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Hans Peter Roethling, was valedictorian of her high school class. She is attending UNC-Chapel Hill, majoring in psychology. Both her mother, Mary Battle Roethling, and grandmother, Ann Smith Hall, formerly of Goldsboro now living in Raleigh, were debs.
Her father will serve as chief marshal during the festivities and Will Hartley will be assistant chief.
Miss Thompson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Blackwell Thompson, is a biology pre-med major at Meredith College. Her mother, Becky Bowden Thompson, had been a debutante, and Mack's sister, Rebecca, was a deb two years ago.
Chief marshal will be her father and assistant chief marshal will be Nick Lehman from Orlando, Fla.