Page 21 - Robeson Living Fall 2021

Carolina College in Maxton. Later
Presbyterian Junior College and
Carolina Military Academy

burg. The old campus was used for the next ten years for the of the Century” by the International Maritime Hall of Fame;
Carolina Military Academy. Angus Dhu McLean Assistant Attorney General of the Unit-
ed States of America; Elizabeth Ann Harllee McNair McRae
The Maxton area is known as the home of the Laurinburg- founder of Lees-McRae College; William Clifton Wishart Vice
Maxton Airbase. It was established in 1942, at a cost of over President of the New York Central Railroad. In addition to po-
10 million dollars, with a total of more than 5,000 acres. It litical and business icons, Maxton produced its own cultural
was the largest Glider Training Base in the world during icon. Alice Russell Micheaux, an African American opera
World War II. The Base played an important role in World singer, movie actress and producer -her credits include: The
War II; it was used as a staging area for campaigns in Burma, Betrayal (1948), God’s Stepchildren (1938), Murder in Harlem
Africa, Sicily, and Normandy’s D Day. The normal number of (1935) and The Broken Violin (1927). Her husband Oscar Mi-
men training at any time was 17,000; the Base was officially cheaux was famous director and producer of African American
closed July 13, 1946. films. He father Robert Russell owned the newspaper Maxton
Blade and was one of the first African Americans involved in
Maxtonians of note include Angus W. McLean Governor Maxton politics. Maxton boasted one of the pioneers in NC’s
of North Carolina 1924-1928; Malcom McLean, founder of education of African Americans, Charles Hunter, who taught in
McLean Trucking and SeaLand Inc, he was named “Man Maxton in the 1870s.

Glider landing at the Laurinburg
Maxton Airbase

Robeson Living ~ Fall 2021 Page 21