LAURINBURG — As St. Andrews enthusiastically moves forward with additions and new ideas for the music program, one name and a heritage is clearly evident that began first in 1896 and resonates even today. That last name is Vardell and the granddaughter, Margaret Vardell Sandresky, now 97, continues to play and compose music, following in the footsteps of her grandmother Linda Rumple Vardell, who founded the Conservatory of Music at Flora Macdonald College.
Linda studied at the New England Conservatory in Boston and was well known as one of the most outstanding pianists in North Carolina. She served as head of the conservatory from 1896-1926. Margaret’s grandfather, Charles Graves Vardell, became president in 1896 of the Red Springs Seminary that would be renamed Southern Presbyterian College and Conservatory of Music in 1903 and Flora Macdonald College in 1914. He retired in 1930 and served as president emeritus until his death in 1958.
Ms. Sandresky’s father, Charles Gildersleeve Vardell, also a noted musician (Princeton, Julliard, Eastman School of Music), would return to Flora Macdonald to serve as the Dean of the Conservatory from 1952-61. Dr. Vardell served as the last president of Flora Macdonald College in 1960-61. He became the Dean of the St. Andrews Conservatory of Music in 1961.
Sadly, he died one year before the dedication of the Vardell Building on Nov. 16, 1963, a tribute to Charles and Linda Vardell and their son. Margaret Vardell Sandresky and her family attended that dedication.
Both Vardells, father and son, have photos that are displayed in the SAU Liberal Arts business office foyer.
A recent story about Ms. Sandresky was printed in the Winston-Salem Journal (Feb. 9) detailing her career as a musician and benefactor. She graduated from Salem College and the Eastman School of Music and would eventually join the faculty at Salem College in 1946. Her husband, Charles Sandresky, was the Dean of the School of Music at Salem. He died in 2008 at 93 years old.
The newspaper noted that in December, Ms. Sandresky was honored at a dinner dance by the N.C. Society of New York, Inc., for her accomplishments in music as a pianist, organist, harpsichordist, composer and music theory scholar. She will again be honored at the Piedmont N.C. Chapter of the American Guild of Organists on May 5.
With almost 125 years of a connection between Flora Macdonald College and Ms. Sandresky, the Vardell heritage remains alive with music and art in the halls of the Vardell Building at St. Andrews University.
St. Andrews University is a branch of Webber International University.
Reprinted with permission from St. Andrews University.
