Notes from the Archives · June 2025
Margaret Louise Cannon Carr Howell Clarkson1880 – 1978
Begin reading“Her contributions were especially significant in the difficult years of the 1940s and early 1950s. Without her help, the Station might not have survived.”
A Lasting Imprint on Highlands Biological Station
Walk through the grounds of Highlands Biological Station, and you’ll find three historic cottages nestled among the trees: the Margaret Cannon Howell Cottage, the Warren McAllister Deacon Cottage, and the Henry M. Wright Cottage. Built in 1957, these cottages include shared bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, and a communal living space. Their dedication in 1958 honored individuals whose lives and generosity helped shape the Station’s enduring legacy.
- Margaret Cannon Howell CottageBuilt 1957 · Dedicated 1958This story
- Warren McAllister Deacon CottageBuilt 1957 · Dedicated 1958
- Henry M. Wright CottageBuilt 1957 · Dedicated 1958
Meet Margaret Louise Cannon Carr Howell Clarkson
Margaret’s life story is as remarkable as her name is long. Born in 1880 to James William Cannon, founder of the legendary Cannon Mills in Kannapolis, NC, Margaret was the youngest of ten children and the last to survive into adulthood. She graduated from Agnes Scott College in 1898 and went on to live a life marked by resilience, philanthropy, and a deep commitment to education, science, and nature.
Over the course of her 98 years, Margaret married three influential men and raised a family whose connections to Highlands—and to the Station—continue to resonate.
Five names, one life
Each part of her name marks a chapter. Select one to read its story.
A Family Rooted in Service and Science
The Carrs and Their Highlands Connection
Margaret’s first husband, Julian Shakespeare Carr Jr. (1878 – 1922), known as the “Hosiery King,” was a prominent banker and textile magnate. Together they had four children: Margaret Louise, Nancy, Julian III, and Mary Ann. All four maintained ties to Highlands, and several owned homes in the area.
Julian Carr III, a Harvard-trained lawyer, and his wife Anne Wallace Coppedge, a noted horticulturist and arts advocate, donated their Highlands home to the Station in 1967—a generous gift that further solidified the family’s legacy.
Margaret’s family and their ties to Highlands
Select anyone in the family to see how they connect to Highlands and the Station.
The Howells and the Chalet
In 1924, Margaret married her second husband, Clark Howell Sr. (1863 – 1936), publisher of The Atlanta Constitution and a major supporter of southern institutions. Their summer residence, still in Highlands Country Club today, affectionately named “The Chalet,” was designed by their nephew Linton Hopkins Young in 1932 and became a Highlands landmark. The Howell family’s ties to the Station ran deep, with family members including founders, architects, and patrons.
A Legacy of Giving
Margaret’s generosity to Highlands Biological Station began in the 1940s and continued for decades. From scholarships and laboratory equipment to land donations and board service, her support helped the Station endure challenging times and expand its mission.
Notable Contributions
- 1941
Scholarships and Research Funding
Margaret began by supporting student scholarships in 1941 and continued to give annually, helping young scientists pursue fieldwork and research.
Infrastructure Support
Her donations funded dam construction, lab supplies, and even furnishings like filing cabinets and desks.
- 1943
Board Service
Elected to the Station’s Board in 1943, she later became an honorary member.
- 1948
Wildlife Sanctuary
In 1948, she donated 6.5 acres of virgin hemlock forest near Whiteside Mountain to establish the Margaret Cannon Howell Wildlife Refuge, preserved as a sanctuary for birds and wildlife.
“Let me know if I must give more.”
The Chalet · Highlands, North Carolina · July 29, 1945
My dear Doc —
I’m sending my check for $300. One hundred to be used for a Scholarship —
The extra two hundred for whatever is most needed. The needs seem so great You must decide.
Let me know if I must give more.
Sincerely,
Margaret Howell
The Margaret Cannon Howell Wildlife Refuge
The program from the refuge’s dedication survives in the archives. Her daughter, Mrs. Paul Sanger, presented the tract on her mother’s behalf, and W. McA. Deacon accepted it for the Station.
“The land shall at all times be preserved as nearly as possible as a wilderness area.”
“It was also in that letter that we gratefully saluted you as the earthly guardian angel of the Station: we most humbly and with deep affection do so again today.”
Read the full dedication
Dedication of the Margaret Cannon Howell Wildlife Refuge
Presentation of the Tract · Mrs. Paul Sanger
Mr. President, it is an honor and a privilege on behalf of my mother, Margaret Cannon Howell, to present this tract of land to be developed as an outdoor laboratory where problems beneficial to mankind may be investigated and where proper habitat, food, and shelter may be found for wildlife. The land shall at all times be preserved as nearly as possible as a wilderness area. The tract is to be dedicated as the Margaret Cannon Howell Wildlife Refuge and administered by the staff of the laboratory.
Acceptance of the Tract · W. McA. Deacon
Margaret Cannon Howell, genteel Southern lady and noble Christian character, Personification of the doer of good deeds but always unobtrusive and unassuming in your charities and philanthropies:
There have been many times in its history when the Highlands Biological Station has had reason to be deeply grateful for material manifestations of your thoughtfulness for its welfare. Today, we are supremely blessed with another far more enduring one,— a living monument of your solicitousness and generosity.
You may recall a letter I wrote in 1948 upon receiving from you the announcement of the gift we dedicate this afternoon. In that I spoke of the dismay with which we had been stricken anent the destruction of a primeval forest which had been one of the wonders of this region; and then I alluded to the joy which filled our cup of gratitude to overflowing with the gift from you of another primeval forest which the Station might potentially regard as its own. Subsequent execution of the deed and the presentation of the tract just now by your daughter, Mrs. Paul Sanger, one of the Life Members of the Station, in your behalf have transformed the potential ownership to an accomplished fact. It was also in that letter that we gratefully saluted you as the earthly guardian angel of the Station: we most humbly and with deep affection do so again today.
In behalf of the officers and the Board of Trustees of the Highlands Biological Station, in behalf of all those who, in the years and generations to come, shall search for truth and the beautiful, it is my high privilege to accept this magnificent display of God’s handiwork to be known, in perpetuum, as the Margaret Cannon Howell Wildlife Refuge. The terms in the deed have been stipulated, with its acceptance goes the assurance that they will be faithfully administered. But there is still another assurance I would convey to you,— one that springs from the heart, the wellspring of gratitude deeply felt; and that is, the trust you have reposed in us will be zealously cherished and shall always be a living reminder of your unselfish devotion to the interests of this Station and of our eternal thanks and affectionate regard for you.
May God continue to bless you in His bountiful goodness and preserve you in good health and the sweetness of His spirit.
Transcription; small typing errors in the original have been corrected.A Legacy Cemented in Brick and Timber
In 1958, the Station honored Margaret by naming one of its newly constructed research cottages after her. The Margaret Cannon Howell Cottage, funded in part by a $60,000 National Science Foundation grant, was a symbol of the Station’s growth and her pivotal role in that transformation.
Her daughter, Mary Ann Sanger, delivered the dedication, and Dr. Lewis E. Anderson of Duke University gave a memorable address, praising the Howell family's vision for land preservation and scientific inquiry.
- Built
- 1957
- Funded in part by
- A $60,000 National Science Foundation grant
- Dedication
- Mary Ann Sanger, her daughter
- Address
- Dr. Lewis E. Anderson, Duke University
“The Highlands Biological Station … has acquired a new look.”
When the new buildings were dedicated, the Asheville Citizen-Times pictured the cottages named for Margaret Cannon Howell, Henry M. Wright and Warren M. Deacon, alongside the new Coker laboratory.
Read the clipping
THE HIGHLANDS BIOLOGICAL STATION, now more than a quarter century old, has acquired a new look. Scientists from many regions have been coming here during summer seasons for research. The new buildings of the mountain research center were dedicated in June. Upper left, the new cottages (L to R) have been named for Margaret Cannon Howell Sr. of Atlanta, Ga., a founder and benefactor of the station; Henry M. Wright of Highlands, a botanist and station board member; and Warren M. Deacon, Vanderbilt University biology professor and former station corporation president. At lower left is the new laboratory, the Coker Building, named for the late distinguished University of North Carolina botanist, Dr. William C. Coker, a former station president and laboratory director. The new building has research cubicles for 16 investigators, and also contains an executive office, library, plant drying room and storeroom. Central heating permits its use all through the year. Center, Dr. John G. Franclemont …
Transcription. The caption continues beyond the edge of the clipping.A life in Highlands
- 1880Margaret is born to James William Cannon, founder of Cannon Mills in Kannapolis, NC, the youngest of ten children.
- 1898She graduates from Agnes Scott College.
- 1922Her first husband, Julian Shakespeare Carr Jr., dies.
- 1924She marries Clark Howell Sr., publisher of The Atlanta Constitution.
- 1932“The Chalet,” the Howells’ Highlands summer home, is designed by their nephew Linton Hopkins Young.
- 1936Clark Howell Sr. dies.
- 1941She begins supporting student scholarships at the Station.
- 1943She is elected to the Station’s Board.
- 1945July 29Writing from The Chalet, she sends $300: one hundred for a scholarship, two hundred “for whatever is most needed.”
- 1948She gives 6.5 acres of virgin hemlock forest near Whiteside Mountain: the Margaret Cannon Howell Wildlife Refuge.
- 1952August 14The Margaret Cannon Howell Wildlife Refuge is dedicated. Mrs. Paul Sanger presents the tract and W. McA. Deacon accepts it.
- 1957The Howell, Deacon and Wright cottages are built.
- 1958JuneThe Margaret Cannon Howell Cottage is dedicated with the new buildings.
- 1960She marries Major Charles Dana Sayre Clarkson.
- 1967Julian Carr III and Anne Wallace Coppedge give their Highlands home to the Station. Charles Clarkson dies.
- 1978Margaret dies at the age of 98.
Later Life and Final Chapter
In 1960, Margaret married Major Charles Dana Sayre Clarkson (1882 – 1967), an engineer and developer who had surveyed and helped develop land near Whiteside Mountain—including the tract that became the wildlife refuge bearing her name. Clarkson also played a role in the Station’s expansion plans during the 1950s.
Margaret passed away in 1978 at the age of 98. Her obituary in The Atlanta Constitution highlighted her many philanthropic endeavors, including her support for Highlands Biological Station and her founding role in the George C. Marshall Research Library.
Upon her death, Executive Director Thelma Howell wrote:
“Her contributions were especially significant in the difficult years of the 1940s and early 1950s. Without her help, the Station might not have survived.”
A Founder, A Philanthropist, A Force of Nature
Margaret Louise Cannon Carr Howell Clarkson remains one of the most influential figures in the history of Highlands Biological Station. Through her vision, generosity, and love for science and nature, she helped ensure the Station’s resilience, relevance, and reputation for decades to come.
Bryding Adams, Volunteer Archivist, June 2025