Woman in found photo identified as local graduate, area resident

Lost and found: Carole (Brown) Fowler holds the picture of her that was found in a book bought at the AAUW book sale. Marcy Reid found the picture and wanted it returned to its rightful owner. Staff photo by Haley Hughes.

The mystery of a school picture Marcy Reid found tucked inside a mathematics book has been solved.

The picture of a young woman wearing a graduation robe with a white ribbon in her hair is Carole (Brown) Fowler who graduated from Aiken High School in 1968.

Reid found the school portrait tucked inside a copy of "The Wonderful World of Mathematics" by Lancelot Hogben, which she believes she bought at an American Association of University Women Books 'N Things Fair.

Reid enlisted the help of the Aiken Standard in ferreting out the woman's identity. The picture was published, and the community was asked to help. The Aiken Standard received no less than 20 emails about the mystery picture.

The picture was inside a "School Day Portraits" folder, which had several things written on it: "Carole Brown," "Butler," and "12."

Brown was indeed the young woman's name, while Butler was a teacher at Aiken High and 12 was Brown's grade.

"My sister called me and told me it was in the paper," said Fowler, who lives in Aiken. "Then the sister of a classmate called me and people from church."

Even Fowler's sister-in-law was approached by a neighbor who knew she was related to Fowler.

"I told everybody it was my one claim to fame," Fowler said. "Butler was a French teacher and my homeroom teacher."

She said she remembers seeing "The Wonderful World of Mathematics" when she was boxing up books her mother had to give to AAUW for their book sale, which draws hundreds every year.

"I like to go there and get books, too," she said. "We had several boxes because my mom was an avid reader."

The picture wasn't the only thing found in the book. An inscription was written on the cover page: "Lane, if you enjoy this half as much as I, you won't be able to put it down easily. Dudley Willis. 1-5-56."

"Lane is my brother, but he doesn't remember the name Dudley Willis," Fowler said.

Lane graduated from Aiken High School in 1959.

Fowler returned to Aiken several years ago with her husband after living in Spain, Florida and Maryland.

She was reunited with the picture.

Haley Hughes has spent five years as the Aiken County government reporter with the Aiken Standard. Hughes, a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, hails from Knoxville, Tenn.