History/Schools: Homer High School 100th Birthday, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana Submitted for the LAGenWeb Archives by: Susan Herring Date: Mar. 2000 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** "Homer Public High School Approaches 100th Birthday - Celebrating A Century Of Spirit And Tradition" by Susan T. Herring, Editor, The Guardian-Journal. August 26, 1999 As students began classes last week at Homer High School, members of the senior class are making history, not for any accomplishments. As Homer Public High School approaches its 100th birthday, this class will become the first class to graduate in the twenty-first century. Education has always been an integral part of this parish since the early days of the first settlers, when John Murrell hired James Ashburner Conley in 1822 to teach for $15 per month. In an article by Ruth McCranie Baker in 1937, she writes the first school ever taught in Homer was in a little log cabin on Lyon's Hill about 1850. The teacher was Jane C. Smith, sister of Reverend J. T. Davidson and great aunt of Belle Davidson. For the next fifty or so years, students in Homer were taught in private schools. In 1855, the Homer Male College was established and four years later the Homer Masonic Female Institute opened. In those early days, boys and girls did not attend the same school. Students were charged $15 month for tuition, board, and lodging--payable in advance. Day pupils could also attend for $2.50 per month for primary students, $3.50 for academic students, and $4.50 for collegiate students. The first school was a massive brick, colonial style building erected in 1856 to house the Homer Male College, built at the site of the present Jaycee Park. G.W. Reed was hired as principal for an annual salary of $1000. Members of the first Auxiliary School Board were C.O. Ferguson, President, M.O. Kinnebrew, Secretary, G.G. Nelson, B.W. Fortson, J.J. Baker, A.K. Clingman, and Dr. J.C. Willis. In 1900 Homer opened its first nine month public school with six teachers and 150 students. In 1902, Homer Public High School awarded the first two diplomas to Maggie Gladney (Jennings) and Leslie Kimbell. Graduates of the Class of 1903 were Della McClendon (Wafer), Darden Ford, Edgar Gill, and Henry Walker. Six graduated in 1904--Jemmie Nelson (Gladney), Hattie Bryan (Bunch), Bennie Kerlin (Bragdon), Ladelle Duke, James F. Gladney, and Chappell Menefee. The 1906 graduates were Cloyd Gill, Iris Kerlin, Edmond Moreland, Dora Bridges, Mabel Moore, and Blanche Collier. Ladelle Duke once wrote in Claiborne Parish Sketches that graduation ceremonies were held in the old Kinnebrew Opera House because it was more centrally located. During O. B. Staples' term as principal of Homer High (1911-1914), the school became one of only three schools in the state whose graduates would be accredited to colleges and universities without being examined, a prestigious honor at the time. According to a news article on January 13, 1915, a new high school building was dedicated in the same location. Taxpayers of the Homer district voted a 40-year bond issue in the amount of $60,000 for the building, fixtures, and furniture, although another report estimated cost at $75,000. Among the fifty speakers at the January dedication service was Bienville Parish Superintendent Fisher who "complimented the people of Homer for their moral and educational worth." School Board President C.O. Ferguson deposited the original coin taken from the corner stone of the old building erected in 1856 and also the new coin. Inscribed on the 1914 cornerstone are the names A.R. Johnson Chairman, H.C. Walker, Jr. Secretary, Mrs. R.W. Fortson, A.T. Boykin, Mrs. Drew Ferguson, President C.O. Ferguson, M. J. Kerlin, J. H. King, J. R. Madden, G.G. Nelson, S. G. Gill, O. B. Staples -Principal, and J. H. Davidson -Superintendent. The front of the "magnificent temple on College Hill" faced north, with concession stands along each side. Sometime between 1948 and 1950 this beautiful building was torn down, after only 34 years of use. Darden Ford salvaged the cornerstone of the 1914 building which can now sits in the Education Room of the Ford Museum, along with the school bell once used to call students to class. Over the years, students would sit on the steps of the building to pose for class pictures. Among those students was seventh grader Mary Gladney Hays. In those days there were no school buses and transportation was a concern. Mary started school at age four to ride with her older brother Aylmer Gladney to school, then later she, her brothers, and Grandma Maggie Gladney would move in the little house next to the school with Grandma Maggie Gladney during the week when school was in session. In 1921, Principal P. C. Rogers, Jr. (1920-1922, 1923-1936) saw the Homer High School admitted to the accredited list of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. In 1922, the first annual was published at Homer High School, "The Spotlight" and dedicated to Rogers "who has given his services most unselfishly toward the elevating of Homer High School to a superior standard of excellence; and who has inspired us to render greater service through education." The Spotlight's Editor-in-Chief was Senior Class President Henry Turner, who was also declared the most intelligent student in the "Who's Who" election and "a paralyzer of the feminine heart" as stated in the yearbook. On November 17, 1927, the Homer High School and Junior College Building was dedicated. Among the speakers were Homer Masonic Female College graduate Ruth McCranie Baker, Superintendent John S. Patton, Claiborne Parish School Board President John E. Gray, and State Superintendent of Education T. H. Harris. The Building Committee consisted of G.G. Nelson, Chairman, W.A. McKenzie, W.F.M. Meadors, Guy Kinnebrew, R.S. Gill, J. Melton Oakes, and C.O. Ferguson. School board members were Gray, J. M. McCarty, L.M. Davidson, C.B. Gray, J.D. Bailey, W.R. McBryde, W.D. Ray, G.W. Tigner, W.B. Williams, and T.L. Nelson. Architect was Edward F. Neild of Shreveport and the builder was McMichael Construction Co. of Shreveport. Homer High School has been fortunate to have some excellent teachers over the years. Some of the early teachers, all former Homer High graduates, were Belle Davidson, Lillian Mann, Maggie McCasland, Mary Tooke, Mildred Baird, Frances Featherston, Dessie McKenzie, Syble Moore, Martha Coleman, Mary Heard, Elizabeth Thomson, Marion Dorman, Hazel Wideman, and Arabella Gray Ford. Mildred Baird, who graduated from Homer in 1931 at the age of 16, then four years from the Natchitoches Normal College, was back teaching typing to ninth graders at Homer High not much younger than she. Miss Baird remembers when student Roy Mitchell jumped out of the window while in Ms. Sybil Moore's English class. In her "twangy" voice Moore told Roy, "You're never going to amount to anything." Mitchell went on to become second in command of the Louisiana Department of Highways. Baird remembers "popping" another student on the head once, then later noticed his eye turning black. She offered to take him to doctor thinking she had hit him too hard. It seems Emerald Burnett of the Ruple community, had blackened his own eye with pencil carbon. When telling Burnett's dad about the incident, he told her she should have blacked the other eye. Baird said Burnett went to college, then fought in World War II. He wrote her while flying over Germany that he hardly ever saw a German plane. He also mentioned his girl in Baton Rouge, whom Baird later received a letter from stating Burnett had been killed during the war. During the years of 1948 and 1949 the present Homer Elementary School on Bonner Street was erected. Building committee members were J.T. Gibson, O. M. Kerlin, L.G. Sale, B.W. Fortson, Mrs. F.B. Martin, Mrs. S.A. Tatum, Joe Robertson, and Clyde P. White, Jr. At this time, F.C. Haley was Superintendent of Schools, H.G. Robinson was Homer High principal and L.R. Tanner was principal at Homer Elementary. Architect was Peyton and Bosworth and the contractor was Gilbert Brothers. In the fall of 1948, Claiborne Parish historian Beverly Smith remembers starting third grade in the new building. In the eighth grade, she moved to the high school building. A few years later the seventh grade was moved to the high school as well. In 1966 the new Student Center with cafeteria, band room, and gymnasium was built and in 1970, Homer schools merged with Mayfield High School and grades 5th through 8th were moved to the Mayfield school building, which became Homer Junior High. Hanging in the halls of Homer High School are pictures of all the graduating classes since it was built in 1927. Since 1922, seniors have carried the traditional cedar rope as "the tie that binds" during graduation ceremonies, as a symbol of strength, durability, and loyalty. It is the spirit of the cedar rope that will bind the Class of 2000 to their classmates, teachers, and the alma mater. Education has always been important in Homer and in Claiborne Parish. As the public school system in Homer approaches its centennial, Homer High School can look back with pride and forward with anticipation of continuing the tradition in the next century. # # #