Miss M. B. McCalmont . Jackson, East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller 

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Miss M. B. McCalmont, of Jackson, La,, is the accomplished principal of the
Millwood Female institute, which was founded at Jackson in 1866 and chartered
in 1870. Miss McCalmont, the founder of this institute, was born in
Pennsylvania, and came to Louisiana in 1850 as a teacher, and followed this
vocation in this state and in Mississippi so capably that she was solicited by
Rev. James A. Godfrey of the Mississippi conference, and Rev. A. G. Miller of
the Louisiana conference (all of whom are now deceased), as well as Dr. Abel
T. Norwood, of East Feliciana parish, to establish this institute, which has
met with the most flattering success from the start. The school is 
non-sectarian, but Christian in all its work, and a high moral standard is
maintained among the attendants. The school buildings are of modern
construction, are well ventilated, and are located on an elevation sloping in
every direction and surrounded with groves of beautiful native trees. Miss
McCalmont, herself a most accomplished teacher, has called to her aid a
competent corps of assistants, to wit: Miss M. M. Smith, of Kentucky, who
gives instruction in mathematics and Latin; Miss Carra Fishburn, of Louisiana,
who is auxiliary teacher of mathematics; Miss Viona Phillips of Tennessee,
teacher of elocution and art; Miss Virginia Mayo of Ohio has charge of the
primary department and also gives instruction in penmanship; Miss Emily Lee of
Pennsylvania is instrumental and vocal music teacher, and B. M. Drake of
Louisiana is professor of Greek. The board of trustees is constituted as
follows: Prof. G. II. Wiley of Jackson, president; Dr. E. C. McKowan, Jackson;
H. B. Barrow, West Feliciana; Dr. S. T. Jones, Jackson; H. L. Pond, Jackson;
Dr. Joseph S. Jones, Jackson; Allen J. Hawsey, Clinton; Dr. S. L. Singletary,
Wilson; P. A. Dicks, Natchez; L. W. Carradine, Fayette; J. M. Porter, Jackson;
James Kilbourne, Bayou Sara; W. B. London, Port Hudson, and J. W. McQueen,
Bayou Sara. The examining committee are Hon. P. D. Brame, Louis Levy and Prof.
W. P. Norsworthy, and the visiting committee are Prof. McGruder Sullivan and
Rev. C. McDonald. The school has ever been prosperous and progressive, its
most successful session closing May, 1891. Miss McCalmont was trained in her
native state by a private tutor, and by nature was acquisitive of knowledge,
and so became an insatiate reader, supplementing her early tuition by
assiduous study and self-culture, thus preparing herself for the responsible
position she at present fills. Her sister, Mrs. Patti Miller, wife of the Rev.
A G. Miller, came to Louisiana in 1848 with her husband, who had accepted a
position in Centenary college, where he taught until the breaking out of the
Civil war. She was a lady who became well known all 9ver the state ~ a pious
and devoted Christian and as a worker in the Sunday school, being credited
with great influence over young people, among whom she accomplished a 
vast amount of good. Especially with the pupils of Centenary college was she a
favorite while her husband was professor of that institution, and her death
from yellow fever in 1855 was a sad blow to her innumerable friends. This
dreaded scourge was brought to the place for the first time by a stranger from
Points Coupee parish, and happily this was also its last appearance here. Rev.
A. G. Miller survived his consort until 1889, when he, too, took his departure
from earth. Their children are three in number, and their name is being
perpetuated in that of the institute over which Miss McCalmont presides, it
being compounded of the first syllable of Miller and the last syllable of
Norwood, both families bearing these names having been very prominent in
the parish at that day. The former have now all departed except one, C. C.
Miller, now a professor in Centenary college. The Norwoods, however, remain,
and are recognized as among the first families of the parish. 

From Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, volume 2, pp.