News, Chronicling School Year Mementos Part II, LaSalle Parish, La. GRASS ROOTS AND COCKLE BURRS- By Jack Morgan Willis jbucktwo@hotmail.com Submitted by: Pat Ezell, PatEzell@worldnet.att.net From the Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal, May 2001 Thank You to Jack Willis and The Times -Signal for allowing the following to be added to the Archives. ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Grass Roots and Cockle Burrs Chronicling School Year Mementos Part II By: Jack Morgan Willis The 1924 inaugural edition of The Giant Tribe consisted of four columns; eight pages edition runs off on a "Hectograph" duplicating machine. These copies were for sale to the JHS student body. But, the text of the newspaper was also printed weekly in The Jena Times. The staff consisted of Leberta Powell, editor-in-chief ; Stanley Nash, business manager ; Alice Graham (Willis), General secretary ; Marion Taylor, Advertising manager ; Mattie Burdick, joke editor ; May Mellinger, Senior class editor; Ludie Bell, Junior class editor ; Wayne Polk, Sophomore class editor ; Doris Coleman, Freshman class editor ; Roy Doughty and Ethel Allen, Sports editors ; Ruth Reeves, Narcissa Andrews and Ruby Renfrow, Home Economics editors. Unlike the Campus Cruiser of today, the 1924 edition had several advertisements from downtown merchants printed throughout the journal including one on the front page. Prior to the1947-48 school year there were only 11 grades to complete to obtain a diploma, as compared to 12 now. The eighth grade was referred to as the Freshman Class on through to the eleventh grade, which was the Senior Class. Notwithstanding, the high regard in which students held their school, the seniors of the year obviously felt somewhat differently toward their younger counterparts as evidenced by the following excerpts: He that knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a Freshie - Shun him; He that knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a Sophomore - Teach him; He that knows, but knows not that he knows, is a Junior - Awake him; He that knows, and knows that he knows, is a Senior - Follow him. The senior Class in 1924 was named " Crusaders ". Their motto was "Just, Honest, Sincere; flower, Marechal Niel Rose; Colors, green and gold. Class Officers were Stanley Nash, President ; Marie Wade (Newburg), Vice- President ; Mattie Burdick, secretary. Marie Wade (Newburg) was voted prettiest girl; Levi Davis (later Sheriff of LaSalle Parish), handsomest boy ; May Mellinger (later made her mark as a writer for McCall's and Ladies Home Journal) wittiest ; Mattie Burdick, most popular; Leberta Powell, most studious; Stanley Nash, biggest "Get by"; Marie Wade, most dignified ; Gladys Price, biggest "baby" ; Julia Sheppard, biggest flirt; Dudley Roberts, most henpecked. The Jena High Schools student bodies in the late twenties enjoyed the notoriety accorded the "Juggling Jena Giants" basketball teams. And the fame was not confined to Central Louisiana. The teams that went to the National Tournament were very popular with writers for the Chicago tabloids, and the news media wire services reporters. Most of the hoopla could be attributed to the antics and feats of the basketball wizardry of one Malcolm "Sparky" Wade. Most of the writers in the Chicago area referred to the Jena team as "midgets", rather than "giants". This was because the tallest player was only about 5'10". "Sparky" maintained to the press that he was 5'6", but people that knew him said he would have to stretch to get much over 5' 4". It made no difference about height; these two teams that went to the National Tournament stood the "Windy City " on its ear. Malcolm " Sparky" Wade went on to become the "Male Darling "of LSU, achieving All-American status his Sophomore, Junior and Senior years. His life will be covered extensively in a future feature. In the mid 30s there emerged another fine Jena Giant team. They won the State Championship the year of 1936. Some notable players were John S. "Chock" Allen, Earl Doughty and his brother Frank Doughty. The LSU Freshman Basketball Coach who was Malcolm "Sparky" Wade, recruited Frank out of high school; Frank would letter three years, achieve a Commission in to the U.S. Army Air Corps and become a pilot during World War II. It is not known when the yearbook The Hummer was discontinued or if the newspaper was continued during the thirties. War clouds were looming at the beginning of the 1939-40 school year. Hitler had invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939. A cloud of uncertainty loomed over the United States, and when President Roosevelt officially declared war on December 8th the Jena school system was already in turmoil. Hardly had the school year begun when suddenly on a Sunday night the three-story Jena Elementary school building, an educational mainstay and landmark in "old Jena" since 1912, went up in flames. One could have read a newspaper on the West Bank of Hemp's Creek the flames were so bright. The School Board met in emergency sessions and burned the midnight oil striving to arrive at an educational solution. It was decided to convert the school gymnasium into two first grade and two second grade classrooms. The Nolley Methodist Church, as well as the First Baptist Church, was volunteered and commandeered for classrooms. "Shotgun buildings" containing four classrooms each, were constructed, more or less, side by side for additional space. It was not known just how sorely these additional facilities would be needed in just three short years. In 1944 the Jena High School building, erected in 1931 containing multiple classrooms and administration offices burned to the ground also. It also burned on a Sunday night. During noontime recess, we went up to the site of the fire about two days afterwards, after all the "hot spots" had been eradicated. There where the trophy cases had stood, lining either side of the foyer, in the ashes were heaps of melted, contorted, twisted remnants of yesteryears athletic greatness. The state championship trophies, as well as the mementos of the Second Place National Tournament trophy were gone with the flames. The Agriculture Building located over in the southeast corner of the schoolyard was even converted into three classrooms. They belonged to Mrs. Delcie Posey, sixth grade; Mrs. Nita Garrett, seventh Grade; and Mrs. Eva Whatley, seventh grade. With the end of World War II it was still late 1946 before construction was initiated on a new Elementary school. The first classes were held at the beginning of the 1947-48 school year. An old U.S. Army mess hall was moved in by Hubert Mitchell, purchased from now defunct Camp Livingston by the school board. It was positioned at the same site as the old gymnasium. A honest-to- goodness hot meal could be had for 10 cents a day. This was the first hot meals served at school since Mrs. J.L. Thomlinson operated the cafeteria in the old three-story brick building prior to it's sad demise. Every one to this day remembers "wieners and red gravy". Hot lunches caused the sale of peanut butter to drop dramatically in the Jena grocery stores for the first time in years. One thing could be said about the temporary "Black Beauties" was that there was no noise in the halls. There just weren't any halls. With the advent of the 1947-48 school year a group of students initiated a school newspaper called The Campus Cruiser. If memory serves correctly, Herbert Smith was the first Editor. Some mainstays were Herbert Simpson, and Virginia Newman. It was a labor of love created with the aid of Stone Age equipment and facilities. It came out on Fridays about noon and sold like hotcakes. The most read feature was The Dope. This was a feature that supposedly contained the latest romances, break ups and general goings-on of the student body. Like as not, a major portion of the content was the figment of numerous wild imaginations. Meanwhile, work was going forward on a new Jena High School. To the disappointment of the Trout-Good Pine student bodyàalas, they would be no more. For years a fierce rivalry had existed, but this was quickly replaced by a fierce unity which has withstood the tests of time to this day. With a new student body it was time to start thinking of a new yearbook or annual as it was more frequently called. A name had to be decided upon and a contest was held to choose the new title. Gorgeous Johnnie Taylor submitted the winning entry. That name, which is retained until this day, with a fabulous mascot and logo later created by Dwayne Jones, is The Giant Tribe. The trials and tribulation, ordeals and over comings, have been etched in pictures and print by a myriad of disciplined, dedicated preservationists over the years. And they were no doubt driven by the same motivations that drove Eli W. Plumber to qualified educational successes. As a sentiment, Mr. Plummer recalls an incident, which gave him an immense feeling of personal achievement. One of his former teachers at Nebo Elementary came up to him on his first day as principal at Jena High School and said, "Mr. Plummer, I can remember you well as one of my students in the Nebo School, and I want you to know how fortunate I think my children are to have you as their principal". The following statement quoted from his reminisces, in my opinion, sums up the greatness and legacy of this monumental educator and historian. "Blazing the trail to this victorious end required the overcoming of almost insurmountable difficulties which would have been fraught with tedium and drudgery had the way not been illuminated by the light of my Holy Grail". Of such stuff are real men made of Dedicated to the cherished memory of Eli W. Plummer. Jack Morgan Willis