Bios: Lela Tomlinson, Lincoln Parish, Louisiana Submitted by: Dorothy Rinehart Taylor, 111 Racove Drive, West Monroe, LA 71291 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** The Ruston Daily Leader , June 11, 1970 "Miss Tomlinson, A Leader In Home Demonstration Education" By Joel L. Fletcher During the years I attended the Louisiana Industrial School at Ruston from 1911 to 1915, my family lived in a home near that college in Southwest Ruston on what was known in those days as the Barnett Springs - Wesley Chapel public road. Every school day, rain or shine, sometimes with sleet and snow falling or covering the ground, a neat buggy drawn by a well groomed horse would pass by my home several minutes before time for the Industrial school to open. The driver of the buggy was a lovely girl or young lady, sister of two of my friends, Will and Emmett Tomlinson, who lived on a good farm about six miles from Ruston in what was known as the Wesley Chapel Community. I visited in the Tomlinson home on several occasions during those years and remember it exactly as the following article on Miss Lela Tomlinson describes it. In writing about a Louisiana Educator I always try to get someone who is, or was closely associated with them to give me their impression of the subject of the article. This description of Miss Lela Tomlinson is so well written until I have made no changes in it, but plan to use it exactly as it was prepared in my "The Sketch Book of Louisiana Education Since Colonial Days". Mrs. Johne Bowles, who prepared this sketch was an associate and roommate of Lela Tomlinson many years. Like Miss Tomlinson she is also a very lovely and intelligent person, who rendered many years of effective service in the field of Home Economics Education in her adopted state of Louisiana. Ruston, Louisiana is to be congratulated for being chosen the place of retirement by one of the leading natives and one of Louisiana's outstanding educators after her having made her home in other sections of the state throughout her some fifty years of service. Every place in which she ever lived would have welcomed her, but Ruston was the place she chose. This person is Lela A. Tomlinson. But it is no wonder that she chose to go back to Ruston to retire. Her roots were in Lincoln Parish in the Wesley Chapel Community, six miles out of Ruston. It was in this rural home amide good farm life with her mother, father and four brothers that Lela Tomlinson got her start for the life of service that she has given throughout these years and continues to give. Her parents were William Martin and Dora (Nelson) Tomlinson. At the time Lela was growing up on the Tomlinson farm, farm life was not easy anywhere for this was before the day of rural electrification, paved roads, automobiles, free school lunches and text books, school busses or even consolidated schools. Each rural community was a spread-out area, and community life centered about the church and school, often times great distances from some of the homes. Today as we imagine - if you can imagine - being without television, radio, telephone, public transportation services and all the effects of mass media we wonder how anyone growing up in a rural community could ever find his or her way out to success. Sound Family Life Well, the Tomlinson family life was sound, serious, ambitious, industrious and based on fine standards and high ideals with special request for duty. It was a wholesome life, and as the family worked close to the soil, the respect and regard for effort and accomplishment were recognized and aspirations were extended, always with great faith in a Higher Power. Probably no woman in Louisiana has a greater appreciation for farm living than has Lela Tomlinson, and this appreciation gave her an understanding that drew her very near many people misunderstood by the majority of workers. Many people who have experienced life on the farm are so pleased to be separated from it, they have no desire to return to any part of it. But the Tomlinson farm for all these years has been and dear and almost sacred possession to Lela for it was her pride throughout her professional career to make of it a more beautiful spot with home improvements and renovations that caused it to be not only a garden spot but a lovely hospitable home with the welcome mat always out as a gracious house by the side of the road where friends were warmly received at all times. Adding to the loveliness of this good Lincoln Parish farm home was Lela's mother, the perfect hostess and a most interesting woman. After being left a widow by the early death of Lela's father, Mrs. Tomlinson managed the farm for many years until her death at ninety-four. Lela encouraged her mother in all her interests and activities even though she would have preferred her limiting some of them, but because they gave her great satisfaction, Lela acquiesced. Her love and care expressed for her mother through her constant thoughtfulness and attention and her toleration of her mother's extreme physical efforts in her old age to the last were beyond compare. Two of Lela's brothers died when they were very young, each survived by a young family. The other two brothers, now nearing retirement have had most successful careers and their names rank among the highest in their communities. Clyde Tomlinson of Longview, Texas., and Printiss Tomlinson of Shreveport, La. Each has an outstanding family. Lela has always been devoted to her family - first to her parents and brothers and as sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews were added to the family, her family devotion and ambition broadened and she has always held before them the highest ideals and has offered of herself in anyway that would encourage or assist them in reaching their goals. This she considered a family duty and the doing of it a real privilege. With this background, Lela Tomlinson launched her successful and satisfying career. Her education included completion of elementary grades at Wesley Chapel, then high school, after which she graduated from Louisiana Technological Institute at Ruston with a Bachelor of Science Degree. Later she studied at Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa and was awarded a Master of Science degree with Home Economics her major. She did special work in many other colleges. She intermittently taught school and went to college. She began her career in Merryville, La., teaching in the elementary grades, then she taught in Plaquemine. From there she went to DeRidder where she taught high school Home Economics, then to Natchitoches High School where she served as supervising teacher of Home Economics for Louisiana State Normal College - now Northwestern State College. Real Teacher Lela Tomlinson was a real teacher; she was an inspiring teacher dedicated to her work. Her empathy gave her entre to each person with whom she worked and she was able to appeal to people in all situations and circumstances. Through her silent leadership she directed them toward worthwhile goals and helped them to develop personal pride in achieving them. Her work with her pupils was so functional, it carried over into the home, and not only her pupils, but their parents and the community all benefitted by her teaching that centered about the everyday life of her students. It is no wonder that one with her faith in God and her fellow man who had made each day or her work count for the best that could be don, and at the same time had kept her good sense of humor and happy disposition, combined with extreme pride not only in everything she did but in her personal appearance as well (for she was always the epitome of beauty, style, and grace) should be chosen to become Assistant to the State Supervisor of Home Economics in the Louisiana State Department of Education. This was in 1931. In 1931 this was a distinct honor, for Miss Clyde Mobley was the head of this department and stood for everything that was perfect in homemaking, family relationships and personal development. Added to this honor was the fact that Mr. T. H. Harris was then State Superintendent of Education in Louisiana and tolerated none but the best in his field of work and he wholeheartedly, endorsed Miss Mobley's choice of Lela Tomlinson as her assistant for he had already recognized her worth. Lela Tomlinson held this position as assistant to Miss Mobley until Miss Mobley retired in 1950. During this time she was on leave for two years to do work in one of the State Colleges. With this team of efficient, handsome, lovable women directing the program, and Superintendent Harris backing them, Home Economics in Louisiana developed into one of the outstanding programs in the Nation and was recognized as such. At this time the Home Economics Student Clubs began to organize as a result of the fine accomplishments of girls in Home Economics Classes. They were later known as Future Homemakers and Louisiana Homemakers. The student Club program was given to Lela Tomlinson as her responsibility, and under her remarkable leadership the membership grew to include girls in every high school in Louisiana. The program became so outstanding, the National organization looked to Miss Tomlinson for guidance and leadership for the National program. Louisiana girls were elected to many National offices and always contributed greatly to the conventions. Although the Home Economics Club Program was a great responsibility and Miss Tomlinson worked with it with those excellent results, her main responsibility as Assistant State Supervisor of Home Economics was to assist in planning the Home Economics Program for Louisiana; helping Parish School Superintendents plan quarters in which it would be taught and working with teachers toward planning and carrying out a successful program that would really function in the lives of the pupils, their homes and the communities. Called To Washington This she did so successfully that she was recognized by the Nation as an outstanding Home Economist and was called to Washington D. C. on many occasions to assist with the program carried on by the Office of Education. Her contribution to the national program and her success in her own State of Louisiana caused her to be offered many positions in other states 0 including the office of Education in Washington, D. C. but her devotion to her Louisiana, its program, her mother and the Lincoln Parish home farm kept her in Louisiana so she continued her work with all the people here and they always welcomed her visits. In 1948 Lela Tomlinson was loaned to the Louisiana State Normal College, now Northwestern State College, as head of Home Economics. She served in this capacity for two years and her success working with college people added to the laurels she had already attained. In 1950 Miss Mobley retired and Lela Tomlinson was appointed State Supervisor of Home Economics in the Louisiana State Department of Education. She held this position until her retirement in 1964. By the time Lela Tomlinson became State supervisor of Home Economics in Louisiana she was so widely known for her ability in the field of Home Economics requests for her assistance to out-of- state programs far exceeded her time to give them for she, with teachers and other co-workers were keeping all phases of Home Economics in Louisiana in step with the times. Under the guidance the excellent "Curriculum Guide for Home Economics in Louisiana" was published, also bulletins for use by student clubs, both high school and college. These publications have been sought by so many school administrators and teachers in Louisiana and other states that reprinting have been necessary. Under Lela Tomlinson's directions, the Home Economics program continued to grow, and supervision of the program was considered by teachers not only a necessity but a privileged service to them because the good teacher knew she would be given kindly help in overcoming her difficulties. This type of supervision practiced by Lela Tomlinson contributed greatly in building good teach - administrator relationships and many teachers both in service and retired, credit Miss Tomlinson with much of their success. Retires in 1964 Lela Tomlinson retired in 1964 - Lela Tomlinson, for years known to her friends as "Miss Tommy" loved and remembered by men and women whom she taught in elementary school, others she taught in high school and college, co-workers of the past and present, students in many schools, and many other people whose lives are better because of her. All of these people remember the principles she taught and the high standards she held before them, and her stress on the importance of "one's doing his best at all times" She, herself, did this. These same people who have known her best remember her for her accomplishments and with admiration for her beauty and grace she never lost and with love for her relationships that endeared her to all with whom she was associated. Though she remained single all her life, her friends among the opposite sex have always been legion as have been the friends of her own sex; and though she never had a child or her own, she has probably touched with up-lifting influence more young people than has any other one person in Louisiana, for her efforts were as a pebble that is dropped into a stream of water causing a ripple that in turn creates another ripple until the entire width of the stream is put in motion by the initial action. And now, 1970, six years after her retirement- let's check on Lela Tomlinson, still considered among the outstanding Home Economists of our nation. Go to West Wood Hills in Ruston, Louisiana to a large handsome white house set deep in Lincoln Parish pines on a large sloping lot that is beautifully landscaped. Knock on the door and be received by the same gracious Lela Tomlinson. She greets one with the warm hospitality that "Miss Dora" (her mother) greeted friend with on the farm. Lela is still beautifully groomed, loved in appearance and as gracious as ever. She has added some years, but little age, and she is very young in heart. This reception is only the introduction to her life of retirement. The interior of her home is beautiful and comfortable, and it radiates her personality throughout with interesting and elegant furnishings and accessories including treasures, mementoes, and keepsakes she collected through the years that exactly fit into this home because her standards and principles of good taste during this time were such that endured. Her home represents the life she has lived and the service she has given, and her use of it as she shares it with friends and family depicts the principles she has upheld all her life. She truly "practices what she preached." Enjoys Retirement Lela Tomlinson is enjoying retirement in her delightful home, but never think for one minute that time lags for her. In spite of her retirement, she continues to be a very busy, useful person. She keeps up her membership and activities in the professional organizations she has always supported. She continues to accept requests to be consultant for different areas in Home Economics. She is very active in work with geriatrics groups. She now fills her particular place in her own community taking active part in its religion, civic, cultural and social life. Her time is well - filled with many interest, and while doing all of this she is ever ready to receive the never - ending line of old friends that drop by to see her and remind her that life is most rewarding. Lela Tomlinson is still living for others, and it is no wonder that she is listed in "Who's Who of American Women." Submitters Note: Lela A. Tomlinson was born on August 5, 1895; died September 28, 1975. Dora Nelson Tomlinson, born Jan. 9, 1872; died Aug. 22, 1962; Will Martin Tomlinson b. Nov. 24, 1874; died Apr. 3, 1931; Prentis Bennett Tomlinson b. Nov. 25, 1907; died Oct. 28, 1982; Marjorie Jones Tomlinson b. Oct. 7, 1912; died Jun 25, 1989. All are buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Ruston, La.