West Livingston High School, Livingston Parish, Louisiana File prepared by D.N. Pardue ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From the book entitled "The Free State - A History and Place-Names Study of Livingston Parish" by the members of the Livingston Parish American Revolution Bicentennial Committee in cooperation with the Livingston Parish Police Jury and the Louisiana American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, 1976. Reprinted by permission. Dedicated to the memory of Reuben Cooper and Raymond Riggs. WEST LIVINGSTON HIGH SCHOOL was a consolidated school for blacks, drawing pupils from Watson, Port Vincent, Walker, Livingston, and Denham Springs to its campus on Rodeo Drive in Denham Springs until intergration closed its doors in 1969. The history of education for blacks began in 1907 when Brannon School, a log cabin on Cockerham Road near the present home of Dr. Milton Hughes..., was opened with Mrs. Martha Clark, Mrs. Neal Burgess, and Morgan Rudison succeeding each other as teachers. About 1914, Roberts Chapel Methodist Church (then located on Main Street at Minton Street) became the school, but in 1918 the classes moved to Mt. Hope Baptist Church on Sullivan Street. In 1920, the Rosenwald School was built on the lot where National Food Store is now located. Mrs. Mary Haynes, a Mrs. Johnson, Lloyd Lewis, Miss Mable Scott, Miss Sarah Rudison, a Mrs. Baham, Miss Orelia Pearl, Mrs. Louise Lockhart, Mrs. Viola Taylor and Mrs. Goldye Williams Lawson were the early teachers and principals as the school slowly grew. (1) Sometime in the mid-40's the school moved to Rodeo Street, and a number of other teachers were gradually added. West Livingston became a four-year high school during the 1952-53 school year. Prior to its becoming a high school, pupils who wished to get a high school education went to Capitol or McKinley of Baton Rouge. ---Arthur L. Perkins, Sr. ------------ (1) Taylor, Mrs. Viola, Brief Notes on the History of Blacks' Education in Denham Springs, unpublished. Mrs. Taylor was the first Livingston Parish graduate from the black school system. * * * * *