Pennington High School - Yearbook (Blountsville, AL)

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History f State Secondary The Southern Democral November 10, 1937 printed a History of The State Secondary Agri- cultural School, Blountsville, Alabama, The article is reproduced. History of The State Secondary Agricultural School, Blountsville, Alabama 1932. The state legislature, February 28, 1889, passed an act establishing an Agricultural school in each of the congressional districts of Alabama. The first two schools to take advantage of this act were those at Abbeville CHenry Countyb and Athens fLimestone Countyi. The School in the ninth dis- trict, which was located at Blountsville, was not established until 1895. The first appropriation was for 32,500g this was changed to 84,500 in 1907. In 1919, however, the appropriation was increased to S7,500, which it is at the present time 119321. By an act of the legislature in 1919 the names of the District Agricultural Schools were changed to State Secondary Agricultural Schools. This change was brought about by the fact that the state, according to law, had been redistricted, thereby placing some of the schools in the same congressional district. The school at Blountsville thus became the State Secondary Agricultural School, Blountsville, Alabama, instead of the Ninth District Agricultural School. Object The act creating the agricultural schools pre- scribed for the teaching of science and practical agriculture. All boys and girls over the age of ten years who received free tuition were required to take courses in agriculture, horticulture and iioriculture. A farm for experimentation in con- nection with the agricultural schools was one of the requirements of the act which established them. Pupils who took the agricultural courses were required to do practical farm work on the farm and experiment station. The farm at Blounts- ville consisted of approximately 65 acres of land. This practice continued until 1927, at which time the legislature established, in connection with each of the agricultural schools, a Demonstration Farm. Some of the requirements of the act estab- lishing the Demonstration Farms were: 1. the community or county must furnish a farm of not less than 160 acresg 2. the state appropriation was 317,500 for 162 Blountsville, buildings and equipment, 3. the state appropriation for maintenance was 83,500g 4. the Demonstration Farm was to be under the control of the Extension Service at Auburn, the County Agent and Principal of the school. Location of Farm The Demonstration Farm at Blountsville is located one mile south of the town on the Blountsville-Oneonta road. Mr. A. H. Barnett, County Agent, has had charge of this farm since its establishment. Practical demonstrations in cover crops, swine, poultry, dairying, fertilizer, and general farm crops, in the use of scientific methods of fertilizingg in the value of good seed, breeds of livestock and poultry, and in the use of improved farm machinery, together with farm and home conveniences, have been and are being carried out on this farm. The success of these demonstrations and their practical benefit to the farmers of this and surrounding counties are evi- denced by the frequent visits of farmers to this farm. Administration There have been eight principals of the agri- cultural school at Blountsville. Their names and years of service are as follows: E. L. Blalock 1895-1897 W. J. Beeson 1897-1899 J. A. B. Lovett 1899-1906 E. A. Miller 1906-1911 W. B. Crumpton Jr. 1911-1914 W. B. Farrar 1914-1916 J. R. Kimbrough 1916-1917 1917-at the present time 419323 Loyalty of Blount County Citizens J. B. Pennington The main building of the Ninth District Agri- cultural School, which was located on a 3 acre campus just south of town was burned in Febru- ary 1919. It looked for a time as if the School would be lost. The loyalty of the Citizens of this and surrounding communities, however, made possible its rebuilding. This loyalty can be deeply appreciated by the fact that the people raised in cash by subscription 325,000 for the main build- ing. In addition to the above amounts, the citizens erected a dormitory which was valued at 3312.000

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burned all the old ones. The library has outgrown its quarters and soon will be moved. Everything about the school evidences the fact that the phys- ical property is well cared for. We saw more window boxes in classrooms than we have seen elsewhere. Window boxes around the stage were by far the best display we have run across. It seems they came from the department of Profes- sor Davis, who has the reputation of being a wizard when it comes to coaxing flowers to grow and bloom. List of Graduates The following were graduated at the State Sec- ondary Agricultural School: Vernice Alldredge, Ralph Banister, Lexa Bickwell, Mattie Lee Black- wood, Bonnie Bynum, Carl Chamblee, Aileen Clapp, Anna Duke, Ottis Dunlap, Virgie Dunlap, John Faust, Velma Faust, Aubrey Fowler, James Garner, Braxton Garren, Pronce Gibbs, Ruby Good, Copeland Graves, Fred Graves, Alton Har- ris, Mattie Harris, Taska Hart, Girthel Hill, Ray Hollis, Emmett Holt, Ray Ingram, Opal Johnson, Fred Knight, Cordie Laird, Carlton Lovell, Mae Moses, Lillian Suttles, Robert Tidwell, Bernice Wade, Cecil Warren, Violet Warren, Oleta Whit- man, Jewel Wilder, and Carroll Wilson. Fine Grammar School There is a fine grammar or elementary school at Blountsville as was to be expected. J. P. John- son, superintendent, is assisted by Mrs. J. P. John- son, and Misses Guenda Power, Rhessa Hendrix, Alma McWhorter and Mae Alldredge. We regret that owing to heavy rain and the fact we had to hurry to catch a train to keep a banquet engagement Wednesday night at Bessemer, we were unable to mingle with some of our friends at Blountsville. It does not grow in a business way as towns more fortunately situated on railroads, but it is pretty self-contained and has many things which makes living pleasant. Its schools, churches, lodges, clubs, and societies play their part. It has a bank, a heading mill, and some progressive mer- chants. It is the center of a large poultry trade. 1. THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS-AGE-HERALD May 12, 1929 by Frank Willis Barnett State Secondary Agricultural School Campus 1929

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Agricultural School Alabama The dormitory, however, was destoryed by fire in 1927, but it has been replaced by a modern brick building. Furthermore, a new vocational educa- tion building for the teaching of vocational agri- culture and home economics has been completed and equipped at a cost of 3S11,000g a power house, in which are located a complete water system for showers and dressing room for athletic teams has been built at a cost fB3,000. In fact, the state car- ries, on the school and farm buildings alone, an insurance of' more than 590,000 thus attesting the loyalty and support which the citizens of Blount County have shown toward this institution. Vocational Education In 1917 the Federal Congress passed an act known as the Smith Hughes Act, which provides for the teaching of Agriculture, home economics, and trades and industries in secondary schools The school at Blountsville was one of the first in the state to take advantages of this type of in- struction. Practical courses in field crops, animal husbandry, practical courses in homemaking are given to the girls. Each pupil who takes this work is required to take a project at home and to carry it out under the direction of the teacher of agri- culture or home economics as the case may be. The importance of this phase of education in this school may be judged by the financial returns from agricultural projects. In 1927, for example, the net proceeds of this school from agricultural projects were 522,516.89 A large per cent of the boys and girls take the courses in vocational agri- cultural and home economics respectively. As stated above, a splendid building has been erected specifically for this work, thus providing adequate facilities for the efiicient teaching of these sub- jects. Buildings and Grounds The present main building, erected at an ap- proximate cost of S50,000, is located on a beautiful 14-acre campus north of town. It is modern throughout, is built of the best material, contains nine standard class rooms, rooms for music and expression, and a library. Electric light, drinking fountain, ample sanitary conveniences, and indi- vidual cloakrooms for teachers and pupils are pro- vided. The auditorium will seat 600 people and still have a capacity for 200 chairs when neces- sary. The building has modern furnishings throughout, with provisions for shower baths and sewerage. The vocational building contains cooking and sewing laboratories, a living room, a dining room, a bedroom, and a bathroom for teaching of home economics. It also contains classroom, blacksmith and working shops, a library, office and storage rooms for various types of tools and equipment for vocational agriculture. This building is well equipped in each department for the teaching of these subjects. Located on the same campus and joined by a driveway to the main building is the sixteen-room dormitory. This building is provided with kitchen- ettes. This enables girls to take advantage of the dormitory with its modern conveniences of lights, heat, water, baths and so forth and do their own cooking, thereby living very economically. For example, two girls can stay together and enjoy all these advantages at a cost of 354.00 a month each, besides their food which they furnish. The grounds have been beautified by terracing, planting of trees, shrubbery, hedges, and flowers. This Work has been, and is being done, by the pupils under the supervision of teachers, thus giv- ing tnem practical lessons in landscape gradening. Demonstration Farm Modern farm buildings have been erected on the Demonstration Farm. They consist of an up-to- date residence, tenant house, barn, poultry house, brooder, machine shed, garage, and night shed for cattle. The farm is equipped with a tractor and other modern farm equipment. It has a splen- did herd of Jersey Dairy cattle, Poland China hogs, and white Leghorn chickens. Groups or indi- vidual farmers are always welcome to visit the farm where they find many practical and instruc- tive demonstrations. Examinations-Reports-Records The students are graded on daily recitations, and an accurate record of these grades is kept by the teachers. At the end of a period of nine weeks an examination is given. The daily grade and the examination grade in each subject, averaged, makes the pupil's grade for that quarter. A full report of the standing and the grades in deport- ment and scholarship is sent to the parent or guardian after each examination. A complete rec- ord of every student is kept for future reference. l63