Buies Creek High School - Legend Yearbook (Buies Creek, NC)

Page 9 text:

First Senior Class of BCHS Our Number 1 Teams Francis Loreena Johnson, the great-grandmother of Tim Ennis, was the first student enrolled in Buies Creek Academy. Pants were forbidden. If one wore pedal pushers, she was sent home to change. The Senior Class had picnics. Ole B.C. as it is now began in the fall of 1948. The building was new and without water, electricity, or heat — with hours of 8:30-1:00 for the first semester. There were six high school teachers with twelve Seniors in the graduating class — most of whom live within fifty miles of school now. A brand new principal, Mr. Torrey M. Johnson, had his hands full for the school year of 1948-1949; there was no gym, no playing field, no activity bus. Many handicaps were overcome. School has come a long way, and so have the student members of the 1949 class. Miss Dorothea Stewart was the favorite teacher. (Mr. Calvin Mangum)

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Our Fs ok aa pee yee ae a eo “Now | am called Kivett Building but through the years from 1903 to 1926 | was known as the Academy Building. I’m older than any other building on the campus; so, | could tell you many an interesting tale of glorious struggle if you had time to tarry. “After the school grew from an academy toa junior college, | housed the local public school from 1926 to 1948, when the public school moved into its new home and | was reconditioned last summer for college classes, at a cost of $25,000. “To all comers and goers, | am a monument to the faith of the many who believed in the school’s motto, ‘To the stars through difficulties’.”’ Prior to 1948, the public school was operated on the campus of Campbell College. Dr. J.A. Campbell was principal from 1887 until his death in 1934. He was succeeded by his oldest son Leslie H. Campbell who served as principal fifteen years. Mr. Torrey Johnson of Stedman served as the first principal. He was succeeded by Mr. Coyte C. Lanier, now Assistant Superintendent of Wake History SEMEL LONE ASG LEBER NYE RELIES Sti EI BINS Re 2 Oe TA SIE OEE CO ee Ketoes : County Schools. When Mr. Lanier moved to the principalship of Rolesville High School, he was succeeded by his cousin, Mr. H. Haywood Hamilton. After a year, he was followed by Mr. Roy Parker. Mr. Parker served as the principal of Buies Creek School until 1968, when he moved to Highfalls, North Carolina. He was succeeded by Mr. John A. Willoughby, who is still the principal of Buies Creek High School. (All preceding information was submitted by Dr. A.R. Burkot, Campbell College.) “It goes without saying that Buies Creek Academy is Harnett’s most famous educational center. “Actually, it began its existence in 1887 ina one room ‘up and down boarded’ building. Through the years, under the able direction of its founder, the Rev. James Archibald Campbell, it grew steadily, always striving to offer more to its students than a bare knowledge of the three Sa reading, ‘riting, and ‘ritnmetic They Passed This Way by Malcolm Fowler

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The Eighth Grade Class of 1944 We began school while construction was still going on. One day our science class was so cold, we went outside to have class. The students sat in sun-warmed cars, while the teacher, Mr. Largo, stood between the cars teaching! It was a great year, we Seniors enjoyed every minute of it. (Mrs. Janice McLeod) Frank Harmon graduated in 1933; Mildred Lloyd Harmon graduated in 1936. When we were in high school, classes were held in the D. Rich Building on campus and the teachers taught both high school and college classes. There were students who stayed in the dorms which caused our enrollment to be higher than would have been true otherwise. (25-30) There were no proms for at that time Baptists considered dancing a sin and I’m sure students would have been expelled if they had been caught indulging in such worldliness. Graduation was in conjunction with the college exercise and I’m afraid high school students received very little attention. Humorous incidents — — Bill Johnson, Lillington attorney, wearing bib overalls and brogans once created a diversion in assembly by feigning a convincing fainting spell. Perhaps concerned faculty members did not realize the seriousness of his illness. — Mary Wallace, who later married a N.C. Congressman, dyed her kitten red with merthiolate and set him free in assembly to add color to what she thought a drab program. — One boy set an alarm clock to go off at what he felt was a reasonable time once when we had a visiting speaker. To the amusement of students and embarrassment of faculty the alarm went off and there was a scramble on stage to find the offending instrument, which was hidden in the piano. A Buies Creek Graduate Our Coach — On another occasion, some boys borrowed a cow from Mr. Bernard McLeod's barn and took her into the office of the business manager. This provided an unusual welcome the following morning when the office personnel arrived. (Mrs. Mildred Harmon) In 1965 Buies Creek underwent a ‘‘Freedom of Choice’ movement, when the high school enrolled its first Black students — due to the personal desire of the students. The year 1968-1969 was the first official year of integration. Students came to Buies Creek High School from such schools as Gentry and Shawtown. The elementary schools experienced integration in 1969-1970; this movement was called ‘‘Total Integration’ — students were transferred both to and from Buies Creek High School. Buies Creek had approximately 75-80 new enrollments during the years of integration; we received one high school teacher, three elementary teachers (from South Harnett, Gentry, and Johnsonville), and around seventy-five students.