Coahoma Community College - Coahoman Yearbook (Clarksdale, MS)

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I-hstorrcal Sketch contrnued Durlng 1ts f1rst year of operat1on Coahoma Jumor College was supported entrrely by County funds In the next year ll became the f1rst educatlonal 1nst1tut1on for Negroes to be rncluded tn Mrssrssrppr s system of publ1c Junlor Colleges and became elrgtble to share 1n funds appropr1ated by the Mrssls Slppl Leglslature for the support of Publlc Junlor Colleges Countles other than Coahoma that now support the college are Bollvar Qurtman and Sunflower Slnce 1965 the 1nst1tut1on has been open to all students wrthout regard to race color or natlonal or1g1n Coahoma s graduates have succeeded 1n a varrety of frelds The overr1d1ng need at the school s 1ncept1on was to prepare teachers however as the qualtty and quantrty of teachers reached a level that termrnated that CI1S1S the school began emphaslzrng w1th greater energy other frelds Educa t1on has been the domlnant f1eld that has employed Coahoma s graduates yet some have entered med1c1ne publlc serv1ce pO11I1CS law research agrlculture m1l1tary the mlrustry and many other f1e1ds Phys1cal fac1l1t1es have grown to meet the needs of the expandrng vocatronal needs The growth of the total 1nst1tut1on 1S somewhat reflected by the number of fac111t1es that must be shared by both the h1gh school and college Only the gymtorlum llbrary and ma1n adm1n1sLrat1on bulldlng contlnue to provlde space for both d1v1s1ons of the school The future plans for the College call for rncreased servlces for students and faculty Approprlatrons have already been recelved or commltted for some of these new fac1l1t1es 0 0 o , . . . . . . . . . ...., ' - .. . . . . . I , , . . ... . - I U I .. . , . . . .. . . . . . . , v . .. .. . - 1 ' ' . . . , . Y .. . . .. . .. .. Y l 1 9 s n 1 9 v . . . ... . ... U I - ... - . . .. . . . ... .

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Historical Sketch Coahoma County was among the first of the counties in Mississippi to provide agricultural high schools for Negroes. In 1924, County Superintendent P. F. Williams proposed the organization of a school system which would include a number of elementary and junior high schools and one central agricultural high school. Upon adoption of the proposal by the Board of Supervisors in that year, Coahoma County Agricultural High School was established. Mr. M. L. Strange served as the first superintendent of Coahoma County Agricultural High School during the 1924-25 term. In the years which followed , four other men have headed the institution: Mr. J. H. Moseley, four years: Mr. J. W. Addison and Mr. J. B. Wright, eight years each, and Mr. B. F. McLaurin, 21 years. The efforts to establish a Junior College that would serve basically a non-white clientele were enhanced by the all around support of Mr. L. L. Bryson, who was Superintendent of Coahoma County schools during the formative years of the Junior College. Mr. B. F. McLaurin headed the institution from the 1945-46 school year until the junior college program was added in 1949: then he served as president of the newly founded junior college until 1966 . After the junior college was added , the name of the institution was changed to Coahoma Jun- ior College and Agricultural High School. The incumbent, Mr. J . E. Miller, has headed the institu- tion since 1966. The first three years of the college program were conducted by one full-time College Director- teacher, Mrs. Zee A . Barron, and a sufficient number of part-time teachers from the high school division. A full-time Dean, Miss M. G. Whiteside, and College faculty were employed the third year. Miss Whiteside served as Dean until 1973. Mr. Frank W. Gambrell, Jr. , began his reign as Dean in July, 1973. Mr. Gambrell was also the second full-time college teacher. At present there are fifty-six full-time teachers in the college and forty full-time teachers in the high school.

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B 6 I... -11-7 ' 7 ' -1 I F 4 xf , 1 X, V V . 1 J . ' G g Il . ' is I fl, 4,,, N ,fm L. to R.: B. F. McLaurin, Sr. , Length of service 34 yearsg Vocational teacher 1935-'40, On leave 1940-'45, Supt. and Presi- dent 1945-'66, Assistant to President 1966-'74 Zee Anderson Barron, Length of service 25 years: College Director and full-time teacher 1949-1952, Student Personnel Director and English Instructor 1952--1971 , Student Personnel Director and HEAP Coordinator 1971-1974 Frank W. Gambrell, Ir. , Length of service 22 years: Head of Science and Math Department, and Science and Mathematics Instructor 1952-1973 - Academic Dean 1973-'74 4 S96 Y ., .5 ,- x?-Sis. I-,AX 5.51-'j.. LEFT: J. E. Cain, Sr. , Length of service 27 years: Industrial Arts Instructor, Agricultural High School. 1947-'49 Coa- homa Ir. College, 1949-'74 sith' ,,5,,.....:....t'0'L' MSL, Y , . .v mf wifi' .ww . 15 V5O '51 .AK 1-7.-vt' 'wr'- RIGHT: Consuella Carter, Length of service 27 years: Band Instruc- tor Agricultural High School 1947-'49, Coahoma Junior College 1949-'74