Georgia Southern University - Reflector Yearbook (Statesboro, GA)

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THE FIRST DISTRICT A. M. SCHOOL Its Beginning Till . Iiill to incorporate and organize an Agricultural and Mechanical High School in each congressional district in Georgia was passed in moo under the recommendation of ( lOvernor Joseph M. Terrell, who looked to these schools to be his monument. The trustees of the first district, one from each county, met in due time and elected an old Bulloch county boy, J. W alter Hendricks, then head of the schools at Douglas, Georgia, as principal. They decided in order to give time and labor for thorough preparation that the School should not open for pupils until the fall term in MjoX. Upon the recommendation of the principal, a professor of agricul- ture was elected, and these two began to lay out plans for the general organization of the school. The buildings, three large and commodious ones, had been erected under the general plan for all of these schools, the money having been furnished by general subscription from citizens of Statesboro and Bulloch county, some sixty thousand dollars or more. W hile the work of the first year, preliminary in character, was going on, a clamor went up from the people to know why sixty thousand dollars should be tied up in magnificent buildings and then stand there idle. The trustees were moved by this clamor and ordered the principal to secure faculty help and open the school for pupils in February, [908. I ' lease try to imagine just what this meant. With all other schools in full operation for more than half the term, with no sources from which to draw students, this school opened its doors for the en- rollment of pupils. An idea had gotten abroad that this school would be able to handle and disci- pline the boys and girls who had been incorrigible in the public schools, because of the mere fact that it had industrial features, farm work, shop work, and such like, for the boys and work for the girls in the kitchen and dormitories. Under this idea the school received some pupils that were not angelic at all. But be it known also that some came to the school that were as fine as ( iod ever blessed with mortal life. With these very discordant and sometimes belligerent elements the faculty set to work to follow the fundamental law creating these schools and give to the students such training as would fit them for a very practical and successful life on the farm. The question of discipline was a very serious and difficult one. Just for in- stance : ( ne boy wanted to go home for the week-end. I le was told that he could go only when his father had written a request to the principal, which was the rule. He left the office very sullenly. He came back the next day and repeated his re- quest with the same result, his father not having made any request. Then he lost his temper and paid his respects to his father in a burst of indignation. He prom- ised me he would write and now he has not done it. That ' s all right. He wants to run for congress and 1 know enough on him to ruin him and I ' ll tell it too. ' ' With this he strode out of the office, and when the time came, he slipped off and went home. When he returned, he took his demerits and atterward dug stumps to remove them. Another hoy, brother to the one mentioned above, went to town on Saturday afternoon, as was the privilege of all, and had his head shaved as if he were very bald. He was compelled to keep bis cap on at all times when in public, in classes, and at meals until his hair grew out. We suppose that he might have prayed for his hair to grow in a hurry. The principal resided in the girls ' dormitory with his family. ( )ne night about eight o ' clock a small boy, now quite prominent in Statesboro and Bulloch county,

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Boys ' Basket-Ball Team Left to right, lop row- ' Chai n [!. ].. Smith. Thompson, CiAKiUTT. Second row: Camerson, J. W. Powell, A. Powell, Yeomans, Jim Wrinkle, W. Smith. Bottom nw: Spears, Amerson, Pakford, Hagins, Williams. Joi Wrinkle, J. Smith. Girls ' Basket-Bail Team -(■ In right, top row- ' II endekson, coach . M. Krxest, A. McG atley, M. Underwood, M. X. Cone, A. Clietox, Simms. New, manager. Bottom row ' - Wall, Rewis, Barnhill, L. Rosier, [!. Salter, V. Cone, R. Lindsey, E. Jackson.

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came running with all his might to the principal to inform him that a general fight was going on in the boys ' dormitory where two professors, both single men, re- sided. The principal went with all possible haste and grabbed a three-foot piece of quarter round from a pile of debris as he ran. Sure enough the fight was on. The principal yelled in stentorian tones and brandished his stick. Whereupon every boy dashed for his room. The fight had been in progress in the hall. The two professors were stationed as sentinels while the principal went from room to room to investigate. When he left the boys ' dormitory for his own quarters, he carried a hatful of all kinds of pistols, most of which were finally thrown in the creek. A great effort was made by the faculty to teach the students good manners, good general deportment, and especially to guard against the use of profanity. The principal had delivered a lecture at the chapel along this line. A few days later he was walking in the corn field where four of the boys were plowing side by side engaged in animated conversation. The principal listened unobserved and heard the following from one of the boys, about grown: You boys remember about the professor giving us such a lecture about cussing. Well, I ' m going to quit. I don ' t expect to cuss another d — n bit. But with all this, there was a large element of serious boys and girls who came to the school. The fact that labor was paid for would enable some to pay all ex- penses and all of them to pay part of their expenses. Among many fine students that came to us from Screven county, one came desiring to work his way. As he left home, he promised himself never to milk another cow, a labor he had grown tired of at home. He introduced himself to the principal and stated that he wanted to work his way, as he had no money. The principal said, We are very fortunate just now to have a job that will pay all expenses. What is it? said the young man with beaming face. Milking the cows, said the principal. He took the job and did it well. He showed the stuff he was made of, and has made a success in his chosen w rk. The school grew but not rapidlv. The faculty bad more care as to the char- acter of the students, and a fine spirit of loyalty grew up among them. Some of the girls who first came to the school brought their dolls, and played with them, too. But they were as fine as could be found and have gone out to bless the world in many lines. During the first few years of the school, all of the work on the farm, in the shop, in the kitchen and dining room was done by the students under competent supervision. The school had only a small annual allowance from the State, but was able to live within its income because of strict economy, hard work in all de- partments, and supplies coming in from the farm. Money crops were also pro- duced and sold. Thus the school had its beginning in a time of great financial de- pression then called a panic. But when prosperity came, as it did come, and after the first principal had resigned, it was harder than ever to carry on the school as formerly. The students not only did not want to work, but they saw no great necessity for it. their parents did not want them to work, and soon the school began to enter upon great and serious changes. In closing, let me say that the first faculty had many hard problems to face and many serious difficulties to overcome, but they stood loyally together, and laid the foundations upon which others have been able to build more nobly. This same faculty had many great joys in watching students grow into serious minded men and women who have been an ornament to society and a credit to the school. Yours very truly, J. Walter Hendricks, First Principal, First District A. M. School. Statesboro, Georgia.