Neville High School - Monroyan Yearbook (Monroe, LA)

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Four Graduates Noted in 1888 Four young ladies sTudied for Three years CThe required Time for finishing high school in Those daysj and in 1888 They were graduaTed in The Monroe Opera House on SouTh Grand STreeT. Their commencemenT ceremonies lasTed Two days, June 26- 27, 1888. The graduaTes were Millie Hanna, Jennie Belle Weaks, MargareT GarreTT, 'and Rebecca Kern. Mr. J. W. JohnsTon was principal of The Male School and Mrs. M. J. Evans was principal oT The Female School when The high school deparTmenT was added in 1885. Professor Fredrick W. Blees was The firsT principal of The co-educaTional school, beginning in The fall of 1888. IT was aT This Time ThaT The OuachiTa Parish Schools demanded ThaT The CiTy Schools should be Turned over To Them. AfTer a long, biTTer sTruggle, CiTy School officials finally yielded, in 1891. The so-called merger lasTed unTil The fall of 1894 when The CiTy Schools once again became in- dependenT. In 1900 ErnesT Long Neville came To Monroe from Chapel Hill, NorTh Carolina, To serve as a high school Teacher and Two years laTer became high school principal. AfTer George W. Reid vacaTed The superinTendenT's posiTion, Mr. Neville Took over ThaT office and held iT unTil 1948 when he reTired. He also served as coach and founder of The Tiger fooTball Team as a varsiTy uniT in 1908. MosT of whaT is known as The Monroe CiTy Schools Today Cphysicallyj were esTablished under The farsighT- ed adminisTraTion of Mr. Neville. TS gain I0 li l Monroe City High School - 1900-1931

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Franklin Garrett Mr. Garrett was quite a versa- tile man in Monroe affairs, for he was engaged in a multitude of civic endeavors. He served as City School Board Chairman from 1880-1885 and superintendent from 1885-1889. He is credited with founding Neville High School's predecessor, Monroe City High School, in 1885. He ac- tually founded the modern version of the Monroe City School System, that is known today. A Hlgh School Is Born School History by Sammy R. Danna Neville High School celebrates its Diamond Anniversary this year with an illus- trious and fascinating history behind this great institution of learning. lt was in the summer of 1885 that the Monroe City CPublicJ School Board creat- ed Monroe City High School. Lewis Allan, Jr. was board chairman and C. A. Down- ey and J. A. Moore were members. The proiect was initiated by the newly appoint- ed Superintendent, Franklin Garrett. The high school occupied the rented building, belonging to the former Ouachita Female Academy, from 1885 to 1900 Cwhen it was razedj. On the old academy site and including the rest of the block, the present old Central Grammar School structure was erected in 1900. The high school occupied the building until it moved in the present structure in 1931. Thus, the name Monroe City High School remained from 1885-1931 when it was changed to Neville High School. This should clear up most of the confusion concerning the beginning of Neville High School. Therefore, Neville actually had its beginning in 1885 as Monroe City High School before it was re-named for the late superintendent, Ernest L. Neville. When the City School System was under the Ouachita Parish System, from 1891-1894, the school was known at Ouachita Parish Central High School. The Monroe City School System was first chartered in 1820, re-chartered in 1869 and again in 1880 before Franklin Garrett came on the school scene. It is through his tireless effort and guidance that the modern Monroe City School System of today has emerged.

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Ernest Long Neville 1876-1957