Neville High School - Monroyan Yearbook (Monroe, LA)

Page 15 text:

Ernest Long Neville 1876-1957

Page 14 text:

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

Page 16 text:

City High School Shows Much Progres Monroe High was the only high school in Louisiana with four grades lthe City System had a total of 12 gradesl, this advancement began in 1906 but was halted by refusal of the state to appropriate additional funds to support what it apparent- ly deemed an unneeded extra grade. However, some time afterwards the state added the extra grade, and so all Louisiana school systems have 12 grades today Csince the early 194O'sD. Neville enjoyed this educational opportunity loack in 1906. Mrs. Minnie Ruffin who ioined the Monroe City Schools in 1909 became principal of the high school in1915 and remained in this capacity until 1931. In that year Dr. Charles E. Kenny took over as principal until 1936. After serving as acting principal in 1936-1937, Mr. Paul J. Neal, former grid coach and science teacher, became prin- cipal and remained thus until he was made high school supervisor in 1958. Mr. Sid- ney Seegers succeeded Mr. Neal as Neville principal and, of course, still holds that position today. Mr. Van D. Odom succeeded Mr. J. M. Boyer as superintendent of the City School System in 1952 and still serves in that head capacity. Mr. Tom Scott has served as president of the Monroe City School Board since 1952. was ,fl V M, .5 ,aug is 5 E .Ni ., f lg' .Q S V2 srt it Neville High School- 1931 - 'Q in