Norman High School - Eagle Yearbook (Norman, AR)

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T.. . -gm , ,, HISTORY OF NORMAN HIGH SCHOOL Norman High School was formerly Caddo Valley Academy which was established in 1921 by the synod of Arkansas of the Presbyterian Church as a home mission school. Mr. G. G. Murphey was the first superintendent of the school and classes were held in what is now the Norman Grade School. Three years later the stone building which is now used for High School was completed and that became the center of higher education for Norman. There were boarding students, both boys and girls, in the Academy. Other pupils who wished to attend the school paid tuition. ,Dr, John T. Barr was put in charge of the Academy. His responsibility was to hire teachers and other workers: he also had to take care of admitting students to the dormitories. The first graduating class in 1923 consisted of three members. Other superintendents of the Academy were Mr. F. C. Purviance from 1922 to 1926 and Mr. E. U. Aston from 1926 to 1930, ln the year 1930 it was decided to have a consolidated high school in Norman. The Norman District leased the high school building from the Synod of Arkansas, with the understanding that Bible was to be taught in the school. The first superintendent of the Norman High School was Mr. E. O. Bennett, who served in that capacity from 1930 to 1938. During that time Home Economics was taught and most of the time Music and Dramatics were offered. A Voca- tional Agriculture building was added in 1933, and a course in Agriculture was taught most of the time until World War ll. At first the Home Economics classes were taught in the main building, but a cottage was later added and Miss Cloe Dell Reece is head of this department at the present time. The next superintendent was Mr. Weldon Tarver who served from l938to 1942: some commercial work was offered during this time. Mr. Tarver was followed by Mr Ode Maddox who left here after one year to become supermtend ent of Oden School , ln the year 1943 our present superintendent Mr W Harvey New took charge Because it was hard to get vocational teachers at that time Agriculture could not be offered for several years In fact, it was not until three years ago that the Agriculture Department could be offered again Mr Walter Parks is now Vocational Agriculture Instructor We also have a Veterans Agriculture Program The same commercial courses were agam possible in 1946 47 That department has been greatly strengthened by new equipment and this year Miss Faye Teague who is in charge of it has even added calculating to the curriculum It is still a difficult problem to find Music teachers For the past two years Mrs John T Barr has taught Music half a day and English the other half Mrs Freida Green teaches English for a half day also 5 s . J-

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Many improvements have been made in the past few years. This year the library has been strengthened and for the first time the books have been cata- logued, lettered, etc. Also, for the first time, we have a teacher librarian, Miss Eunice Byers. She has several able student assistants from among the Junior and Senior girls. Miss Byers also teaches Bible which is still a part of the curriculum, but not a required subject. For several years we have had a hot lunch program in the school, but it was 'not until the fall of 1947 that we had a building for that specific purpose. Mr. Fay Bohannon is principal and coach of our fine boys' basketball teams. The girls' basketball teams are coached by Mr. New. Our Science Department is under the capable direction of Mrs. Florence Sharpe. g The Norman Consolidated School District No. Z8 is now composed of the former Liberty, Gaston, Murphy, Rock Springs, Perrin, Sardis, Black Springs, Box, Head, and Sulphur School Districts and is thirty miles long, five miles wide, serving patrons in an area of one hundred fifty square miles. We maintain an Elementary School at Black Springs with two teachers and fifty -five pupils in the first. six grades. Another Elementary School is located at Norman with five teachers and one hundred seventy-eight pupils in the first six grades. All the pupils in the outlying sections in grades seven through twelveare transported to Norman in the four new busses owned by the District. The total enrollment at the High School is one hundred fifty -four with ten teachers. The Norman High School has a B rating from the State Department of Education and offers a total ofthirty-four credits. 6