Scotts Hill High School - Lion Yearbook (Scotts Hill, TN)

Page 10 text:

The ’Ted brick schoolhouse” which replaced the old college building in 1916-17. Front frame addition had been added as cloakrooms but actually became more of a firewood storage space. The belfry housed the old college bell which had become a hallmark of good schools. of town, was more than a mile long. ’ Nor would the area soon forget their First Citizen. Within days after the funeral, a com¬ mittee composed of N. N. Norton, Oscar Stephens, Lou Robbins, Sam Walton, Perry Har- bert, A. L. Goff, Dr. W. B. Keeton and Will Stubblefield (all deceased), had quickly raised funds for a pretentious monument. Unveiled on the college campus in the presence of a big-crowd, the monument was removed to a later building on the old campus (1932) where it stood until the present main structure was completed, and was then moved nearer to it. It stands there now and beside it last Fall during the town’s Sesquicentennial Celebration, a Time Capsule was buried to be unearthed in 2025. Later teachers here in the old college building, included: ”Odle and Coble”; G. G. But¬ ler, Perry Murphy and Mabel Terry (1905-1907; George L. Wortham and his wife and Her¬ bert Bagby (1907-1909); J. A. Bobbitt, John H. Duck, Granville and Alfred Bartholomew (1909-1916). Miss Mae Joyce and perhaps a few others also taught at intervals during this time. By 1915 the old college building was in disrepair, difficult to heat, and a perfect target for storms, one of which as early as 1909, had damaged it. So by 1917 a new ’’red brick” building was ready for use back on the old campus. It contained three classrooms, in line, and with movable partitions between to provide for an auditorium. School spirit was none too high now and teachers were changed often. Among those remembered for their faithful service for the next few years were: Professor James M. Austin, A. C. Tarlton, Jim C. Duck, Maida Austin, Walt White, Ruby and Gertrude Roberts, Myrtle Johnson, Jimmy Rains, and Roxie Kelley. By now World War I clouds were confusing things, schools being no exception. It was Dr. R. L. Wylie who heard of an up and coming young school teacher in the Middleburg area known as Ira C. Powers. Dr. Wylie and others persuaded Powers to come here and lead efforts to improve the school. Powers came on Sept. 12, 1921 and his efforts were as tonic for the school. Soon the ninth and tenth grades were added; Powers was named Principal and 8

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Big events in the short life of the Scotts Hill College were the annual picture-taking and the issuance of cata¬ logs. This picture shows the 1898-99 student body with teachers B. A. Tucker, Prin. (male on extreme left wearing black bow tie); Jim C. Duck, Asst, (male standing, extreme left); and Myra Turner (later, Mrs. John C. Graham), (center, 3rd row from front looking left). teaches the school and maintains the property! ” The salary was fixed at $45 per month, to be paid by tuition charges collected from all students from the ABC’s through three college courses offering the degrees of B. A., B. S. and L. I. Tucker’s main helper was Jim C. Duck and third teachers from time to time included Mintie Turner, Minnie Woodward, Perry Patterson and Myra Turner. Teachers helped col¬ lect the tuition ranging from $1 to $2.50 per month. The school issued annual catalogs; patronage was from several counties and town homes literally opened their doors for board¬ ing students, offering board, washing, and heat at from $4 to $5 per month. Tucker was a great Methodist leader and he also operated a bookstore and published the weekly Scotts Hill Banner. Alumni still living (1976) affirm that no better mathematician ever lived and cite the fact that the ’’college” ran advertisements in newspapers as far away as Nashville and Memphis, offering ”a solution to any problem” sent the school, either by math students or, if students failed, by Tucker himself. A charge for each problem was set at 15 £ and many were they that came in for solution from far and wide. E. D. Brigance, now of Henderson, a college student from its opening day until it closed as such in 1903, states that every problem sent the college was solved to the satisfaction of the sender, except one. Tucker worried much about it but then found out that this problem was a hoax and that a solution was impossible! But alas! Like a meteor flashing across the sky and as suddenly burning out, Tucker’s life ended on March 10, 1903, very likely, later doctors said, of appendicitis. The old ’’col¬ lege spirit” began to wane within weeks though a brother of the lamented Principal, W. Festus (’’Fed”) Tucker, Perry Patterson, C. S. Austin, Myra Turner and others tried to hold things together. All these are deceased now but in one of my last talks with my uncle, C. S. Austin, he recalled that ”no wonder that Tucker was the mainspring of the old school - for the mule- drawn wagon train of mourners which followed his body to Concord Cemetery 10 miles east 7

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This the ’’fine new” concrete block school house that replaced the ’’red brick” structure in 1925-26. The orig¬ inal building contained only the center section. The two-room ’’wing” on the right was added in 1928-29; that on the left, in 1932-33. An auditorium and stage were in the rear and the auditorium contained an ’’orchestra pit. ” Senior high school status began in the fall of 1927 and the first class graduated here in 1929. Perry Murphy was Principal. A. C. Tarlton became Principal of the grade school. Teachers named above helped out with new life on every side, following the war. Efforts began to provide still larger quarters for the ever-growing enrollment, and for the possible addition of the eleventh and twelfth grades for a senior high school. Rural schools were being consolidated and there was a general demand for a larger, better school plant here. By 1925-26, an eight-classroom concrete building was ready for occupancy and upper classes moved to it, with the brick building still used for lower grades, for the new cafeteria and for agriculture classes a little later. Cecil Milam was added to the faculty in the 1920’s as was Pauline Eason, two teachers that deserve fullest honor for their long successful years in the classroom before they retired. It was Powers and Milam largely who led the efforts for a senior high school. Senior high school status was approved by our county boards of education and by state authorities to be effective at the start of school in the Fall of 1927. Perry Murphy came back as Principal. Other high school teachers were: Ira Powers and Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Jones. The first four-year class graduated on March 29, 1929. The class flower was the pink carnation; class colors, green and white; the class motto, ’’And ? Now?” Officers were: Oren Lockhart, Pres.; Vaught Grissom, Vice-Pres.; Mildred Brasher, Sec.; and Ernest Rhodes, Treas. Fellow classmates were: Bertie and Myrtle Turner, Ruil Milam, Coyd Kel¬ ley, Jimmie Patterson, Floyd Attaway, Haywood and Clyde Smith, Edna Mitchell, Roy Tucker, Grady Brasher and Exie McCollum. Succeeding Murphy in 1931 as principal was Gordon H. Turner who, with perfect student, faculty and community cooperation, made improvements which merited the state’s highest grade for its size, at year’s end. New classrooms were added; a P.T.A. organization was formed; a splendid small library was set up; the campus was terraced and planted; a small Ag. shop was erected and equipped; and the old gymnasium was much improved. Principals after Turner, each of whom, with faculty, community and student help, con- 9