USA > Georgia > Tift County > History of Tift County > Part 18
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He is a member, and past president of the Tifton Lions Club, a mem- ber of the Tift County Chamber of Commerce and Baptist Church. He was president of the Second District High School Association and of Tift County Education Association.
His wife is the former Miss Hazel Humber, of Lumpkin, whom he married in 1927, and they have two children, Humber aged 12, and Holly aged 10.
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Top-Tifton High School Band broadcasting in 1947 Bottom-Scene from Tifton High School Glee Club program in 1947
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HISTORY OF TIFT COUNTY
MR. W. L. BRYAN 1917-1918
Mr. W. L. Bryan, of Atlanta, served Tifton High School as its first superintendent for one year. Dr. M. L. Brittain, then state superintendent of education, came to Tifton to assist in the dedication exercises. Prof. Scraboro, who had been prevented from opening the school on account of his health, gave the history of the Tifton schools and Dr. Brittain made the principal address.
Mr. Bryan was well liked, but he resigned at the close of his first term to continue his study of law. He is at present practicing law in Atlanta.
MRS. J. E. COCHRAN
Mrs. J. E. Cochran came to Tifton, from Roswell, Georgia, in 1905 as a teacher of the fourth grade in the old Tifton Institute during Prof. Jason Scarboro's administration. She taught one term. During the time she met and married Mr. Cochran, Tifton's first jeweler. She did not teach again for a period of about twenty years. After Mr. Cochran's death in 1924, she applied for the position of seventh grade in Tifton High School. Here she remained until the junior high school was com- pleted ; then she was transferred to that building ..
In 1942 when Mr. Alton Ellis, who was then principal of the school, was called into the service of his country, Mrs. Cochran was appointed to take his place. This position she filled very acceptably until Mr. Ellis's return last year. She once again took up her grade work where she left off four years before.
Mrs. Cochran has contributed a great deal to the educational, social, and religious life of Tifton during her long residence. She is one of the best teachers Tifton Junior High School has had.
MIR. A. H. MOON by Mrs. N. Peterson 1918-1923
Mr. Moon came to Tifton in 1918 from the Baxley Public Schools, where he had been superintendent for eight years and never once while there was the school defeated in a contest by a competitor.
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He was a graduate of Mercer University, University of Georgia, and received his M.A. degree from Northwestern University, Chicago, and was working on his doctor's degree from the same university at the time of his death ; he was a Phi Beta Kappa. His refusal of a Yale scholarship was on account of illness in the family.
He exerted every influence towards fitting boys and girls for useful, healthful, and happy living. He felt that if in an atmosphere of culture and an appreciation of social responsibility were maintained on the school grounds, it would be carried over into the daily lives of the young men and women of tomorrow. He believed that personal development and self motivation might be initiated through such avenues as debating teams, essay contests, and other extra-curricular activities. In many of these Tif- ton boys and girls won state and district recognition.
It was his desire that every student might be more eager to learn when he left high school ; therefore he tried to choose faculty members who could not only teach to meet the immediate needs of the students but could also inspire them to go farther in their educational pursuits. He was ever alert to recognize the best possibilities within any student, and encouraged such pupils to avail themselves of every opportunity to help themselves.
He introduced home economics into the high school for the first time. Through the efforts of Miss Nebraska Findley and Miss Mattie Lou Phillips, teachers in this department, the sewing room, kitchen and dining room were fully equipped.
Mr. Moon was very civic-minded. He saw that lights were not only needed on the front of the building but would add greatly to the attrac- tiveness of it.
The South Georgia Methodist Conference was to convene in Tifton in the fall of 1922. Mr. Moon asked the board of education to install lights before they came. The board felt the city could not afford them at this time, so he appealed to the members of the Twentieth Century Library Club as a matter of civic pride. Mrs. John Wesson and Mrs. Carl Kim- berly were appointed as a committee to see this project through. The night before the conference was to hold its first session, the beautiful lights, that still light the campus of the building, were turned on in all of their glory and all Tifton was proud.
His one plea to the board of education as long as he remained in Tifton was for better pay for his teachers. He argued that in education as in all other phases of life you got only what you paid for. He said that Tifton could not hope to cope with other surrounding towns unless the salaries of her teachers were in keeping with those of other places. He finally succeed- ed in getting the salary of Miss Annie Belle Clark, principal of the gram- mar school, raised from 90 to 100 dollars, and his primary teachers from 65 to 70 dollars per month.
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In the spring of 1923 Mr. Moon's health began to fail. He was granted a leave of absence for two months. He went to Atlanta and entered a hos- pital for treatment. He had waited too late. On the eve of the graduating exercises not only the school but all Tifton was shocked to hear that he had quietly passed away. Both he and his efficient wife, who was also a teacher in the school had endeared themselves to Tifton people, who mourn- ed the loss of these valuable citizens.
MR. R. E. MOSELEY
1927-1930
Mr. R. E. Moseley, who was acting principal of the Tifton High School during Mr. J. C. Sirman's administration was appointed to the place of superintendent following Mr. Sirman's resignation at the close of school in May, 1927. Mr. G. O. Bailey was elected principal at the same time.
The most important event of his administration was letting the contract for the erection of the Tifton Junior High School on January 7, 1928. This had to be done in cooperation with the county board of education.
The school was completed and furnished in time for the fall opening of school. This building served to take care of 225 children in the Tifton consolidated school district. It also helped to ease the strain on the over- crowded grammar school, the fifth grades being transferred to the new school.
Mrs. Nan W. Clements of Montezuma, Georgia was elected as first principal.
PROFESSOR JASON SCARBORO 1901-1908-1912-1917
Professor Jason Scarboro moved to Tifton during the summer of 1901. He came to accept the principalship of the public school from Statesboro, Georgia, where he had been superintendent for several terms.
At the end of his first term in Tifton he had enrolled 272 students, far too many to be crowded into the small space the old Tifton Institute had to offer. By the opening date of his second year he had succeeded in getting an addition of three large rooms built. This took care of the first four grades for several years. There was no auditorium in which to hold gradu- ating exercises, public debates, or meetings of any kind. His next move was to agitate the question of a real high school building adequate for all pur- poses. He had to hold his first graduating exercises in the courthouse in
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1904. The courthouse then was in the third story of the Bowen block on the corner of Love Avenue and Mill Street (now Second Street ).
The members of this class were Hains Hargrett, Charlie Garrett, and Effie Kent. The class chose as their valedictorian Charles Garrett, who had become quite a public speaker and debater for the school. He chose for his subject "Good Roads." He predicted that automobiles, then very new in South Georgia, would supplant the horse and buggy. He argued for hard surfaced roads from town to town and from farm to market. He contended that the public convenience and economy would justify our going in debt to meet the heavy expense. His speech was printed in the Gazette and highly publicized as being probably the first plea ever made for good roads in South Georgia.
Charles graduated from Mercer University in 1908 with an A.B. degree, received his M.A. degree in 1909, and his LL.D. degree in 1911. He worked with Judge Park for four years on the Annotated Code of Georgia and practiced law in Macon for a number of years. He has been solicitor General of the circuit (Bibb, Peach, Houston and Crawford counties ) since 1919.
Haines Hargrett graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
He studied law and rose rapidly in his profession; was associated with a corporation of lawyers in Washington, D. C., for a good many years. He moved back to Atlanta and was connected with one of the city's most prominent law firms until his sudden death. He married Miss Maud Timmons. a Tifton girl who with one son, Haines, Jr., still resides in At- lanta.
Effie Kent finished her education at Wesleyan College, Macon, Ga., taught school, married a Mr. Hambleton, of Meigs, Georgia. After his death she had charge of the postoffice for several years. She is now making her home with an only daughter in Thomasville.
Tifton will long hold in affectionate memory the members of its first graduating class, who so highly distinguished themselves and have brought honor to their home town and alma mater.
In 1906 Tifton High School was placed on the accredited list of the Association of High Schools. This was made possible by the school being able to use the Twentieth Century Library Club's books. The club was then housed in the Wade-Corry building in close proximity to the school.
Also in 1906 Tifton's first academy, built by public subscription gave place to its first fine new brick building erected at a cost of $50,000. It was finished in time for the 1906 fall opening of school. This building is now the Annie Belle Grammar School.
All went well until the summer of 1908. Cordele needed a good man to head their schools so in casting about they fell on Tifton and hired Prof.
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Scarboro at a much greater salary than Tifton was able to pay ; so we had to let him go. Tifton retaliated though in 1912 and brought him back to take over the school.
When Mr. Scarboro returned he found that Tifton population had once more outgrown its school bounds. The auditorium of the nice new school he had left had been cut up into class rooms and still there was not suffi- cient room to house the children comfortably. Again the graduating classes were forced to seek other quarters for their exercises.
Always a builder, he lost no time in starting the movement for another school building. By 1917 Tifton was the proud possessor of our present handsome high school building. It was erected at a cost of $100,000.
Unfortunately time and hard work had taken its cruel toll of Mr. Scarboro's strength. The doctors advised a leave of absence from his ardu- ous school duties. It grieved him not to be able to christen the dream of his life. It fell to Mr. W. L. Bryan, of Atlanta, to be the first high superin- tendent of the new high school.
Mr. Scarboro never saw fit to return to the school room, but continued to make Tifton his home as long as he lived.
Tifton will long cherish the memory of Mr. Scarboro and his fine family, who labored so long among us. His work and good deeds will live long in the hearts of his innumerable friends. He will be remembered as one of the greatest educators in our history.
Mr. W. G. Davis and Mr. J. M. Mulloy, who filled in during the interim Mr. Scarboro was in Cordele were fine men and well liked as school men, but neither was strong physically and each had to resign before his terms of office had expired.
Mr. Davis served as superintendent from 1908 to 1910.
Mr. Mulloy served one year in 1911.
MR. JOHN C. SIRMANS 1923-1927
Mr. Sirmans succeeded Mr. A. H. Moon as superintendent of Tifton Public Schools. Anyone following in Mr. Moon's foosteps naturally had a hard job, but Mr. Sirmans proved himself equal to the occasion from every standpoint as was evidenced by his rapid promotions in the educa- tional field.
During his administration a lady was placed on the board of education for the first time. Mrs. W. T .. Smith was appointed to this position and made an acceptable member as long as she chose to remain as such. She served for four years and the board members were very reluctant in ac- cepting her resignation. They extended to her a vote of sincere thanks and appreciation for her valuable services as a member of the board.
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The women of the Twentieth Century Library Club once more came into the picture. Tifton's schools had never had a P .- T. A. The club women sensed this need. After conferring with Mr. Sirmans a meeting of the high school mothers was called and the first P .- T. A. organized. Mrs. S. A. Youmans was elected as president. It did not take them long to realize that this work was too important to be confined to just one branch of the school, so Mrs. Youmans and her co-workers reorganized and put two strong bodies of interested mothers to work in both of the schools later extending to the Tifton Junior High School upon its com- pletion. This organization is considered by all today as one of the strongest forces in the entire school system.
In the fall of 1929 Mr. Sirmans tendered his resignation as superintend- ent to become dean of men at the newly created South Georgia College for Men. This position he held as long as the College functioned. When it be- came the Abraham Baldwin College the Board of Regents at the Univer- sity of Georgia appointed him as dean of education at Dahlonega, a position he is still holding with distinction.
IDA BELLE WILLIAMS Principal 1940-1947 (Copied from Tifton Gazette)
Miss Ida Belle Williams, recognized as one of the most outstanding English instructors in the state, has resigned as principal of Tifton High School.
Miss Williams has brought honor to the Tifton High school by her asso- ciation with the school, her educational background, and her accomplish- ments. The school has been extremely fortunate to have had her services as English instructor for 15 years and as principal for 6 years. Citizens hope that she will remain as head of the English department.
Since Miss Williams has been teaching English in Tifton the work has been commended by the English Commission of Georgia and individual college teachers. Some of the G.M.C. professors, who have taught in other colleges, state that they can spot her English students. Some of her stu- dents have been exempt from freshman English on account of placement tests.
The Tifton High School has received prominent recognition for unique graduation exercises, which Miss Williams introduced in the school. In these exercises, the graduates honor prominent Georgians and Georgia in- stitutions. Last year the graduating class paid tribute to the press of Geor- gia.
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Miss Williams has an M.A. degree from Johns Hopkins University and University of Georgia. She has studied at Columbia University, Univer- sity of Tennessee, University of Georgia and Bessie Tift College. She has had recent correspondence courses in English and creative writing. She has won a scholarship to the Richard Burton School of Creative Writing : won prizes in the State Parks contest for writing a feature story about Indian Springs; won a letter writing contest sponsored by the Atlanta Con- stitution ; a prize with Scott Foresman for a project about "Silas Marner ;" one of her stories was considered for a $1,000 prize by Reader's Digest ; and honor in her college studies. Her feature stories have been accepted by the best magazines and newspapers in the country. Her teaching ex- perience includes high schools in Georgia and she was assistant professor of English at Winthrop College, Rock Hill, S. C.
The Talisman, the Tifton High school annual, was dedicated to Miss Williams last year in recognition of her work with the school and the esteem in which she is held by the student body and faculty.
Miss Williams, daughter of the late Robert James and Mary Elizabeth Camp Williams, was born in Swainsboro, Georgia. She was the first woman in Georgia to make a nominating speech for a congressman.
MRS. DAN SUTTON, MISS FOLLIS, MISS SHAW
We have followed with a good deal of interest and pride the careers of a few of the teachers who began their work as pioneer teachers of the newly created Tift County. We shall consider only those who have never deserted the fold for other professions. They are Mrs. Dan Sutton of Tift County, who is librarian at present for the Coastal Plain Experiment Station; Miss Fannie Shaw, of Adel, Georgia, who is now at the head of the department of health and public welfare at the Woman's College, Tallahassee, Florida; and Miss Hattie B. Follis of Nashville, Tennessee, who has been principal of the Baker Street School, Birmingham, Alabama, for over thirty years.
Miss Hattie Bess Follis of Nashville, Tennessee, came to Tift County to begin teaching the first year the county was created. Her first year was at Omega, the second at Ty Ty. The last three years in the county she had charge of the fourth grade in the Tifton Public School. After leaving Tifton she went to the Quitman Public School, where she remained for three years. She next went to Birmingham, Alabama, where she was elect- ed principal of the Baker Street School in Ensley where she is still as active, seemingly, as she was over thirty years ago.
During these thirty odd years of service she has so endeared herself to the Birmingham system that she could have her choice today of any posi- tion in their keeping, but she still remains true to the place where she be- gan. Some of the positions of honor she has held are :
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President-Delta Kappa Gamma, Honorary Society for Women Teach- ers.
President-Birmingham Teachers' Association.
President-Alabama Branch of Peabody College Alumni.
President-Of the Elementary Principals' Club.
Co-author of Friendly Hour Readers, published by American Book Com- pany and used in Tift County.
Miss Follis received her A.B. degree from Birmingham-Southern Col- lege and M.A. degree from Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee.
In addition to all these projects, she finds time to teach a class in Ensley Methodist Church. She is also a member of the choir and serves on the board of stewards of the church.
Stella Caudill Sutton (Mrs. Dan Sutton) teacher and librarian, was born at Owenfork, Kentucky. She married Dan T. Sutton of Tift County on June 6, 1913 and came to the Harding Communtiy that year to make her home. She has been an active worker in the civic and church life of Harding and perhaps no one has had a greater influence in the progressive development of her community and county than has Mrs. Sutton. She has always had a class in Sunday School and has been an active member of the board of stewards. She is a charter member of the Harding Methodist Church.
Aside from her home duties, such as rearing a good family, she has never relinquished her hold on her fist love-that of the school room. She taught in the Harding School for thirteen years, at Brighton one year, at Chula eight, and at Omega three, being principal of the Omega High School the last two years. She was one of the best teachers of the county.
Mrs. Sutton organized the first P .- T. A. in Tift County, at first called "School Improvements Club," and was president of the Tift County Coun- cil of P .- T. A. for several years. She was the first teacher in the county to take students on a trip at the close of school. She was president of the Tift County Teachers' Institute for one year. Mrs. Sutton is now libra- rian for the Coastal Plain Experiment Station.
She has always been a staunch supporter and builder of libraries and was an active promoter of the bookmobile. She was chairman of the Tift County Purchasing Committee when she became librarian at the Experi- ment Station.
When Mrs. Sutton began teaching she did not have a degree. As soon as her children, Murris and Mildred, were old enough to take care of themselves she began studying each summer at college summer schools until 1943 when Teachers' College at Statesboro conferred on her the A.B. degree.
All of Mrs. Sutton's accomplishments have been no small job for any
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one, especially a mother. We congratulate her on her attainments and appreciate her services for Tift County.
Miss Fannie Shaw of Adel, Georgia, a native of South Georgia, of whom we are very proud, taught several years in Tifton and Tift County when the county was young. Since she did not have a degree when she be- gan teaching, Miss Shaw requested a leave of absence and registered at Columbia University where she later received the A.B. and M.A. degrees.
She became so much interested in health education, one of her major subjects, while attending Columbia University that she attracted the at- tention of some of the faculty. The authorities of the university offered her a position on the staff. While connected with the school she and one of the leading members of the staff were co-authors of a textbook on health edu- cation.
She returned to Georgia on account of her parents' health. The State Health Department secured her services as state supervisor of health in schools of North Georgia. Dr. Abercrombie reluctantly released her on two occasions to accept a place as director of public health in two large mid- western universities during summer terms.
At present she holds the chair of health and public welfare in the Wom- an's College, Tallahassee, Florida.
HISTORY OF ABRAHAM BALDWIN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AND PRECEDING INSTITUTIONS
(George King)
A detailed history of the various State educational institutions, from the Second District A. & M. School beginning in 1908 through Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College now enjoying its largest enrollment, would require too much space and would inevitably leave out some facts or per- sons who should be included. For that reason, only the high points will be touched.
The Second District A. & M. School was established as one of the twelve district schools of the State, which were authorizel by an Act of the General Assembly in 1907 during the administration of Governor Ter- rell. Tifton and Tift County were able to have the school located at Tif- ton because of the public spiritedness of its citizens. Capt. H. H. Tift donated 315 acres of land and the citizens of Tifton and Tift County, rich and poor, gave generously to raise money to defray one-half of the cost of erecting the three original buildings. It is interesting to note here that during subsequent years, regardless of the name of the institution, this fine spirit and generous attitude have always prevailed among the citizens of the city and county.
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The Second District A. & M. School opened its first term on February 19, 1908. Only boys were allowed to board during this first term, although girls in the vicinity attended. Opening day was declared a holiday by Tif- ton. Stores and the public school were closed. A special train was run from Tifton to the school and some 1,200 people attended.
Mr. W. W. Driskell was president of the school for the term begin- ning February 19, 1908, and also for the year beginning in September 1908. Judge Frank Park was the first chairman of the Board of Trustees. The institution remained an A. & M. School until June 1924. During this time only high school work was given.
The presidents serving the Second District A. & M. School and their terms were as follows :
W. W. Driskell-February 1908 to June 1909
W. G. Acree-September 1909 to June 1910
S. L. Lewis-September 1910 to June 1912
J. F. Hart, Jr .- September 1912 to June 1914
S. L. Lewis-September 1914 to June 1924
Because of the growth of high schools in the towns over the section, the necessity of maintaining district high schools became less, and the Legis- lature of 1924 changed the Second District A. & M. School to South Georgia A. & M. College. Mr. S. L. Lewis who was president of the Dis- trict School became president of the college. Mr. R. C. Ellis was Chair- man of the first Board of Trustees. The college offered only Freshman col- lege work the first year and dropped the first year of high school work. Each succeeding year a high school grade was dropped and a college class added, until the institution was giving only college work.
Mr. S. L. Lewis resigned in June 1929 after 16 years of faithful and unselfish service. He was succeeded by Mr. F. G. Branch, who took over the duties of president in September 1929. During the summer of 1929, the Legislature changed the name of the college from South Georgia A. & M. College to Georgia State College for Men. Mr. R. C. Ellis was the first Chairman of this Board of Trustees and served as such until the Col- lege was placed under the newly formed Board of Regents of the Univer- sity System on January 1, 1932.
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