The start of school has always been big news in small towns. Browsing the September issues of the Alto Herald shows how AISD has developed over the years.
The 1914 school year at AHS started off with the organization of a couple of clubs, the Alto Athletic Association and the William Jenning Bryan Literary Society. Surprisingly, both had the same set of officers: Clinton Harrison, Jewel Singletary and Ben Little, with the addition of Grady Singletary as Doorkeeper of the Literary club.
Anyone who knew my late father-in-law would agree that a Literary Society is the last place to expect to find him. And why did a Literary Society need a doorkeeper anyway?
Through the teens and twenties, the first day of school in Alto was a momentous occasion. Parents came with their children and there was an elaborate program, including speeches by ministers, school board members and administrators.
By 1930 the Herald reported that the enrollment on the first day of school was up to an all time-high of 550 pupils with the added comment that “there is no doubt that at least 75 more will start within the next 30 days as a number of the children are still picking cotton”. No truant officer would dare interfere with that.
World War II in the 40’s had a marked effect on the school. The September 3 1942 Herald reports that school will have to start without a band teacher. “There have been 3 band teachers in three years – Jimmie Hayes, Lynn Hanna and Jack Rodgers Jr. – and all are now in service” . Also the Shiloh and Redlawn students will have to share one bus, as will Morrill and Primrose.
By the 50’s the September Heralds no longer had the headline “Opening Exercises at School”. Instead it was “First Football Game This Friday”. Sometimes, as in 1957, there would be a picture of the team and coaches.
Some of these names should be familiar, but you may not recognize the youthful faces: David Rice, Carlton Jones, Kenny Williams, C H Pittman, Danny Felder, Gary Dominy, Charles Price, Ronnie Hendrick, Doug Smith, Tommy Williams, Tommy Cummings, Marshall Ray Bynum, Gale Baugh, Jerry Felder, Carroll Hollis, Jerry Gilcrease, Billy Lindsey, Kenneth Lawler, David Scott, Lee Rushing and Benny Lloyd (Manager). Quarterback Wally Gayle was out for the first part of the season with a broken collarbone. Coaches were Buck Terrell and Jerry Allen. (Only 2!)
Occasionally the band made the news. On September 21, 1961, Judy Harris, Band Reporter, gave a detailed report of the performance at the Rusk-Alto game. Under the leadership of Sue Corley, Drum Major, they performed a fancy marching program climaxing with a dance step to the tune of When The Saints Go Marching In.
Check out the online newspapers for more school news.
Originally published in the Cherokeean on September 19, 2012
Bonus content now: The picture below is of the same building about ten years later. This is the way many of us remember it, after the second story had been condemned and removed
Here is a slightly newer one
And this one is from 1955, but I remember spending time under that tree at the corner 20 years later
