Note: Credit to Bobby Byrd for the research.
More about the Controversy
Posted on by Bob Johnson
Author: Bob Johnson
Graduated from Central in 1965. Had the honor of being Mr. Central 1965. Started on the Central Basketball Team for three years and was a member of the Track Team in my senior year. Shared command with Bryant Millsaps of the Central JROTC unit in my senior year. Other activites at Central are documented in the 1963 -1965 Champions. Received an athletic scholarship and played Division I College Basketball for four years. When I graduated from Auburn in 1969, I was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army Adjutant General Corps and served 25 years on active duty, retiring in 1994. Some of the military awards I earned include the Legion of Merit, one Meritorious Service Medal for Achievement, six Meritorious Service Medals for Service, Joint Service Medal for Achievement, two Army Commendations Medals, and Viet Nam Service Medal. After retirement in 1994, I became a Real Estate Broker until my second retirement in 2010. I am passionate about Central History and am pleased to be Administrator of this Blog/Site. View All Posts
Preservation of Chattanooga Central History 
The real controversy at Central began in 1910 when Prof. Gunn was assigned to Central by Supt Brown to get the goods on Principal Darrah. It became public and ugly in May 1911, when Brown unsuccessfully tried to get Darrah’s contract voided. It returned the following year when Brown assigned two more teachers to Central – Selcer and ,at mid-term, Rankin to stir up the pot. Brown was ultimately successful in ousting Darrah in June 1912. Gunn, Selcer and Rankin were the only Central teachers given pay raises that year. All of this is documented in the Times. I’ve been reluctant to bring this to open discussion before, because the newspapers made Brown out to be the villain. I believe the underlying reason was Central’s mercurial rise to athletic prominence, resulting in City and McCallie refusing to play Central in any sport, starting in 1910. And yes, the sudden emergence of Central did involve recruiting some of McCallie and Baylor’s better athletes by Coach Rike with Darrah’s blessing. Eventually Darrah’s allies were all run off from Central, and Rike was hired by Baylor at four times his salary at Central. It took the better part of the decade to undo all the damage.