Class of 1965’s Ronald S. Meers Retires
Class of 1941’s Luther Inducted into Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame
Please click on the following link to view a clip of the TV news report:
Eddie Lance Honorable Mention All American
As a 3-year C-Club member and Auburn alumnus, I’d like to share this bit of Central history with you in memory of Eddie:
All American Eddie Test
As a former Central basketball player, it gives me great pleasure to post this bit of Central history:
1970 Champion
The 1970 Champion is now posted.
Would certainly be a little easier working this project if I weren’t nearly 3,000 miles away from the originals. So…can use all the help I can get with page sequencing/numbering.
In the case of the 1970 Champion and others, pages may not be sequenced exactly right. In general, pages which I had difficulty sequencing appear after the last known page number. Please look at them and let me know correct page numbers.
The End of An Era from 1969 Champion
While preparing the files of the 1969 Champion for upload to this site, I came across the following article written by an unspecified author:
The halls of my teen-age years are empty now; my footsteps cut through the unfamiliar silence. I’ve known this building through many exciting years; and as I walk down this littered, well-worn path, scenes of my life run through my mind. Yes, I was fifteen years old–and I was scared. I saw this building sitting upon its throne looking like a giant with his mouth stretched wide open as if to swallow tender young sophomores. Slowly but surely, my fear subsided; strange faces had names, and some soon became a symbol of my new life. Then I was sixteen years old, and I knew it all! After all, I was a junior! I showed sophomores where to go because I knew my way around. The oceans of kids were familiar, but the sophomores were so young! A year passed, and I was seventeen years old; I felt that I was too mature for acting silly. As the senior year began, I kept pushing the future out of my mind. I was sure the Seniors of “69” were the greatest ever–and I meant it! Now, as I slowly pass the trophy case and see the white football jersey lettered with a purple “80”, I cry. As I walk down the rotunda I try not to look back. But as I reach the sidewalk, I slowly turn back to catch a last glimpse. In the corner of my eye I read “Central High School–Founded 1907.” I see that building, and it looks weary and tired; but that ageless twinkle is still there. How can I leave this school, this warm old friend, with its endless memories? New students will not arrive in the fall, but the building will not be forgotten. I’m going now, and the sun rolls behind a cloud–the wind seems to blow right through me and through the halls of that empty building, and it whispers the loneliest tune. I have grown up, and I can’t look back. The enormous crane, swinging down and crashing the building where precious memories were made, is one scene I could not bear to see. Change is inevitable, but my eyes are brimmed with tears–not so much tears of sadness, but tears of knowledge that students will no more attend classes here. Many kids have gone before me, and many will come soon–not here, but at a new school. Right now I am alone with my memories, for it is an end of an era in my life. I wipe my eyes, turn up my collar, and walk away from a friend.
This well-written piece certainly captured emotions and memories for me. Please help me identify the author. Feel free to add a comment about this article or add your own memories.
Generations of Central Graduates
It saddened me yesterday when I received the following message from Class of 1965 classmate and friend, John Ettien:
“Bobby, my Mom passed this week. She was a Drum Majorette at Central High, Class of 1937. My brother Jim, sister Loretta and wife Patti are all Central High grads.”
Rosa Jane Verhey Ettien passed from among us, but I expect the Central spirit instilled in her in the late 1930s is with us still. On behalf of all Central alumni, condolences to John, Jim, Loretta, and Patti.
I also learned today that Charlie Sedman (father is Class of 1941 graduate) is a second generation Centralite and began thinking there are probably many others.
Seems appropriate to capture this information in our efforts to preserve Central history. So, please comment if you are or know them.
Central to Reinstate The Central Digest
On March 15, 2012, Greg Cantrell shared the following with me:
“My name is Greg Cantrell and beginning with the 2012-13 school year, I will be the new journalism teacher at Central High. Mr. King has agreed to reinstate the newspaper there and I will be transferring to CHS from Red Bank where our newspaper has won best in state for 2011 and also 2012.
I’m excited about reorganizing and re-establishing the Digest at Central and after a few internet searches, I came across your blog about the rich Central history. By starting the paper, which in fact will be an online news website instead of a newspaper, I hope to include as much alumni news and historical “looking back” news as I possibly can. I hope to gain the support of all CHS alumni. In fact, if our new Digest is to succeed, we’ll need the support of all the alumni — as well as the current student body — to help us get going by purchasing ads, submitting possible story ideas, and basically getting the word out that the Digest is back and needs everyone’s support.
Believe it or not, you are my first stop in getting connected with my new Purple Pounder friends after being a Lion for several years. While I’m not sure that Mr. King (the current principal) is quite ready to make the announcement that the Digest is back, I did want to share the good news with you and ask for your help getting this project going since your own websites look so professional and are continually updated. I’ve noticed that you have the CHS crest or seal on your website and I would love to have a copy of that for our new header, if you can assist us. For now, that’s my first (probably of many) request. I am certain I will be bugging you about older issues of the Digest later on.
I’m sure that we’ll be “all clear” to share the re-launch of the Digest very soon. Until then, I look forward to hopefully working with you and utilizing your love for CHS and its history.”
Since then Greg and I have been sharing e-mails in which I shared some ideas for stories and some recommendations of website/blog hosting.
Today I received the following from Greg:
“We’re all clear for the announcement. You may include my email as a contact. We’ll definitely be looking for alumni support and donations to make sure this project not only succeeds, but evolves into something the Central family can appreciate!
I’m saving your emails so that we will have plenty of story ideas for the future. At Red Bank we had an “alumni spotlight” section which took note of alums who did or are doing successful endeavors and I’m sure there’s a place in the Central Digest for the same kind of reporting.
I’ll be in touch with you later on. Until then, here’s hoping for a lot of alumni and community support.”
Greg Cantrell can be reached at: cantrell_g@hcde.org
Class of 1914
Class of 1914 (57)
Eureka Abrams
Clara Allen
Mary Baird
Boyd Baker
Robert M Bell
Jessica R Bible
Ione Biggers
Ethel Bonner
Hetty Boyd
Edna Breeden
Sallie May Cade
Horace Chaddick
Herbert Chaddick
Muriel Collins
Harper Cornelius
John Daniel
Beverly S Embrey
Mildred Fairweather
Fred Farris
Bertha Guthrie
Cora Haley
Horace Hamby
Hazel Hartwig
A J Henderson
Mellie Hill
Milton Hoff
Lila L Hogan
Willie Killian
Mattie M Kountz
Susanna Leinbach
Valeria Lowe
Edith Marsh
Glenn Massey
Harrison McCallie
Bruce McIsaac
J Edward Milburn
Harold Milliken
Owen Moore
Flora Morris
Charles Muse
Violet M Myrick
John Nefe
John Page
Lynn Parker
Lucile Price
Lucile Riley
Edna Roberts
Myrtle Roberts
Lee L Ryerson
Jerry Stegall
Robert Stevens
Lelia W Stott
Gordon Trewhitt
Sara Wagner
Trixie Ware
Louise Williams
Rhea Williams
Class of 1913
Class of 1913 (60)
Ivan V. Anderson
Vivian Atchley
Fletcher H. Bacon
James A. Bass
William C. Bedoit
Gussie F. Blanton
Frances M. Bosler
Sue E. Bowden
Claude C. Boydston
Rebecca S. Bryant
Harry E. Caldwell
Mae Irene Card
Thomas Rowan Clark
Frederick W. Colby
Henry A. Crawford
Harold G. Crouch
Kate B. Crouch
Mary M. Crouch
Grace C. Crutchfield
Carroll M. Denton
Ida Helen Dunagan
Thomas Frederick Dunham
Ollie M. Ellison
Jalia Elba Farrell
Abbie Lillian Fletcher
Kate Gothard
Hettie A. Harrill
Helen I. Harrison
Willie F. Harrison
Emily F. Henderson
Harold D. Hill
Helen M. Hood
Ben J. Hunter
Tressie May Ice
Cornelia Jones
Emmett L. Kerr
Lucy V. Lanham
Alta Lewis
Gladys MacKenney
Leola McDonald
Anna Mariea McKenney
Orrie S. McKenzie
Annie K. Moseley
Sam E. Noble
Edith N. O’Bryant
Ola Lee Pearson
Barbara Peckinpaugh
Vera Louise Prentice
Agnes V. Robertson
Katherine E. Roby
Emmett D. Rolston
William A. Seagle
Emmett F. Stevens
Andrew Stockburger
Carl Sutton
Roscoe Talley
Ira Walters
Elizabeth Wheelock
Margaret V. Wood
Mabel W. Young
Class of 1912
Class of 1912 (69)
This was the unfortunate year of no yearbook; the 69 graduates below were announced in the May 24, 1912 Chattanooga Times:
Henry Acheson
Fred Morton Adams
Jack Allin
Elizabeth Bare
Dallas Bender
Franklin Blevins Bogart
Raymond Joseph Bork
Fannie May Broom
Virginia Brown
Robert G Buchanan
Fannie Lucile Church
Harry Everden Clark
Thomas Rowan Clark
Nancye Pauline Cushman
Theodore Cushman
Margaret Daniels
Anna Davis
Mary Clare Dean
Charles Wright Dudley
Marguerite Edwards
Jeanette M Farrell
Mary Gertrude Farrell
Edith Myra Flegall
Marjan Graham
Bartley Jay Greenwood
Irene Hoyt Gregg
Mollie Hargraves
Mamie Hartwig
Mary Hayes
Edith Hughes
Wilhelm Krause
Ran Killinsworth
Ethel Maude Krichbaum
Clare Leavitt
Herman Lieb
Alta Lucile Lewis
Alexander Lyle
Mary Ethel Marler
Alfred Martin
Richard Drew Massee
Fred Joseph Mayer
James Edwin McAlister
Jack McNeil
Angus McWhorter
Mary Belle Milburn
Benjamin Alley Moore
Minta Roslyn Morris
Joseph I Nicholson
Winifred M Paris
Grace Patterson
Barbara Ethel Raulston
Evander Raulston
Julia Rice
Mary Mildred Schmitz
Blanche Shoemaker
Velma Willie Smith
Curtis Wayne Spencer
Philip Hallahan Stegall
William Eddie Stevens
Joe Houston Stickley
Mary Louise Stokes
Ernest Ganaway Taylor
Alfred Roy Teter
Clara Thompson
Ruth Webb
Willie Edna Webb
Mary Donna Wexler
Mary Ethel Wilcox
Natalie Lowe Wrightson
Class of 1911
Class of 1911 (65)
Of the 68 seniors pictured in the 1911 Sleepless Eye, 65 graduated in May 1911, as follows:
William Bryarly Allin
Creed Fletcher Bates
Anna Lucile Beck
William Clarke Beck
Marion Bicknell (female)
Henry Alban Blackwill
Bessie Pauline Briscoe
Fred Herman Brown
Robert Leonard Cannon
Ruth Church
Clara Mildred Clark
Thomas Lucas Clarke
Ellen Creswell Converse
Katherine Cowles
Ella Anna Davis
Daisy Dean Deakins
Amelie Dickert
Donna Francis Durand
Paul Williamson Elmore
Matthew Elrod
Robert Young Farris
Beth Frances Few
Clara Marie French
Nannie Belle Gothard
Susie Emma Gould
Henry Anton Haenseler
Clyde Hodge
Paul Hodge
Frankie Mae Huber
Lucile Edith Hunt
James Louis Johnson
Lillie May Johnson
Alvin Kelly
Stewart Lawwill
John Donald Lockwood
Georgia Louise Mason
Ruth McFarland
Thomas Henry McMillan
Indra Loder McTeer
Goldie Estelle Miller
Joe William Nicholson
Margaret Clemmer Nicholson
Eulalie Florence Noland
Sara Elizabeth Patton
Fred Prentice
Mary Range
Winnie Alma Reeves
Dorothy Vivian Rice
Rowena Aanjoulyne Sauls
Ocy Venna Schoff
Henson Worthington Schoolfield
Jesse Milton Shaver
John Ross Scott
Avis Shelton
Grace Anita Sheridan
Thomas Clarence Solomon
DeForest Spencer
Ruth Marion Stegall
Caldwell Elliot Thweatt
Mary Jane Trimbey
Nellie Wise Turner
Vina Wade
Bessie Emma White
Esther Marguerite Wilson
Dedication of the Tennessee Historical Marker for Central on Dodds Avenue
The date, time, and location for the Dedication have been finalized:
Date: Saturday August 4, 2012
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: McCallie Soccer Field
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.
Thanks to Buffy Hoge, ’74
Received the Adobe Acrobat X Pro software today from Buffy. This is the first contribution to the Preservation of Central History Fund (45-4405845) which has been set up to support preservation efforts such as this website. This software will contribute immensely to our preservation efforts.
Other alumni and interested parties my contribute by a check payable to Preservation of Central History Fund sent to Bob Johnson, 8909 180th Street Court East, Puyallup, WA 98375. Bob is a graduate of the Class of ’65.
Preservation of Chattanooga Central History 