View
article about a Clark School Reunion
View
1961 Graduation Article
1955
Graduation Photograph
Clark School by Dorothy Gaffney Harrison
Clark School
has a long and glorious history and was a second home to hundreds of students
from the Ladonia area. It included grades 1 through 12.
The school
was organized by, and named for Mr. E.S. Clark in 1888. Mr. Clark invested
his own money and built the school house near its last location at the
end of North Wilson Street.
The colored
school has grown like the Ladonia School into a splendid school with two
teachers, having eighth and ninth grades, housed in one of the best colored
school buildings in this part of the state. This original Big building
of Clark School was made possible in 1923 when $1,000 was received from
the Rosenwald Fund, donated by Julius Rosenwald as a result of an application
by Ladonia Supt. T.D. Mayo.
The other
building; the Homemaking came from Pecan Gap, six miles from Ladonia, the
King building was also donated to the campus. The lunch room was built
new after the old building was destroyed by fire.
Instructors
at Clark School from the Ladonia area included; J.W.Askey (Principal) who
came to Clark in 1944. Others included Allie Preston Gannaway, Thyra Cooksie
Brown, Linnie Wright, Essie Adams, Bernice Palmer, Ms. DeJournal, Idonia
Kennedy Askey, Stigner, Walker and Barnes. Clark School applied to the
state to become an accredited High School in 1945.
Mr. Askew
was the only principal of Clark after it became a High School. Prior principals
were: Ms. Annie Dickson, and Prof. Smith.
The High
School was finally accredited by the State of Texas in 1946, and the class
of 46-47 became the first fully accredited high school graduates. Four
students received diplomas that year. They are; Howard Hatcher, Janie James
Roberson Grayson, Thelma Jean Stephens, and Glodine Crowley Thomas.
Clark School
came to a close during desegregation moves of the 1960's and the last class
to graduate was the class of 1966.
Consolidation
with Fannindel was completed the following September, and the first former
Clark students to graduate at Fannindel were members of the 1967 Fannindel
High School senior class.
The Clark
High School Leopards basketball team brought fame to the area, becoming
a powerhouse in 1958 under coach Harry Champion. Mr. Champion later moved
to Commerce and serves as the Justice of the Peace in Hunt County. The
mighty Leopards went on to the state playoff's for two more years in 1959-1960
under the coaching of James Johnson.
Two members
of the 1966 class became instructors at Fannindel, they are, Jesse McKinney,
and Joyce Wright-Akins.
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