THOMASVILLE — Magnolia High School existed for 12 years — 1958 through 1970 — but the students who passed through its halls went on to be doctors, engineers and even the president of a university.
Last weekend, alumni of the segregated school saluted their classmates and teachers with an induction ceremony for three halls of fame — one for teachers, one for athletics and one for academics.
William “Billy” Simmons, president of the alumni association, said the July 27 ceremony was a culmination of 2-1/2 years of research that began when he tried to compile a history of the school, which he graduated from in 1970. Many records were lost or destroyed after the school closed and Black students were integrated into the county’s other high school.
“The school in 12 short years produced phenomenal talent,” Simmons said.
He credited much of the graduates’ success to the passion of Johnnie Jones, the only principal the school ever had.
“When we left school we were prepared to compete on the world stage,” Simmons said, “because he taught us to compete on the world stage.”
Jones was the first inductee into the new Magnolia High School Teachers Hall of Fame. His daughter, Gwendolyn Jones-West, who graduated from the school in 1967, accepted the certificate in her late father’s honor.
In her acceptance speech, West recalled the school her father helped to found. “It was a community in its truest sense,” she said. “… Once your feet touched the hallowed ground, your life was never the same.”
The ceremony inducted more than 300 people into halls of fame for teachers, athletics and academics. Simmons said it would have been reasonable to have done one at a time, but so many of the former teachers and students are up in age, infirm or have already died. He said only eight teachers remain.
“We’ve got people already 85 years old,” he said. “Trying to push this off another year, I just couldn’t see it.”
Everyone who taught at the school was inducted to the Teachers Hall of Fame.
Inductees to the Athletic Hall of Fame were recommended by classmates. Anyone with more than two or three recommendations was accepted, Simmons said, because there are so few classmates left to recommend people, especially from the school’s earlier years.
The Academic Hall of Fame consists of honor students or members of the National Honor Society, at least as far as records of their accomplishments could be found. In some cases, surviving classmates had to remember who the class’s top students were because the records were gone.
All three halls of fame are located in the Chappelle Building on Thomas University’s Magnolia Campus, which sits where Magnolia High School once stood.
Teachers Hall of Fame
Inductees to the Magnolia High School Teachers Hall of Fame included:
— Lena Abrams, home economics; Lenoris Abrams, agriculture and girls basketball coach; Dennie (Bussey) Adams, mathematics; Marvin Anderson, English; Ossie Ash, home economics; Jacqueline Bell, English; Clinton Bowie, science.
— Meta Brown, English; Florence Burns, science and girls basketball coach; Fannie Campbell, mathematics; Grace Chambras, English; Vemaris Clyatt, French; Charity (Jones) Conner, mathematics; Eugene Conner, health and physical education, head baseball coach and football coach; John Cotton, health and physical education, basketball and football coach.
— A.B. Crutcher, social studies; Mildred Daniels, social studies; Pauline Daniels, English; John I. Davis, health and physical education, basketball, track and football coach; O. Elford, English; William Forrest, music and band; James Gear, music and band; Osceola Green, guidance counselor.
— James Greene, science; Floyd Guice Jr., English; Rev. U.A. Hammonds, science and math; Idaline Hankerson, home economics; Wendolyn Harding, music and chorus; William Harding, guidance counselor and football coach; Willie Hill, guidance counselor; Johnnie J. Jones, principal.
— Geraldine Kendricks, English and French; Dorothy Lewis, social studies; Rev. John H. Malone, business education; John Moran, English; Carrie Phelps, library and science; Matthew Phillips, science; Robert Pritchett, health and physical education and basketball, track and football coach; Willie Redfield, music and band.
— Mack E. Robinson, science; Margaret Sanders, history and social studies; John Smith, English; Castle Thomas, English and French; Pearline Thompson, librarian; Virginia Thompson, history and social studies; Francis Trutlin, mathematics; Helen Trutlin, mathematics.
— Hallard Walden, music and band; Charlie Ward Sr., social studies, civics and head football coach; Thomas Washington, agriculture; Earl Williams, assistant principal; Morris Williams, science; James Woods, health and physical education and football and basketball coach; and Jeanie Woods, vocational education.
Athletic Hall of Fame
Inductees to the Magnolia High School Athletic Hall of Fame included:
— Wendell Adams, 1963, football, basketball; William Alexander, 1962, football; Alvin Anderson, 1970, football; Samuel “Sam” Anderson, 1963, football, basketball; Azell Andrews, 1970, football; Mary Bevard, 1969, basketball.
— Artis Bradley, 1966, football; Hattie Bradley, 1970, basketball; Jack Brown, 1963, football; Joe Burns, 1973, football, basketball; George Calloway, 1966, football; Thomas Campbell, 1961, football, track.
— Frank Ceasar, 1970, football; Diane Choice, 1970, basketball; Clarence Christopher, 1972, baseball; Herbert Christopher, 1970, football, baseball; Leroy Christopher, 1962, football, baseball; Frankie Clark, 1969, basketball.
— Thomas Clark, 1968, track; Jerome Cleveland, 1972, football; Ralph Conner, 1962, basketball, baseball; Ralph Cummings, 1959, baseball, basketball; Ruby Daniels, 1959, basketball; Remer Davis, 1969, football.
— Jasper Drew, 1970, football, baseball; Roy Ford, 1968, football, basketball; Jo Ann Frazier, 1962, basketball; Jeremiah Fuller, 1968, football; Matthew Gibbs, 1970, football; James Glenn, 1966, baseball.
— Willie Govenor, 1965, basketball; Walter Guyton, 1971, baseball, football; Carolyn Hadley, 1964, basketball; George Hadley, 1960, basketball; Luther Hadley, 1968, track; James Hill, 1959, basketball.
— Marian Hill, 1961, basketball; William Hill, 1958, basketball; Garry Haggins, 1970, basketball; Adam Hopkins, 1971, football; Flossie Ivey, 1970, basketball; Theo Ivey, 1970, basketball.
— Johnny Jackson, 1966, football; Shirley Jackson, 1970, basketball; Raymond Johnson, 1965, football, baseball; Robert Johnson, 1973, basketball; Rosetta Johnson, 1968, basketball; Virgil Joiner, 1966, football.
— Willie D. Larkin, 1969, football, track; Linda Law, 1969, basketball, track; Herbert McCall, 1969, football; Belinda McClain, 1970, basketball; Nathaniel McClain, 1969, football, basketball; Forrest Monroe, 1961, football.
— Rodrick Monroe, 1968, football; Terry Monroe, 1968, football, track; Solomon Moore, 1970, baseball; Ernest Nellon, 1962, football; Joseph Newkirk, 1970, track; Ray Newkirk, 1970, football, track.
— Marvin Pickett, 1971, football; Willie Rankins, 1969, basketball; Bernard Ross, 1972, football, baseball; Charlie Ross, 1966, baseball; Fred Ross, 1970, football; Evelyn Sadler, 1967, basketball.
— Mercedes Sanders, 1968, basketball; William (Billy) Simmons, 1970, football, baseball; Frank Smith, 1970, basketball; Lula Smith, 1963, basketball; William Smith, 1965, baseball; Christine Taylor, 1969, basketball, track.
— Elizabeth Taylor, 1965, basketball; Gloria Taylor, 1968, basketball; Herbert Taylor, 1966, football; Mary Taylor, 1964, basketball; Donnie Thomas, 1970, basketball; Willie Trotter, 1962, football, basketball.
— Ernest Wade, 1962, football, baseball; Roger Walker, 1964, football, basketball; Willie Watts, 1960, football; Calvin Wilbur, 1970, basketball, football; Ben Williams, 1965, football; Ellis D. Williams, 1963, basketball, baseball.
— Jimmy Williams, 1966, football; Shirley Williams, 1969, basketball, track; Solomon Williams, 1969, football; Carey Willis, 1970, football; Albert Wilson, 1970, football, basketball; Marvin Wright, 1969, football, basketball; Johnny Yearby, 1969, football, basketball.
Academic Hall of Fame
Inductees to the Magnolia High School Academic Hall of Fame included:
— Roosevelt Allen, 1963; Lottye Anderson, 1966; David Brooks, 1961; Preston R. Bartee, 1967; Ralph Beard, 1964; Marcia Belle, 1963; Arunita Brooks, 1968; Burdel Brooks, 1958; Johnny Brooks, 1970.
— Mamie Brooks, 1969; Phillip Brooks, 1958; Willie Brooks, 1965; Betty Brown, 1958; Jack Brown, 1963; Lillie Brown, 1962; Mable Brown, 1966; Ruthie Brown, 1969; Martha Bryant, 1958; Samuel Bryant, 1966.
— Nathaniel Burns, 1961; Gwendolyn C. Cain, 1967; Julia Carr, 1966; Lorene Carr, 1967; Clanzell Carter, 1967; Iris Carter, 1970; Susie Carter, 1962; Herbert Christopher, 1970; David Clark, 1958; Ruth Clark, 1963.
— LeRoy Conner, 1959; Annie Jewell Conner, 1958; James Cox, 1963; Beverly Cummings, 1969; Francena Cummings, 1960; Ralph Cummings, 1962; Almeda Daniels, 1962; Earl Daniels, 1958; Mildred Daniels, 1965; Pauline Daniels, 1960.
— Ruby Daniels, 1959; Roscoe Daphney, 1964; Jasper Drew, 1970; Mamie Fedrick, 1968; Mable Fedrick, 1969; Robbie Fedrick, 1964; Roscoe Fedrick, 1970; Dorothy Felder, 1962; Carolyn Ford, 1970; Emma Frazier, 1961.
— Susie M. Gilbert, 1967; Georgia Glenn, 1965; Harry Glenn, 1961; Kathleen Glenn, 1968; Livington Glenn, 1958; John Graham, 1965; Jeanette Greene, 1965; Beatrice Hadley, 1967; Carolyn Hadley, 1964; Christine Hadley, 1969.
— Issac S. Hadley, 1967; Randolph Hadley, 1960; William Hadley, 1962; Elizabeth Hardy, 1967; Edith Harrison, 1970; Eula Mae Harrold, 1958; Barbara Hayward, 1970; Carlton Herring, 1964; Carol Hill, 1961; James Hill, 1959.
— Janice Hill, 1966; Jo Ann Hill, 1970; John Nathan Hill, 1965; Katie Hill, 1968; Marian Hill, 1961; Nathan Hill, 1965; Robert Hill, 1961; William Hill, 1958; Mary Hopkins, 1969; Annie P. Horne, 1966.
— Carolyn Houston, 1970; David Houston, 1958; Johnnie Howard, 1958; Zeola Hunter, 1970; Daniel Ivey, 1965; Flossie Ivey, 1970; Theo Ivey, 1970; Jeanette Jackson, 1966; Willie Rene Jackson, 1963; Roberta James, 1968.
— Jeanette Johnson, 1967; Lillian Johnson, 1966; Rosetta Johnson, 1968; Gwendolyn Jones, 1967; Ruby Jones, 1962; Willie Larkin, 1969; Linda Law, 1969; Mittie Leaphart, 1958; Josephine Lovejoy, 1962; Lois P. Lumpkin, 1967.
— James Mays, 1966; Esther McCall, 1963; Herbert McCall, 1969; Dorothy McCray, 1968; William McWhite, 1961; Barbara Mickens, 1965; James Mitchell, 1964; Merita Mitchell, 1967; Freddie Monroe, 1964; Georgia Monroe, 1961.
— Solomon Moore, 1970; Patricia Mosley, 1968; Emma Newkirk, 1965; Willie M. Newkirk, 1963; Julia Nixon, 1962; Ravon Nobel, 1958; Mack Parker, 1962; Genesis Pittman, 1964; Gussie Pittman, 1968; Theodora Ponder, 1969.
— Leroy Rankin, 1964; Margie Rauls, 1962; Sherrie Rauls, 1961; Jackie Rich, 1962; Majorie Rich, 1964; Mary Rich, 1966; Rhunette Robinson, 1968; Rebecca Rollins, 1963; Fred Ross, 1970; Evelyn Sadler, 1967.
— Jacqulyn Saunders, 1969; Charlie Scott, 1969; Ellis Simmons, 1966; Horace Simmons, 1965; Jessie Simmons, 1958; William Simmons, 1970; Susie Smith, 1962; Thelma Smith, 1970; Shirley Spencer, 1961; Dorothy Taylor, 1970.
— Gloria Taylor, 1968; Willie Thigpen, 1970; Mary Thompson, 1965; Sandra Thompson, 1967; Betty Tillman, 1969; Hardy Tillman, 1962; Rosa Tillman, 1958; Ernest Wade, 1962; Ester Walden, 1967; Betty Ward, 1963.
— Geneva Ward, 1963; Brenda Washington, 1969; Sundra Washington, 1969; Willie Washington, 1958; Elnora Wiggs, 1967; Ben Williams, 1965; Billy Williams, 1958; Charlene Williams, 1965; Ralph Williams, 1963; Ralph Williams, 1964;
— Sammy Williams, 1965; Shirley Williams, 1969; Agnes Woodruff, 1961; Roscoe Woodruff, 1967; Johnny Yearby, 1969.