Establishment and Aims
by H. L. McCleskey
A good many years before the war
between the Stats, grounds were secured and buildings erected for
what was for years afterward known as the Fayette Female Academy.
For years after the war it was successfully run under different
managements, but there came a time when the large brick building was
practically tenant less. Years passed on and the County of Jefferson
came into possession of the property. Men interested in higher
education for the youth of Jefferson County were successful In
having the Legislature of Mississippi, at the session of 1898, pass
an act establishing The Jefferson County High School, to be
domiciled in the historic old buildings of the erstwhile Fayette
Female Academy, and authorizing the county to levy tax sufficient to
support the school as an institution of higher education and to keep
the buildings in good repair. The Board of Supervisors of the County
made the necessary levy, appointed a Board of Trustees to have
complete management of the school, and the first session opened in
September, 1898. with Prof. W. J. Taylor, superintendent, at the
head Of a good faculty. He remained at the head of the school for
three years, and was succeeded by Wm. A. Barrett. the latter holding
for only one session and being succeeded by Prof. Jas. W. Bell, who
resigned at the end of one session to accept a chair in the
University of Mississippi.
The sixth session opened Sept..
14, 1903, with H. L. McCleskey as superintendent assisted by a
splendid corps of teachers as follows: Mrs. Mary A. Newman,
Mathematics and History. Miss Annie E. Turner, English and
Geography. Miss Kate Mayhew, Hall teacher. Miss Anabel McIntosh,
Primary. Mrs. Pearle C. Jenkins, Instrumental Music.
To
these, owing to the generosity of the county, there were added in
December, 1903, Miss Susie Richmond, Bookkeeping, Stenography,
Typewriting; and Miss Bessie J. Braden, Elocution. At the Annual
Meeting of the Trustees in April last, all of the above teachers
were elected to serve another session.
From the foregoing
account it would appear that this school is, in its establishment
and position, different from other schools of like grade. This is
true; there being, so far as I know, no other county that maintains
a high school, certainly not another one in Mississippi.
The
aims of the institution are to be the head of educational movements
in Jefferson County, to give a course of instruction that will
prepare one for life and its practical duties, and to prepare for
the universities those who want to pursue their studies further.
To do this the school is becoming articulated with all the
schools in the county by having them conform as much as possible to
its grading, so that the pupils from those schools may enter the
High School here without loss of time or grades. This is being done
by the hearty co-operation of our County Superintendent of
Education, and by the various teachers of the county working through
the Jefferson County Teachers’ Association.
Our course of
study is advanced and thorough enough to prepare pupils for the
active duties of life or for entrance into the University of
Mississippi or Tulane University of Louisiana with out further
examination.
All these advantages are free to the children of
Jefferson County. They have to pay a moderate rate for board in the
dormitory or in town, but outside of this, their expense is no more
than it would be at home. The school is growing in popularity, as is
shown by the splendid enrollment this year - 181. This is 30 more
than were enrolled last year.
The school is not now supported
entirely by the county, as it was originally, but by a tax on a
separate school district, which includes the territory surrounding
Fayette; this tax being supplemented by liberal appropriations by
the county for repairs and for the support of special branches of
work in the school.
The high proper consists of three grades—
eighth, ninth and tenth. The Course of study completes Elementary
Physics, - Higher Algebra, through Quadratics, four books of Caesar,
three. Orations of Cicero, General History, Plane and Solid
Geometry, Physical Geography, Rhetoric, and does a great deal of
work in the English Classics, and a course in Botany is projected
for next session. The following letter is indicative of the schools
high standing:
President’s Office
The Tulane University of
Louisiana
New Orleans, 21st April, 1904
Mr. H. L.
McCleskey, Superintendent
Jefferson County High School
Fayette, MS
My Dear Sir:
Please accept my sincere
thanks for your kindness in sending the list of the graduating class
of the Jefferson County High School, which was received some time
ago.
Graduates of the Jefferson County High School, as one of
our affiliated schools, are admitted to our freshman class without
examination. I am enclosing a few certificates to be used. This
certificate, signed by you, and certifying that the student has
followed the course of study and passed successfully the required
examinations, will entitle such student to admission to the
appropriate course in our College of Arts and Sciences or of
Technology without further examination.
On pp. 101, 102 of
the catalog sent you a few days ago, will be found the regulations
relative to Honor Scholarships. One such scholarship is open to the
graduates of Jefferson County High School present session.
We
sincerely hope that we will have one or more representatives from
the Jefferson County High School next session.
Trusting that
you have had a successful year, I am very truly yours,
Edwin
A. Alderman, President