yesterday's tennessee

LEXINGTON HIGH SCHOOL HISTORICAL EXHIBIT - 1994

April 13, 1994
Lexington Progress
LHS Historical Exhibit opens Sunday, April 24

The Lexington High School Open House and Historical Exhibit on Sunday, April 24 from 2-4 p.m. will open a treasury of local history in pictures and displays, along with music, refreshments and fellowship.

Class composite pictures from 1944 to 1973 have been restored and will officially debut at the open house. Also on exhibit will be many class pictures of early years, portraits of all nine LHS principals, class directories, annuals and other school memorabilia. The public will have a rare opportunity to view the Bobbitt scrapbooks that chronicle years of education in Henderson County.

There will be refreshments and door prizes. Each visitor will receive a commemorative fan showing original line drawings by Priscilla Stanford of historical LHS buildings.

The pictorial history on display has been approved as an official Henderson County project of the TENNESSEE 200 Bicentennial Celebration.

The following is an insightful perspective by W.L. "Dick" Barry (Class of 43) on LHS history and the upcoming exhibit:

Lexington High School Pictorial History Open House, April 24, 1994

"It is a pleasure to commend to the public this remarkable and fascinating assortment of materials compiled by Mrs. Brenda Kirk Fiddler, whose painstaking research from limited sources is admirable. This study covers the period from 1909 to 1973 with frequent references to earlier and later times.

"This is a story of certain teachers who, for little financial reward, provided a secondary education for boys and girls of modest background over a long period of years.

"One of these teachers was J.O. Brown; principal from 1909 to 1929. During his career Mr. Brown earned the respect of many who had never before favored or supported the principle of a systematic public school education. At his side and as his successor stood Luther Bobbitt, who was principal of Lexington High School from 1930 to 1962. Basically this is the corollary history of the two men. To quote from the text: Mr. Brown and Mr. Bobbitt, the first and second principals, were men of outstanding character and this quality they tried to instill into the lives of their pupils.' No more accurate statement was ever made to support this fact as the survivors of thousands of students will attest.

"Only a few years before their time, the curse of ignorance, a consequence of unsettled conditions and general indifference, prevailed and was difficult to confront and overcome. Much has been achieved but vestiges of this awful legacy remain with us still.

"When Mr. Brown assumed the principalship, a relatively small percentage of children received a secondary education at all note the few in high school classes in those days - unless a tutor was employed or a private school attended for a price. When Mr. Bobbitt retired fifty years later a quality public education through the 12th grade was available to all, though certain other problems had developed and multiplied.

"Here we have pictures and history of the various buildings in which the schools were housed; random but rare pertinent excerpts from old newspapers, photographs of classes, a comprehensive history of Montgomery High School (a former all-black institution); extensive press accounts of athletic and other activities and many other interesting features.

"Experience has taught us that only reason, refined by education can eventually banish ancient superstitions which have so long blighted and retarded man's progress. This is a story of how one small county, long ago, started to accomplish just that.

"There was in those days a rigid and wretched mindset which would have frozen new generations to the blindness of the past. This is the saga of men and women who fought

with the weapons of learning against the darkness of the night.

"Many of those noted in these pages have vanished from the Earth; some we remember warmly; others we never knew. With all we share a legacy rich and proud, and we hope their descendants will enjoy opportunities which their efforts made possible in years long past and gone."

April 20, 1994
Lexington Progress

Lexington High Open House, a treasure of historical items

Henderson Countians will marvel at the historical treasures on display at Sunday's Lexington High School Open House and Historical Exhibit.

The event is 2-4 p.m. at the high school. Music will be provided by Angie Baker, vocalist; Don Mason, violinist and Tony Bedwell, pianist. Refreshments will be served, door prizes will be given and it may provide an opportunity to meet with some former classmates and friends.

But the main features of the event are the collection and exhibit of rare Lexington, Lexington High School and Henderson County historical treasures. Months of in-depth research and collection have gone into the exhibit. Brenda Kirk Fiddler has poured hours on end into the project, compiling research and collecting photos and other items of interest. For any Henderson Countian, past or present, with the slightest interest in history, it is a must-see.

The pictorial history on display has been approved as an official Henderson County project of the TENNESSEE 200 Bicentennial Celebration.

Lexington photographer William Arnold (LHS Class of 1933) has dug into his files of over 50 years of photo negatives and produced some rare views into the past of the school, city and county. A great number of the photographs were printed from the original negatives. All of the LHS Principal's photos are from original negatives except the one of J.O. Brown, the first principal. Arnold photographed annuals, students and events at LHS for over 40 years, starting in 1947.

Each visitor will receive a commemorative fan showing original line drawings by Priscilla Stanford of historical LHS buildings. Class composite pictures from 1944 to 1973 have been restored and are on display along with many class pictures of early years, principal's portraits, class directories, annuals, and other school memorabilia. The public will have a rare opportunity to view the Bobbitt scrapbooks that chronicle the history of education here.

One 11 by 14 photo of the LHS building that served from 1928 to 1979 was taken in November 1948 and shows a scene that will be remembered by many. What may have been forgotten is the antique styles of the school buses in the pictures foreground.

Another large photo is of the LHS building that only stood for seven years, from 1920 to 1927, before it burned. Mr. Arnold, as a pre-teen, cleaned brick from the old building for 5 cents per hundred and many of the bricks were used to build the replacement.

The caption below the 1920-1927 building photo states, in part, "Located on the present site, the three-story school was praised at the 1925 Commencement: We have gone from one unsanitary, cold, smoky building to a magnificent, well-ventilated, well-heated and up-to-date modern school building'."

With the photo of LHS building 1928-1979, the following information is provided:

"This school, on the present site, inspired Miss Ivy Holland to write the Lexington High School Alma Mater' in 1936.

"On our city's northern border,
Reared against the sky,
Proudly stands our Alma Mater
As the years go by.

"Forward ever be our watchword:
Conquer and prevail!
Hail to thee our Alma Mater,
Lexington High All Hail!"

Following are some interesting "Then and Now" information compiled by Brenda Kirk Fiddler:

Lexington High School was established as a public high school in 1909, and now 85 years later, as we move toward the twenty-first century, we take measure of where we have been and where we are going. Now, as then, we share a common goal: To provide an excellent education for the youth of Henderson County.

In 1901, a good free school for all grades was recongized as being the greatest need of Lexington. "With this we may hope to increase our population and wealth. Without this we will hardly hold our own."

In the fall of 1909, 230 students in all grades registered at Lexington Training School and Henderson County High School, a public school. "Our building is new, commodious and comfortable, our school head as capable a man as can be found (Prof. J.O. Brown) and his corps of teachers equal to any that can be secured." Students could choose from three courses of study: Latin, Commercial, and Scientific/English.

In 1994, Lexington High School with an enrollment of 1,035 students has a beautiful campus, well-equipped buildings, and a comprehensive curriculum directed by Principal Steve Wilkinson and a capable, certified faculty.

Then and Now

Lexington population: 1910-1,500; 1990- 5,810.

Henderson County population: 1910-17,030; 1994: 21,844.

Henderson County Schools: 1913 - Approximately 85 schools. 1994 - Nine schools.

Henderson County teachers: 1913 - Approximately 100 teachers. 1994 - 205 teachers.

The first class, in 1909, had four students. There were no graduating classes in 1910 and 1911. The class of 1912 had nine students. In 1994, there are 194 students in the class.

In 1908-1909, there were six members of the faculty of Lexington High School and Elementary School. In 1994, there are 98 staff and faculty members at LHS.

Note: The historical photographs and composite class photographs remain on permanent display in the lobby of Lexington High School and may be viewed during regular school hours.

Photographs from the Open House

Commemorative Fan