The following information has been compiled from a number of sources, most of which were supplied by Dorothy Harrison. Thanks Dorothy!
The Ladonia Colored public school, which was located west of town where the K of P Hall later stood, was organized in 1888. According to a history of the school compiled by Mrs. Allie Preston Ganaway, Mr. E. S. Clark erected this first colored school in Ladonia, investing his own money and buildling the schoolhouse at the end of North Wilson Street. He went to the county superintendent for permission to have the school. He enrolled more than seventy children the first year. Later the school was moved to the east part of town. The class was later taught by Miss Iceola Brown in 1936-1942, who maintained the improvement of the school. Students included Clemied McFarland, Gloria Stones,, Millie Jo Solomon and Gransville and George King. She taught until the school was moved back to the west part of town. The later school building was built with a grant by Julius Rosenwald. The school was then named the Rosenwald School. The faculty at that time was: Mrs. A. M. Dickerson; Mrs. Stennett, intermediate; Miss Allie Blair - A.P.A.; Mr. R. D. Preston - athletics; H. G. Smith, principal.
Grady Chapel, Willow Grove and New Harmony were also early learning centers for the Afro-American students of the area. Grady Chapel served as an elementary school as well as a high school. The site was in a field across from the homesite of Lawerence Pickard in Pecan Gap. Alfred Conley served as superintendent. Some of the teachers were Mrs. Mary Foster and Mrs. June Potts. Willie James (Sonny) Bagby helped out at the school as an aide to the teachers. Some of the students attending were: Velma Sears, Roy and Billy Joe McCoy, the Walford children, the Carsons, Mary Ann & Betty Jo Maxwell, Velma and Genie Gilmore, Aurdrey Bizzell, the Williams family, which included twin girls Bessie and Lessie. The school opened in 1944 and closed in 1955. The building was re-located to Ladonia and used as the Home Economics building at Clark where Mrs. Essie Adams was the instructor. Others attending Grady were Effie Dilliard, Richard Beamer and the Hearn family.
Willow Grove - INFORMATION NEEDED. Among those attending were Sgt Rathell, Mc and Luster Shelton, Roy Lee Pruitt, Artis Pruitt, James Allan lee, Willie Lee Blair, Elbert Lee (Bud) Brown, Jim Henry Palmer and Clarence Christian Jr.
The Ladonia Colored School first became an accredited high school in the year 1946. The faculty at that time was: J. W. Askew; Alllie Preston; Gladys Walker; Idonia Kennedy; E. I. Barnes; Seletha Spighner; Bernise Palmer. The first graduating class was: Glodine Crowley (Thomas), Thelma Jean Stephens, Janie J. Robertson (Grayson) and Howard Hatcher. The first boys' basketball team was: Will Jones, Jr., Will John Fuller, Elijah Roberson, Howard Hatcher, Jimmy Carson, Charles Pruitt, Charles Stephens, Phenix Ross, Cecil Hatcher, A. V. Shaw and William Pruitt. This team was coached by Mr. J. W. Askew.
The first girls' basketball team consisted of these young ladies: Janice Roberson, Ola Mae McBeth, Odessa Jones, Nannie Lou Shaw, Vallie Mae Gray, Allie Faye McBeth, Mary Adams, Ozzie Lee Coldwell, Elveria Gray, Glodine and Faye Bell Crowley, Martha Payne, Reba Gray, Clarice Pruitt and Thelma Jean Stephens. The cheerleaders were Edna Myrl Stephesn, Norma Dell Harris, Johnnie Mae Traylor, Cloteal Griffith and the mascots were as follows: Thelma Jo Hervey and Thelma Jean Hilburn.
The Clark High School Leopards basketball team brought fame to the area, becoming a powerhouse team of the State Playoff Champions in 1958 under the tutelage of Coach H. G. Champion. The mighty Leopard hoopsters went on to the State Playoffs for two more years in 1959-60 under the coaching of J. D. Johnson. Among the many players on those teams were James Patterson, O. T. Brown, Roger Morgan, Jim Allen Brown, Donald Ray Adams, Harold Hubbard, Alton Crumb, W. M. Walford, Kenneth Herron, Michael Adams, and Claborn Jackson.
Clark School came to a close during the desegregation moves of the 1960's, and the last class to graduate from Clark High was the Class of 1966. Consolidation with Fannindel Schools was completed the following September, and the first former Clark students to graduate at Fannindel were members of the 1967 FHS Senior Class.
Clark High, Ladonia
1963
Glenda Ceasar
Douglas Crowley
Vernell Evans
Maurice Lewis
Carolyn Lewis
Thurman Jackson
Maryann Maxwell
William Jackson
Elnora Smith
Larry Smith
Wayne Sweet
Verdell Pruitt
Virginia Hart
1965
Jerry Don Brown
Bobby L. Ceasar
Mansfield Carr
Patricia Doyle
Roy Lee Holloway
Lois Jean Morgan
Harvey Manjane
Sarah A. Jackson
Delmar J. Traylor
Barbara Williams
Decatur Evans
1966
(last Clark graduating class)
Francine Askew
Jerry Brown
Ollie L. Brown
Mansfield Carr
Bobby Ceaser
Patricia Doyle
Joan Evans
Marva Fuller
Roy Holloway
Charles Hooker
Sarah Jackson
Harvey Manjane
Jesse W. McKinney
Lois Morgan
Marvin Pruitt
J. W. Scott
Billy Smith
Harold Woods
Joyce M. Wright
Clark High School Educators
Mrs. Essie Adams, Mrs. Idonia Kennedy Askew, Professor J. W. Askew, Ms. E. J. Barnes, Mr. A. W. Barr, Mrs. Arlene Barnes Brooks, Mrs. Thyra Cooksie Pease Brown, Mr. H. G. Champion, Mrs. Annie Mae Dixon, Mrs. Elizabeth Dejournett, Miss Yvonne Ewell, Mary Nell Wheeler Foston, Mrs. Allie Blair Preston Ganaway, Mrs. Violet Potts Garrett, Mrs. Myrna Stewart Gilstrap, Judge Kenneth Herron, Mrs. Evelyn Jackson, Mrs. Erma Johnson, Mr. James D. Johnson, Mrs. Lillian Jones, Mrs. Nina Jones, Mrs. Eleanor King; Mr. O. O. Luper, Mrs. Glady Walker Burcher Marbrey, Mr. Marvin Ruth Martin, Mrs. McRuffin, Mrs. Lucille Parker, Mrs. C. Polk, Ms. Pratt, Mr. R. D. Preston, Mrs. Bernice Palmer Reed, Mrs. Ruth Walker Robinson, Miss Nannie Lou Shaw, Mr. Gerald Singleton, Mr. A. T. Solomon, Ms. S. E. Spigner, Ms. Stenette, Mr. Roy Watson, Mrs. Iceola Wheeler, Mr. Jimmie O. Williams, Mrs. Linnie Wright.
See Additional Clark School photos.
The following is a list of Clark High students.
Please let us know if you have additions or corrections to this list.
1946
Howard W. Hatcher
Janice James Roberson (Grayson)
Thelma Jean Stephens
Glodine Crowley (Thomas)
1947
Billy Joe King
A. V. Shaw
Bill Fuller
Charles Stephens
William Pruitt
1948-49
Clarice Pruitt
Gene Patterson
Charles Patterson
Elvira Spencer
Marlene Johnson
Vallie M. Gray
Erma Jean Roberts
Robert Lee Roberts
Christene Gray
Bobbie Johnson
1950
Earnestine Shaw
Delbert Crowley
James H. Palmer
Hoyt Fuller
Eula Crowley
Emma Crowley
Berniece Askew
George R. McFarland
Neal Fuller
Ralph Fuller
George King
Charles Pruitt
James Crowley
Louise Askew
Alga Crowley
195?
Robert Lee Roberts
Essie Pruitt
Earnestine Shaw
Earnest Collins
Homer Dinkins
Berbara Stevens
Cecil Pruitt, Jr.
Roscoe McBeth
J. W. Wyatt
John Andy Simms
Charles Wyatt
Nanie L. Shaw
Hubert Maloney
Ralphel Shelton
Joe L. Johnson
Carrie Crosby
1959
Michael Adams
Jim Allen Brown
O. T. Brown
Cherry L. Bean
Bobbie Cooksie
Ona Elizabeth King
Pearlene Hubbard
Sammy Walker
Sonny Walker
Dorothy Adams
Lorene Brown
Jada M. Patterson
Billy W. Lewis
James Patterson
Betty Jean McBeth
Jerry Shaw
Christene Scott
Roger Morgan
1960
Donald Adams
James O. McBeth
Thomas Lewis
Eyvonne Hart
Elnora Hubbard
Betty Woods
Charles Doyle
Doris Scott
Ralph Dinkens
Roy Lee Ceasar
Thomas Sweet
Dorothy Herron
Claudie Williams
Wayne Scott
Betty McBeth
Polly R. Dinkins
Katie Scott
Harold Ray Dinkins
1962
Johnny H. King
Velma Gilmore
Charles H. King
Douglas Roberson
Dorothy Raye Jackson
Elma Scott
Norene King
James King
Robert Scott
Johnny Frank Sweet
Willie Gene Johnson
Lorrie J. Askew
Elizabeth Sears
Jake Spencer