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Kay Cunningham
MINOR ADDITIONS AND
IMPROVEMENTS. After Superintendent A. C. Ferguson resigned, May 5, 1925, and went
to Commerce, Texas, first as dean, then
as president, of East Texas State Teachers College, H. J. McIlhany became
superintendent. He had previously been principal of Marlin High School.
Popularly known as "Mr. Mac," Superintendent McIlhany was an able
administrator and exemplary citizen and Marlin's schools continued their upward
march, especially in band and choral club work and athletics, foundations of
which had been firmly laid.
Within months, the board of trustees
authorized to
purchase and have installed fire escapes
on the elementary school building at a cost not to exceed $1,000. Over-crowding
and needs of repairs in the Negro schools arose and the board in December,
1926, rented the Provident Baptist Church (Negro) building for classes. Two or
three years later, it became necessary to rent the Negro Masonic Lodge for
classes as the Negro schools continued to grow.
In January 1927, the Parent Teachers
Association (PTA) received thanks from the schools and community for its
leadership in having built a concrete walk from the high school building to
Capps street. The walk was made possible by contributions of school-minded
people under leadership of the Association.
In April of the same year, Superintendent
McIlhany purchased a number of chairs for the auditorium (the schools' first);
also additional band instruments. In 1927, a course in house services was
authorized for the Negro schools "according to a recognized plan,"
the course becoming a part of the curriculum. More equipment was provided for
the auditorium for white children and $235 was spent for stage scenery.
In 1931, the first reference in the
school board minutes to a junior band appears and "A. S. Kelly was
appointed to have charge of the junior band."
GIFT OF AN ATHLETIC FIELD.
In June 1931, a note of paramount importance to the schools and community appeared in the minutes. It referred to the gift to the
schools of an athletic field, located at the southwest corner of the Anders and
Ward streets intersection. The entry is long and involved, but, summed up,
recorded that T. B. (Tom) McQueen of Marlin, an ardent friend of the school and
school athletics, gave an extensive area known as the former Krause Sewall
homestead property to the schools for a football field and other purposes. T.
C. Linthicum, a member of the board of trustees at that time said that, while
members of the board and others were looking over the property and agreeing it
was "an ideal site for an athletic field" and the question arose as to
paying for the land, Mr. McQueen nonchalantly reached into his shirt - bosom,
held out something and said, in words to the effect, "Here's the price of
buying it."
The property was paid for by Mr. McQueen
and promptly named "McQueen Field" in his honor. Soon afterwards,
Trustees L. A. Robinson, G. H. Olinger and Dave Denning were delegated to
purchase an iron fence to enclose the grounds and have it installed. The Parent
Teacher Association assumed leadership in planting a hedge inside and long side
the fence. Planting was done by boys of the school, Future Farmers of America
(FFA), under supervision of J. M. Wilson, vocational agriculture teacher.
In September, 1931, Levi Goodrich,
superintendent of Marlin's waterworks system and city engineer, received thanks
and commendations for his services in getting McQueen Field ready for use. The
resolution was recorded in the minutes of the school board and the field was,
presumedly, used for the first time in the fall of 1931.
In August, 1934, the athletic council of
the school was authorized to purchase and have installed electric lights on the
field. Less than a month later, the board required that only standard, approved
lights be provided-and payment for them should come from receipts for admittances
to events on the field. Dates the lights were first in use, for which event and
for whom were not indicated.
MORE ABOUT McQUEEN FIELD. The following
information about McQueen Field may not be chronological, but is appropriate in
picturing its services and what it has meant to the schools and community. It
provided long-needed facilities for school-related activities and events-and
community affairs. The board was always zealous in protecting the field and
seeing that it is used only for worthwhile, American activities and purposes.
Not long after installation of the lights
on McQueen Field local youth welfare leaders, with visions of service to youth
of the vicinity, sponsored a series of baseball games on the field in which
many people participated. A "Marlin Sunday School Baseball League"
was organized, additional lights installed, payable from modest admission fees,
and series of games were played, some with visiting teams. The school and
community recognized the value of- the activities and late in 1934 the board of
trustees expressed its appreciation and thanks to J. A. Collins, president of
the executive committee of the League;
also for the League's contributions, including added athletic equipment on the
field.
In 1939, use of McQueen Field was
permitted for a public, though delayed, observance of the centennial of Texas
In- dependence of 1836; at other times the field became the locale of horse
shows, public assemblies and so on. It became a "community center,"
its activities restricted only to conform to the dignity of the schools and
community.
In 1950,
the Field was the scene of four consecutive nights of an elaborate pageant,
depicting the history of Falls County, when the county observed the centennial
of its creation in 1850. The pageant was preceded on Sunday by an all -denominations religious and patriotic
service on the field.
On another
occasion, December, 1951, the field was used for the famous “Peewee Milk Bowl
Classic,” a football game between the Red Raiders of Thorndale, Texas, and the
Sequoyah Vocational School of Fahlequah, Oklahoma. All players were limited in
size and age, none weighing more than 100 pounds. The famous "Milk Bowl Classic,"
of which Eugene Weafer of Allen Academy, Bryan, Texas, was public relations
director, was not a Marlin school event, because of scholastic rules, but the
game was suggested by Richard Severson of the Marlin post office at that time
coaching a school team of small boys. Ernest W. Smith, Marlin's assistant
postmaster and president of the Marlin Quarterback Club, took a lead in getting
things started. The classic was arranged and carried through by a committee,
Joe Novich, chairman, Tom Craven, Barnes Adams, John Taylor, Harold Jerichow,
Nick Craig, Mrs. Vernon Jones, Mr. Smith and J. D. Houston. Mr. Houston was
program chairman for the event. The classic attracted nation-wide attention-and
the Oklahomans found the Raiders too tough. The Texans won!
BLEACHERS INSTALLED-SCHOOLS LOSE A
FRIEND. The first bleachers on McQueen Field were completed in 1939 - on the
west side of the field. In 1938 funds were provided in a bond election to
support the Public Works Agency (PW A) program of the federal government.
"Permanent steel bleachers" was the term applied to them by the board
of trustees in outlining the types to be installed. A notation in the board
minutes is self-explanatory: "Whereas the building committee has reported
that, together with Frank Petzold, architect's engineer, and J. C. Norby,
engineer inspector, it did on March 13, 1939, meet at the site of construction
of the bleachers for Marlin Independent School District and, after inspecting
the same, found they were constructed in accordance with plans and
specifications-," the board accepted them as completed.
Minutes do not indicate when, why and by
whom constructed the temporary bleachers on the east side of the field were
installed, but they were there for a number of years. One section was movable
and frequently moved. Following a building program, made possible by a $50,000
bond election in April, 1955, Harry B. Stallworth, Jr., school engineer and
instructor, was directed to remove the temporary bleachers on the east side and
install new ones, purchased from a Waco (Texas) iron works firm. They were
installed in the summer of 1957.
In 1936, the schools lost a devoted
supporter in the demise of T. B. (Tom) McQueen, donor of McQueen Field. News-
papers of December 3, 1936, recorded that the late Mr. Mc- Queen - left $8,500
of his estate to the trustees of the Marlin Independent School District to be
used in accordance with his will-$7,500 for the betterment of the athletic
field, or construction of a gymnasium, and $1,OOO-for band instruments. School
officials of 1959 said the newspaper statement summed up the involved details
of the bequest, but, if any of the funds were applied to construction of the
auditorium- gymnasium, the amount was small.
Superintendent McIlhany said, "It (the
bequest) is but a continuation of the high regard and interest of Mr. McQueen
shown in the school during his lifetime. He had always been interested in the
affairs of school and in his death the school lost one of its staunchest
friends and supporters. He was particularly interested in athletics and his
bequest for that purpose is proof of his public-spiritedness and
interest."
AUDITORIUM-GYMNASIUM BUILT. In March,
1938, the president of the board of trustees, L. A. Robinson, appointed a
committee of trustees "to employ an architect to draw plans and
specifications for a gymnasium and other structures." The board instructed
one of its members, Dr. N. D. Buie, Sr., to consummate a deal with William
Lewis Moody, Jr., of Galveston, Texas, founder of Moody Enterprises, which
owned Marlin's Falls Hotel. Mr. Moody had offered to give the schools the
Arlington Hotel building at the northeast corner of the Coleman and Winter
streets intersection for material in it with which to build "a gymnasium
and other school structures." T. D. (Dan) Harlan and Ben H. Rice, Jr.,
other trustees, were instructed to arrange for an architect.
Newspapers of April, 1938, noted that the
board considered plans of a $35,000 auditorium-gymnasium, which would have a
stage, band and choral rooms and a seating capacity of 500, plus a much greater seating capacity by
using chairs in the open space of the building. In May of the same year,
Trustee Harlan in an address before the Marlin Lions Club said, in part, the
auditorium would be "120 feet by 104 feet - three stories high (floor to
roof) -have a seating capacity of about 1,000-" He said there would be
seating capacity of about 1,800 by putting chairs in the open space. He said
Public Works Administration ( PW A) , a federal agency, would be of financial
assistance.
In June 1938, the board considered the
petition "of Grady L. Hutchings and 40 others" for a $20,000 bond
election for construction of the project. Subsequently, Mr. Spicer was selected
to prepare "plans and specifications, etc., and supervise construction and
the use of PW A funds-" and other details of the building program. In the
same month, the $20,000 bond election carried and construction of the
auditorium- gymnasium got under way. Demolition of the Arlington Hotel for
materials had been started earlier.
Mr. Harlan was recognized by school
officials and the citizenship for his enthusiasm and leadership in the project.
His devotion and persistency was accredited with having much to do with its
successful culmination. Shortly after his untimely death, the following
resolution was passed and written in the minutes of the school board: "In
recognition of the service of T. D. Harlan as a member of the board-, the board
at its regular session, July 6, 1939, passed this resolution - to express its
sense of loss at his death and their appreciation of his personal character and
business ability.
"Ever since he became a member of
the board, he has been identified with the building and construction of work of
the school. It was largely through his influence that the donation was obtained
which made building of the gymnasium possible. Throughout. his entire
membership on the board he has been an enthusiastic supporter of every movement
for the extension and betterment of the school system.
"Be it resolved that this expression
of appreciation be sent to his family and spread upon the minutes of the
board."
It is known that the auditorium-gymnasium
was ready for use at the beginning of the 1939 - 40 school session. If there
were formal opening ceremonies, records were not found. In the beginning, band
and choral clubs practiced and rehearsed in the north and south rooms of the
structure. Later, the south room was converted to use for cafeteria services.
While basketball and volley ball had been
played by students prior to 1989, these games and other athletic activities
received added emphasis and popularity after the auditorium- gymnasium came
into use. A spacious stage - with a curtain and basic scenery - occupied the
north end of the rectangular building, south of the band-room. Along the west
and east sides of the athletic (center) area, raised seats were provided,
underneath which were spaces for varied uses. Seating capacity for band and choral
club concerts, plays, other entertainment, school and civic assemblies, pep
rallies and so on was complemented with placing chairs on the athletic floor.
The auditorium-gymnasium became popular for many purposes, including
commencement exercises at times. Its popularity was scarcely dimmed when, under
another building program, another auditorium was fashioned from remodeling the
all- purpose school building of 1903.
By June 1940, school officials realized needs of more room for children of white schools and proposed purchasing the "Bartlett Park" property across the street and west of the auditorium-gymnasium. In August, 1940, Superintendent McIlhany was authorized "to close a deal" for the property. Bartlett Park, which was a social center of Marlin prior to about 1910, was part of the early Zenas Bartlett property, part of which (bounded by Capps, Ward, Clay and Monroe streets) was the site of Marlin's school plant prior to 1900. This school property had been donated to the city for its schools at an early date.
Marlin's schools were approved
"without criticism" about 1940 by Southern Association of Colleges
and Secondary Schools, thus adding to the fame of the schools and signifying
their proficiency.
In April 1942, indication in the minutes
of the school board were that Mr. McIlhany's health was failing. Soon afterward
he retired and about a year later Marlin, the schools and community were
saddened and grieved to learn Superintendent McIlhany (Mr. Mac) had succumbed.
He had been an able, successful, popular school administrator and exemplary
citizen.