Menlo School Years
1955-1961
1955-1961
Menlo's first football team was formed in 1955 and included, from left to right, (front row) Houston Ward, Steve Gilreath, Jackie Hamilton, William Thomas, Don Ballard, Ed Farmer, and Daniel Cook; (back row) Leon Mitchell, Bobby Blalock, Fred Eller, and Kenneth Purcell.
From left to right (front row) are Houston Ward, Steve Gilreath, Don Ballard, William Thomas, Calvin Clark, Ed Farmer, and Daniel Cook; (back row) Leon Mitchell, Fred Eller, Bobby Blalock, and Kenneth Purcell.
From left to right, (front row) Houston Ward, Steve Gilreath, Jackie Hamilton, William Thomas, Don Ballard, Ed Farmer, and Daniel Cook; (back row) Leon Mitchell, Fred Eller, Bobby Blalock, and Kenneth Purcell.
Ed Farmer, Margaret Nell Young, (in back) unidentified, Houston Ward, Barbara Baker, and Bobby Simmons enjoy fun times at Menlo High School.
The 1956 Menlo basketball team. From left to right (front row), Glenn Willingham, Calvin Clark, George Griffith, Houston Ward, James Carter, and Bobby Simmons; (middle row) Wallace Martin, Leon Mitchell, and Richard Romine; (back row) teacher and coach David Cook and Hubert Akins.
Another shot of the 1956 basketball team. Kneeling in front are Glenn Willingham, Calvin Clark, George Griffith, Houston Ward, James Carter, and Bobby Simmons. Standing are Wallace Martin, Coach David Cook, Leon Mitchell, Hubert Akins, and Richard Romine.
Akins died of cancer during his senior year. Former Menlo student Barbara Crowe Hammett writes, "It was a sad time for all high school students when we found out Hubert had cancer. He played football and basketball, but later wasn't able to play. He dressed out, but sat out the game. The Summerville News had several articles during that time about him." You can read more about Hubert Akins in the 1958 Menlo yearbook highlights.
George Griffith practices in the Menlo gym.
The following photographs appear to have been taken for various Menlo yearbooks from the late 1950s until the last year for Menlo High School in 1960-61.
Shown are (seated) Barbara Crowe, (standing) Sybil Hames and Nelle Hamby.
From left to right, (sitting) Gladys Ann Lyons, Martha Willingham, Shirley Hill, Nelle Hamby, Jeanette Baker, and Carol Sue Ward.
Brenda Flood, Barbara Clark, Carolyn Hood, Sue Bailey, Linda Parrish, and unidentified prepare for Halloween.
Mary Lou Keys, Peggy Copeland, and Gladys Ann Lyons.
Floral arrangement by Ludain Pruitt and Myra Nell Adams.
Gladys Ann Lyons, the daughter of Ruben and Pete Lyons.
Shirley Hill was a real sew-and-sew.
From left to right, (front row) unidentified, Lila Sue Ashworth, and Glenda Purcell; (second row) Mary Ann Clark, Edna Bryant, Nelle Hamby, Peggy Copeland, and Jeanette Baker; (standing) Carol Sue Ward, Virginia Hames, Lucille Vineyard, Ernestine Smith, Ludain Pruitt, and Myra Nell Adams.
These kids are (mostly in order) Jimmy Hammonds, Carolyn Hood, Lamar Canada, Montie Sue Hill, Linda Parrish, Sammy Ballard, James Hames, Brenda Flood, Shirley Willingham, Carolyn Kling, Marie Hammonds, Glenda Pless, Carolyn Stephens, Linda Smith, and Shirley Hill.
Betty Jo Sumner, Joann Sumner, and India Ashworth attend to "patient" Carolyn Cooper.
From left to right, (sitting) Gladys Ann Lyons and Joan White; (standing) Joann Hardy, Margaret Crain, Nancy Welch, and Lucille Vineyard. Joan White was the daughter of teacher and coach Tarzan White.
From left to right: Myra Nell Adams, Nancy Welch, Gladys Ann Lyons, Joann Hardy, Carol Sue Ward, Virginia Hames, Joyce Hall, Inez Smith, and Carolyn Cooper.
Martha Willingham, Frances Wofford, and Betty Jo Sumner.
Some of the ladies posing in this picture include (not in order) Shirley Hill, Mary Ann Clark, Vickie Smith, Inez Smith, Nellie Keen, Ernestine Smith, Frances Wofford, Margaret Crain, Mary Crowe, Carolyn Cooper, Jeanette Baker, Joyce Deering, Betty Jo Sumner, Alice Jackson, Carol Sue Ward, Myra Nell Adams, Joann Hardwick, Barbara Baker, Ortha Keen, India Ashworth, Myra Laney, Joyce Hall, Ludain Pruitt, Lila Sue Ashworth, Peggy Copeland, Ms. Glenda Purcell, Virginia Hames, Joann Espy, Nancy Welch, and Joann White.
From left to right, (front row) Faye Thomas, Jimmy Hosmer, Jerry Wooten, Roland Green, Wink Vaughn, Mark Dawson, and Norris Adams; (second row) Calvin Baker, Jimmy Copeland, Richard Day, James Szymanski, Bobby Moore, Tommy Ballard, and Harold Walker; (back row) ? Ward, Danny Hegwood, G.E. Schrader, Doyle Brown, Butch Young, Larry Boyd, Phil Green, and Coach Oscar Perry.
A similar football team photograph appeared in the 1961 Menlo yearbook, taken from a slightly different angle.
This photograph shows the Junior 4-H Club. From left to right, (front row) Sue Bowman, unidentified, unidentified, unidentified, Donald Hill, Alice Fay Smith, Melvin VanPelt, unidentified, Brenda Crain, and Brenda Hurley; (middle row) Carolyn Kling, unidentified, Danny Parrish, Becky Hall, Arnelle Rattray, unidentified, Jackie Beam, Maxine Dempsey, unidentified, unidentified, and unidentified; (top row) Ray Day, Poppy Larkin, Lamar Canada, Jan Wright, unidentified, Betty Willingham, Sammy Ballard, Donnie Hall, Linda Smith, unidentified, unidentified, and James Boyd.
Faculty for the underclassmen in 1960-61 included, from left to right, (front row) Evangeline Shigley, Hazel Lewis, and Pearl Edwards; (top row) Mildred Story, Inez Rattray, Blanche Toles, Helen Wyatt, and Robbye Green.
A similar photograph appeared in the 1961 Menlo yearbook. The faculty for the high school included, from left to right, (front row) Kathryn MacVane, Yvonne Thompson, and Edna Perry; (top row) Oscar Payne, B.C. Wilson, Principal Robert Shigley, Paul Hosmer, and Rollin Beard.
A super-sized "Thanks" to Barbara Crowe Hammett and her Facebook friends for the names and related information.
Photographs by T. Emmett Nunn. Courtesy of Chattooga County Library.