History of Mannford High School

I ran across this the other day and felt that it was important enough to be reproduced and put in my blog.  Unfortunately, I don't know who to give credit to for writing it in the first place or digitizing it.  At any rate, I noticed that my uncle, Albert Winans, was one of the first graduates of Mannford High, in 1926.

History of Mannford High School

In the early years of Mannford before Oklahoma ever became a state the people felt the need of a school for the children so in 1902 posts were set on the site of the present Methodist Church. A box building was constructed of 1 x 12’s around these posts and covered with a shingle roof. The floor was dirt and pine was nailed together to make the seats. This building remained in existence for two years. The first summer Miss Ella Williams (Mrs. Devasior) was the teacher. Some of her first pupils were Johnny Finley, Bill Lust, and Dot Wheeler.

In 1904 a two-story brick building was built on the present site of Mannford School. This building contained four rooms, and in 1905, when the roll-call was counted, it showed that forty students were attending the new school. Some of the students who attended were the Mitchell children, the Coonrod girls and Raymond Holmes.

In 1920 consolidation was begun and the first two districts that were taken in were the East and West Basin and the Cross-L district. The third district to be taken in was the Evans district.  Consolidation was eventually finished in 1921.

In 1921 the early building was torn down and another brick building was built and High School curriculum was added in 1925. R. E. Holmes was one of the board members at this time. The school had only two buses at this time. They were wooden bodies built on new chassis in Oilton. Two more were added later on.

In 1926 there were four senior graduates. They were Kathleen Lovett, Lucina Ruhl, Leroy Winans, and Albert Winans.

B. F. Ellis was the superintendent in 1927. There were six graduates that year. This includes Raymond West, Bennie Bellis, Ola Ogden, Creta Sims, Glen Tate and Omer Sanders.

In 1928 with Miss Moore as their sponsor the following graduated from Mannford High school. Furl Tate, Iva Gill, Lucy Beaver, Florence Nantx, Emma Sims and Glen Lemaster.

The senior graduates of 1929 were Blanch Stanley, Guy Hinton, Evelyn Roop, Emory DeLancy, Bernese Lemasters, Ethel Todd, and G. W. Hasking. Their sponsor was James Weaver.

In 1930 the graduates were Helen Zickefoose, Myrtle Kay, Naomi Henderson, Winifred Tate, Ruby Ogden, Martha Albertton, Enid Coughran, Jewel Giles, Jessie Reed, Davis Clegg, Edwin Johnson, Arthur Wilson, and Lela Wilson with James Hunter as sponsor.

Allene Todd, Everett Hooper, Aranelle Peacock, Albert Merill, Christine Hinton, Delbert Roop, Donald Smelzer, Dorothy Maloney, Lilis McDaniel, Mary Clegg, Omah Reed, Mary Kay, Bill Hinton, Marie Vowell, and John Davee made up the graduating class of 1931. J. A. Weaver was sponsor of the class.

The 1932 graduating seniors were Ethlyn Boyington, Earl Bellis, Julia Wilson, Doss Haskins, Pauline Windosor, Jack Hawkins, Pearl Runyon, Glen Lund, Henry Lund, Fannie Ingalls, Hubert Peacock, Jess F. Reed, Linnie Mac Canada, Thomas A. Wien, Irene Roop and Kenneth Witt. James Weaver was senior sponsor.

The graduating seniors of 1933 were Odas Stockton, Ida Loveall, Howard Evans, Lilis Mitchell, Lawrence Coulson, Allie Coleman, Wilda Runyon, Doris Wilson, Jessie Frost, Herbert Holmes, Ercell Beaver, Mildred Sneed, Leona Elder, Tom Thurmond, Ethel Copline, John Shelly and Thelma Harmon.

Graduating seniors of 1934 were Raymond Zickefoose, Clyde Weaver, Vera Cold, Bertha Ingalls, George Wilson, Wilma Schram, Clayton Greenwood, Edith Crosson, Hudson Zickefoose, Lenora Weaver, Virginia Daniel, Evelyn Harden, and Forrest Hooper.

In 1935 the following graduated from Mannford High: Velma Melton, Maryin Reed, Jasper Loveall, Kathleen Boyington, Ladora Crane, Tommy Ashlock, Clyde Pursell, Mary Ogden, Claude Zumwalt. L. F. Robinson was the superintendent and senior sponsor that year.

In 1936 diplomas were given to Joyce Sissom, Claude Aldridge, Dorthy Greenwood, Mary Katherine Baker, Cecil Brooks, Reba Chapman, Wilma Beaver, Talmadge Greenwood, Nadene Hopps, Jewel Barton, Vernon Butler and Deloris Crupper.

In 1937 and 1938 the new wing or what is now the grade school was added. The superintendent at this time was Mr. Joe B. House. The graduates were as follows: 1937; Mary Morgan, Roy Frost, Paul Hinton, Neoma Brady, Josephine Young, Evelyn Caterhaut, Ellen Box, Jack Greenup, Frankie Johnson, Arlie Dunegan, Carleen Trower, Mary Runyon, Joe Aldridge, Ralph Reynolds, Preppa Ingalls, Genevieve Rainbolt, Lorene Zickefoose and Ira Reed. 1938; Alva Witt, Glossie Lee Smith, Dorothy Krotizer, Mary Ella Belt, Verna Mae Gilreath, Forrest Adsit, Wavel Box, Mildred Ihrig, Geneva Crain, Jannie Boyd, Roy Ringer, Kathleen Zickefoose, Chester Canode, Bertha Sue Boyd, and Dean Harness.

In 1939 Haxle Barton, Phil Hinton, Phyllis Hooper, Keith Martin, Lena Mitchell, Margie Stroup, Orvel Means, Thelma Hooper, Edward Lawmaster, Helen Witt, Ray Brooks, Evelyn Zickefoose, Fern Sissom, Beulah Bellis, and Billie Ihrig received diplomas,

1940 saw the following students graduate from Mannford High School: Eugenia Clegg, Owen Housley, Raymond Tate, Dan Vaught, Bertha Larremore, Eugene Crane, Gene Hasking, Margaret Larremore, Neoma Burlison, Warren Means, Marcella Ihrig, Leon Brooks, Ruth Rashendorfer, Elwyn Thurston, Lucille Johnson, Raymond Brady and Warren Green.

In 1941 these students graduated from M. H. S. They are Dixie MacDonald, Oliver Zickefoose, Bonnie Jo Cunningham, Roy Lawmaster, Oneta Ihrig, Edith Vowell, Edith Mae Larremore, Billie Weaver, Gladys Anderson, Floyd Zickefoose, Gloria Rashendorfer, Herchel Palmer, Josephine Davis, Maxine Dye, Jewell Bellis, and Billy Adsit. Mr. M. S. Van Noy was superintendent at that time.

In 1942 with Carolyn Tissingtron as their sponsor these students graduated from this high school: Denny Joe Smelser, Frank Spess, Joe van Noy, Beverly Ann Boyington, Erza Pulliam, Willa Dean Trower, and Beulah Lawmaster.

There were twelve senior graduates in 1943. Mr. J. T. Thompson was superintendent and Caroline T??sington senior sponsor. They were: LeRoy Anderson, Don Woodrell, Barbara Martin, Billy Greenwood, Clayton Krotzer, Essie Shoemaker, Naomie Thurston, Florence Means, Bobby Greenwood, Frank Dale and Willis Dale.

The senior class of 1944 consisted of Marie Lawmaster, Paul Spess, Wilma Rossman, Lois Hooper, Clois Hooper, Beth Hinton, Buna Burlison, Kenneth Applegate, Lucretia Rich, Zola Claypool, Helen Fisher, Florence Crane, and Leonard Zickefoose.

In 1945 high school diplomas were handed to Ruth Spess, Betty Wilson, Billy Joe Lamberson, Bette Anderson, Lois Mac Donald, Ermalee Dale, Nadine Melton, Buck Cramer, Sheralee Hooper, and Dick Woodrell.

In the senior class of 1946 there was Willadean Newport, Vera Lee Hammock, Peggy Flinchum, Maxine Colberg, Lila Shackleford, Willa Lee Fender, Virginia Reeves, Rheba Dickey, Russell Nance, and Beth Brashears.

The seniors of 1947 were Donald Butler, Joe Reeves, Dale Robbins, Dixie Nance, Beulah Kinion, Paul McCrackin, Ida Lou Reed, Stephen Krotzer, Maxine Hinton, Dallas Standridge, Marjorie Compton, Jessie Donald Hooper, Donna Jane Means, Leslie Davidson, Rebecca Spess, Nona Osterhout and Earl Murray Jr.  This class under the supervision of Cecil Smith, superintendent put out the first high school annual in several years.

In 1948 the following students graduated from Mannford High School: Maxine Box, Vera Harvison, Gordon Gilreath, Leroy Fitzwater, Imogene Butler, Carol Spess, Violet McCrackin, Jack McIntire, Louise Reeves, Raymond Manley, Marjorie Shackelford, Jimmy Bowen, Pamelia Chapman, Don Holmes, Clarence Green, Doris Woodrell, Ronald Smith, and Beulah Nance.

This year another group of young people will leave Mannford High to make their own way in the world. They are Bethan (Butler) Greenwood, Alma Jean (Martin) Gilreath, Lenore (Houston) Flinchum, Charlene Brady, Renee Gregg, Rita Jo Gill, Louise Barton, Ray Allen Clegg, Lester Kercheval, Don Brashears, and Kenneth Gilreath.

Mannford Consolidated High school now has an enrollment of three-hundred grade and high-school pupils. There are thirteen teachers. At present and for the past three years Mr. Cecil C. Smith is superintendent. Mr. C. G. Davis is principal. The members of the school board are B. I. Greenwood, C. S. Krotzer, and N. S. Mitchell who has served the past twenty nine years as a member of this board.

(From the 1949 Mannford High School Yearbook, photo added by Edd Alexander)