Kay Cunningham

ATHLETICS, LIBRARIES AND STUDENT ACTIVITIES

     EARLY SCHOOL ATHLETICS. Athletics in American schools-baseball, football, basketball, tennis and so on-are emphasized for many reasons. The essence of athletics suggests that "the game be played, forgotten and 'we look for- ward to another day, or opportunity'." Educators agree that school athletics teach and inspire teamwork, give-and-take attitudes and fair play, characteristic of the American way of life; that they build school morale, stimulate public interest in education and loyalty to educational efforts.

     According to the HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERS-"The program of interscholastic athletics is an integral part of the broad program of physical education and is a part of the general plan which provides experience for those who participate - and it shall be the duty of the head coach to utilize- (program) for the purpose of developing those who participate in right living, mental alertness and in physical and moral development."

     The American press features athletics editorially and in response to public interest. Unfortunately, concurrent records are limited. Human recollections are often not reliable. Those of former students and faculty members must be relied upon chiefly for this chapter on school athletics.

     Athletics in Marlin's schools arose with a general movement among other educational institutions. Prior to about 1908, Marlin school "athletics" consisted chiefly of improvised games and activities of pupils themselves, including leap- frog, wolf-over-the-river, foot races, baseball with home-made bats and balls, "things" for bases and lopsided diamonds; and other activities, including settlement of personal differences by combat. Less vigorous activities included marbles, mumble-peg, drop the handkerchief and so on. These student- improvised "athletics" brought added problems to teachers, striving to maintain order and discipline in school. The future citizens frequently rebelled and became unruly in their imagined boredom.

     References to athletics in the minutes of the board of education are few. They refer chiefly to matters pertaining to rules of play and academic requirements of participants. The first mention of athletics bears date of October 4, 1909, and reads, "The superintendent (W. F. Doughty) was authorized to allow the football team to go to Bryan, October 8, 1909, for a game with Allen Academy-." The minutes set forth rules for "the guidance of the athletics" and required conformance to the "rules of the Athletic Association."

     In the beginning of any movement-in school and else- where-the names of a few people come to the forefront, such as did the names of Orville and Wilbur Wright, who invented the airplane. Names of athletic directors, participants and events mentioned herein stem from the fact they were among the first to be active in athletics and subject matter is based upon human recollections. Such is the way of life. Names of the Wright brothers are perpetuated, while those who improved their crude contraption to make it practical are little known if not overlooked or forgotten. So it is with school athletics in Marlin.

     In search of information to establish when and by whom athletics started in Marlin's schools, much correspondence and many interviews were engaged in, especially with students who graduated between 1907 and 1910. It seems the schools began sponsoring or supervising athletics between those years, although previously token-favor may have been given to it. Especially helpful in the search were: Raymond Barnett and Fonzie Robertson of Marlin; George S. Stall.- worth of Levelland, now (1959) of Marlin; A. H. ( Bert) Donohoo of Corsicana; Walter S. (Red) Hunnicutt of EI Paso; Sam Pierson of Bryan; Charles L. Robertson of Dallas; and Floyd G. Betts of Port Arthur, who moved to Dallas later. Names of others appear subsequently.

     EARLY ATHLETIC DIRECTORS AND ATHLETES RECALLED. Most former students agreed that among the first athletic directors were: E. C. Arnold, elected manual training teacher in September, 1906; C. E. Boles, Latin teacher in August, 1906; and Denton Ledford, manual training teacher in September, 1907. Probably others may have directed or participated in establishing athletics, but information about them is lacking. There are reasons to believe there were no school-sponsored programs earlier than the 1906-07 school year, although athletic interest had manifested itself.

     Charles H. Barclay of Marlin recalled that about 1907 a teacher "lectured to some of us boys about football, drew some illustrations on a black-board and, for practice, had us line up on the school grounds and 'run signals.' We did. We stooped over, listened to one of us call numbers and at a signal sprint forward and run here and there-all of which we did not understand. Some of us got bored, considered it foolish-and quit practice!"

     Raymond Barnett said he was of the opinion that the first inter-'school football game Marlin school boys played was when Denton Ledford was coach. He did not recall the game played, but that Walter S. Hunnicutt was Marlin's quarter- back, two brothers, named Moore, a boy, named Nettles, probably, J. R. Hunnicutt, Sam Pierson and Jesse Eddins were on the team.

     Rupert Robertson of Marlin thought Professor (C. E.) Boles, who became Latin teacher in mid-1906, was the first director of athletics, although no games were played until later. He recalled a baseball game with Allen Academy of Bryan in 1908, in which "we got licked." He recalled that Rodney and Bert Donohoo, brothers, Willis Dunkum and he was on the team and "I received a lot of 'razzing' because of my long, skinny legs chasing flies in right field."

     Fonzie Robertson said the first organized team was about 1906 or 1907 with "Professor Arnold-as manual training teacher and coach-. Only rudiments of football play were practiced. A year later, Professor Ledford was coach. That year the school had a regular, suited-out team, but could not get a schedule. It did, however, bring Temple HS here for a game, but it was called off in the first quarter on account of steady rain."

     George A. Stallworth, who played on baseball teams, re- called the first football game with Temple; also some equipment members of the team used. He said, "-our boys had no tailor-made uniforms, or helmets. There were a few items of bought-equipment, such as nose-guards, stockings and shoes. -Later, Marlin began games with Waco High that led to intense rivalry, for Marlin was able to defeat them on numerous occasions.- From the impetus these games gave, (Marlin) high school athletics, including track and baseball, experienced a most successful era. One great track team went to Chicago, Illinois, to compete on the national scale, some of the participants being Jesse Nettles, Irby Curry, and the Carr brothers (Lewin and Alvah). Numerous outstanding athletes followed-Curry, the Hunnicutts, Donohoos, Ben Rice and others."

     Sam Pierson reported that the "Temple high school team had been playing for sometime and, as a result, won the first game in Marlin, 90 to 0." He did not mention the year and it may have been the game referred to by Mr. (Fonzie) Robertson. Mr. Pierson was under the impression Professor Led- ford was coach and had given the team a thorough routine of coaching. The coach had told him to "hit' em low and hit 'em hard and hold that line, so I was badly battered and turned in my suit on the following Monday morning." He recalled some of the other players-Brooks and Gray Moore (brothers), Irby Curry, Bert Donohoo, Frank Reed and probably Rodney Donohoo and Tom Goodrich.

     Mr. Pierson said Professor Ledford organized boxing for the older and younger boys of the school and the boys "showed a great amount of skill. Those with whom I com- peted, however, showed little skill and, instead, went the slugging route. Boxing was done in the basement of the school building." Baseball teams had had better success ''as our teams had been organized sometime before-some of the players were Frank Reed, Chesley Snell, Garland deGraffenreid, J. R. Hunnicutt, R. T. (Sport) Brothers, Cicero Holt, Albert Richey, George Stallworth and myself. -We played an exhibition game (baseball) with the New York Giants, who were in training in Marlin. The game was worse than the football game, but we didn't get hurt." Floyd G. Betts said proceeds from the game was given to Marlin High School for baseball equipment, sorely needed at the time. "One of the greatest thrills of my life was when I got a hit off Christy Matheson, the immortal Giant pitcher," he said.

     Albert H. (Bert) Donohoo was not sure of the dates of his first athletic experiences in the schools, but said they were probably about 1908 when a Mr. Barnes (probably B. H. Barnes, mathematics teacher) was coach. "He worked hard with us," he said. "We had no rigging, head-gear or pads. He bought some cloth and gauze and had someone make them. They were sights-don't think we ever used them. The next year we tried to get some big boys on the team, but never won a game that year. -We were green and had not found out what it was all about. But in about three years, we did learn and gave a good account of ourselves."

     THE DAILY DEMOCRAT (newspapers) of November 7, 1958, reported that the football team (members) of 1910 was honored at the 1958 annual homecoming of Marlin Ex- Students Association without reviewing exploits of the team or the source of its information. The newspapers reported the following were members of the team: Wilson T. Betts, Irby Curry, William Stanley, Wilmer Chatham, John Moore, Bill Erwin, Talmadge (Sport) Brothers, Floyd Betts, Bert Donohoo, Rudolph Portele and J. R. Hunnicutt.

     Bert Donohoo said Marlin's school had a good baseball team in 1908, having built one for about two years. By 1910, the Marlin team was hard to beat and, when school was out, the boys continued as a team, playing in Marlin west of the courthouse at "Rimes Park" on Fortune street, west of Vance street and extending to the Marlin-Chilton highway. He re- called that the team and assistants, with work and donations, first built walls around the east and north sides of the park (field) with second-hand tin and anything it could get; and later built a fence or wall around other parts. Some of the players he recalled were Rodney and Bert Donohoo, brothers, William ( Tookie) Stallworth, George Stallworth, Cuyler Cousins, Russel Bowers, Leonard Dupuy, Gray Moore, Walter Hunnicutt and Rudolph Portele.

     About this time, Mr. Hunnicutt wrote, in three years the team never lost a game, although it played only two in 1907. He recalled the team played during the summers any team that "dared come our way." He accredited the Donohoo combination (Rodney, pitcher, and Bert, catcher) as "going a long way in the team's success." Players he recalled were the Donohoo brothers, Cuyler Cousins, Jesse Eddins, Gray Moore, Leonard Dupuy, Rudolph Portele, Russel Bowers, Willis Dunkum, Jesse Nettles and himself.

     Regarding football during the last two years of his school career (he graduated in 1909), Mr. Hunnicutt said MHS never won a game, losing to Waco, Temple and St. Basil's College of Waco, which won by the narrowest margin, 6 to O. "We had no track at that time," others, however, being of the opinion there may have been track teams in 1909.

     In answer to inquiry about his athletic experiences, Floyd Betts said the first basketball game Texas A & M College of College Station ever played was with a Marlin team at College Station in 1913, the year he graduated. Members of the team were Irby Curry, Floyd Betts, Eugene Hailey, J. R. Hunnicutt, Rupert Robertson, Chesley Snell and probably others he could not recall.

     Charles Grady Cotten of Fort Worth recalled that about 1906 or 1907 basketball was played on the school grounds. "We had lots of fun playing with the girls," he said, "but school officials soon forbade boys and girls playing together." Apparently, the games were not under supervision of school officials, other than playground surveillance.

     ATHLETIC PROGRAMS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED BY 1913. By 1913, probably earlier, athletics in Marlin's school had been firmly established and teams and individuals then and thereafter gave excellent accounts of themselves. The year 1913 was a successful one, although records of football achievements and other events are limited. Probably B. H. Barnes was athletic director, although C. V. Boving may have been, or assisted. Track teams of 1913 brought honors to the school and Marlin, the high school team coming within one- third of a point winning the state meet in Austin. It was nosed out by Houston. Floyd Betts won first place in the 50-yard dash, setting a new state record at the time; Lewin Carr was first in the mile race; Betts, Carr, Rupert Robertson and Irby Curry ran the last lap in the mile relay race in which Marlin won first place. After these successes the relay team went to the National Interscholastic meet in Chicago, Illinois, in 1913, expenses of the trip provided by local citizens. The team won second place on the snow- covered, cinder tracks there.

     It is hoped the above information throws some light on the beginning of school-directed athletics in Marlin. Student publications, especially THE STUDENTS VOICE, and newspapers establish that Marlin's school athletics were definitely firmly established by 1913. Football, basketball and track teams-and baseball and tennis-were respected among the schools of Texas for prowess, spirit of sportsmanship and stamina. In Marlin, early events took place at "Rimes Park." Most spectators milled about the side-lines of the field, even though eventually limited seats were built in the northeast corner of the field.

     MARLIN HIGH SCHOOL, a student publication of 1913- 1914, recorded that volley ball was a popular sport during the years after 1910. THE STUDENTS VOICE of 1914-15 recorded that the high school football team of the year won over Mart and Mexia and lost to Allen Academy of Bryan, Hillsboro, Waco and Gatesville. In 1915, under direction of Don S. Caldwell, coach, the team piled up scores of 134 points to 26 for its opponents-was unbeaten, but tied with Calvert. Edwin Gordon was captain of the team-M. L. Caldwell was manager of athletics-and the team won the Central Texas championship.

     The same THE STUDENTS VOICE reported the girls organized the first girls' basketball team and "played three games, losing all, but gained lots of knowledge-" and had a "laurel-winning season" as they (the girls) approached basket ball playing. On the team were Fleta Mae Curry, Bess Tomlinson, Ruth Hayes, Florence Case, Lela Kemper, Myrtle Conyers, Clarice Grusendorf, Cecil Bryant, Estella Grusendorf. The publication noted, "Marlin High School was again at the head of the list (in track), although not retaining the cup won by the team last year." It indicated the trophy rightfully should have been retained, because Marlin had tied for the championship and it was discovered the winning team had become ineligible for having played an illegal participant.

     By 1918-19, Marlin schools had developed consistently in athletics and in a review by Coach Caldwell it was noted foot- ball teams had won 32 games in 1918, tied 5 and lost 11; in 1915 and 1917 teams won the Central Texas championship; in basketball, Marlin played 43 games, won 24 and lost 19; in track, one team won 5 county meets, 1 district meet and 4 state meets, Marlin taking more than a half of all points by all Texas teams.

     Prior to 1920, high school athletic teams, especially foot- ball, were given names prompted by an incident of play or characteristics of players. When Wilson T. Betts was coach and teams were quite successful, they were referred to as "Betts' Bad, Barking, Biting Bulldogs."

     "BULLDOGS" ADOPTED FOR AN ATHLETIC NAME. In 1920, teams-and their members-were officially called "Bulldogs." Opinions differ as to how the name was selected- a name adopted by the student body. Some were (are) of the opinion the name originated after a hotly contested game in which the team and players "held on like bulldogs." Superintendent A. C. Ferguson of Commerce, Texas, in 1959 was accredited with making the suggestion. When asked about it, he said he did not recall such a remark. He was of the opinion Dr. A. J. Streit, member of the board of trustees at the time, suggested "Bulldogs." J. M. Wilson of Marlin, business manager of athletics in the 1920s, said several names were submitted in a contest for an appropriate name and "Bulldog" was adopted by the student body. Buford Finley said he submitted "bulldog" for the name, but Postmaster Claude Hamilton (now, 1959, Harlingen's postmaster) had submitted the same name which got to school officials before his-so Mr. Hamilton got the prize. In 1958, Mr. Hamilton said he recalled getting the prize, but not incidences of the matter. Earl Hancock of Marlin, member of the football team at the time, said need of a name arose when "we received new blankets for use on the playing field and needed a name to be embroidered or stitched to them for identification."

     SCHOOL LIBRARIES. An historical book of 1893 re- corded that Marlin's schools had a library. It was estimated by former students of the 1890s that the library contained about 20 books. In contrast, Marlin's high school library had about 4,400 books in 1959, according to Mrs. Elizabeth F. Kirkpatrick, librarian; and the elementary school library had over 4,000 books, according to Mrs. Loyd (Dixie L.) Chapman, librarian.

     Probably in the beginning, books for the schools were donated by friends or students and organizations provided means of raising money with which to buy them. Minutes of the board of education show that in March, 1919, Mrs. Dick Clark of Dallas was thanked for the gift of books from the library of the late A. E. Watson, her father. The number of books donated by Mrs. Clark was not recorded, but many recalled the number was impressive and a notable boost to the school's library.

     Minutes of the board of education also show monetary interest of the board in the libraries. Early minutes record numerous incidences in which "allowances" were made for books, or "library purposes." In April, 1939, Miss Lynn Eikel, Marlin teacher, was employed "to organize the library." She is known to have contributed much to the standards arid services of the libraries. Afterwards, the board "allowed $250 for library equipment and activities."

     HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERS recorded that "the library is of the greatest value-there is close cooperation between the libraries and classrooms-books are purchased through assistance of teachers and librarians."

     LUNCH ROOM (CAFETERIA). Minutes of the board of education of August, 1936, reveal one of a few references to lunch rooms, or cafeterias. "Miss Elsie Neumann was given the privilege of operating a lunch room under the super- vision of the teacher of economics," the entry read. Mrs. Louis Busby, formerly Miss Neumann, said the lunch room was in the basement of the elementary building, which was later converted into the elementary school auditorium. She recalled she financed purchases of approved food and other edibles and sold them at authorized prices. She said others preceded her in operating a lunch room, one of whom was Mrs. Paul Otto, who may have been the first operator.

     When the south rooms of the gymnasium were remodeled in the 1940s to house the cafeteria, replacing lunch rooms, cafeteria services went under direct supervision of a cafeteria manager, Mrs. Thelma A. Chamberlain in 1959-60.

     STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS. Decades ago, leader,5 in education visualized the wisdom of teaching and practicing democratic principles in the schools. As a result, student organizations arose, along with sundry student activities, to become integral parts of school life. Student organizations, which probably left the most lasting imprint upon the schools and students were the Student Council and staffs of student publications. Also, contributing constructively to student life were (are) the class organizations and acceptable clubs. If copies of all student publications were available-Marlin Ex-Students Association is trying to get them together in an archives-an unbroken narrative of school life would be available and this volume would be more accurate and comprehensive.

     Among other organizations were: Bands (organized), Choral (Glee) Club, Marlin High School Students' Organization, Pep Squad, Hi-Li Club and Future Farmers of America (FFA) Club.

     Others gleaned from sundry sources were: Dramatic Club, Public Speaking Club, Forensic Club, Debating Club and Debating and Declaiming Club, Literary Study Club, Girls' Boosting Club, Boosting Club, Latin Club, Spanish Club, Economics Club, Se-Co Club, Commercial Club, Marlin Quartette Society, Hiking Club, Foto Club, Leathercraft Club, Needlette Club, Visual Aid Club, Model Builders and Square Dance Club.

     Interesting information is that the Dramatic Club was organized in 1913 by Superintendent A. C. Ferguson and its first officers were Chesley Snell, president; Millard Turner, vice-president; Eulas Walker, secretary; Bertram LeNoir, treasurer; Maurice Fannin, editor; Keith Chambers, sergeant- at-arms. It was recorded, "Tom Ellsberry is always the wit of the floor. He is undoubtedly a natural monkey-I. R. Hunnicutt, the advocate of horse sense."

     The Hiking Club suggests its purposes and was active in 1913-14. One of its annual parties was held in the of Mr. and Mrs. I. N. Conyers, December, 1914. Refreshments were served and the students enjoyed exchanging gifts, contests and strolling.