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Professor George P. Lewis Professor
Lewis' tenure as Principal for the colored school in Sherman did not
last long after arriving in Grayson County in late 1883 or early 1884.
At the close of the 1883-1884 school year, the people in the
school district were upset over alleged actions of Prof. Lewis towards
some of the older female students, which resulted in their parents
withdrawing them from the school. Another disturbing incident
was the arrival in Sherman from Ocala, Florida of a young colored woman
names Rosa L. Thomas in the spring of 1884. Upon her arrival, she
sought out Prof. Lewis and demanded that he fulfill his promise of
marriage to her, whereupon they engaged in an argument which resulted
in the Professor striking the young woman. The young lady,
obviously well educated, claimed that Prof. Lewis "ruined her" under
the promise of marriage. The Board of Trustees met Tuesday
evening, May 4, to investigate these charges against the principal and
teacher for immoral conduct toward the female students under his
charge. However, the pupil who was to speak to the Trustees did
not attend the meeting and it was rumored that she had been whisked
away.
Professor Lewis was arrested on the same evening on a charge of aggravated assault in the striking of Rosa Thomas. (The Galveston Daily News, Tuesday, May 6, 1884, pg.1) His trial was held three months later in the County Court at Sherman; all School Board Trustees were called as witnesses. The Jury delivered a verdict of guilty after hearing the evidence and assessed a fine of $25. (The Galveston Daily News, Saturday, August 9, 1884, pg.3) Trouble continued to follow Prof. Lewis after his trial. "The negro patrons of the colored schools in Sherman complain of the teacher as guilty of gross immorality and a large number of them have petitioned the council to have him removed." (The Sunday Gazetteer, Sunday, September 14, 1884, pg. 1) The segregated schools in Grayson County were both common schools and high schools. The schools were taught by colored teachers. Some of the segregated schools were within the white school districts’ bounds and white trustees directed the affairs of the school. Other had defined boundaries and elected their own colored trustees. Within the cities where there were located both common and high schools the trustees elected by the voters of the cities were the governing bodies. ("Grayson Co. Common Schools", Grayson Co. History, Vol. II, pg.78)
Apparently dissatisfied with the ruling of the School Trustees, it appears that feelings against Prof. Lewis as a teacher at the colored school continued to run high and may have resulted in the school being being set on fire.
Prof. Lewis married Hattie K. Jones in Grayson County on July 21, 1886.
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