Teachers of Monroe Colored High School – 1944

There are some heavy hitting names in this photo! Those identified starting in the bottom row: Unknown, Katie Black Williams, Mrs. McClanahan, Henry Carroll (principal of the school), Clara Andrews, Henrietta Windham Johnson, Unknown. Second Row: B.D. Robinson, Zerita Thompson, Ruby Gilbreath, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, George Mills. Third Row: Unknown, Mary Louise Coleman, Unknown, Eula … Continue reading Teachers of Monroe Colored High School – 1944 →

The Voter Purge of 1956

Imagine getting a notice from the Voter's Registration Office that there is something wrong with your voting registration and you need to come in to the office at the courthouse within ten days and rectify it. You then get to the courthouse and find a line of people out the door and down the sidewalk. … Continue reading The Voter Purge of 1956 →

HISTORIC HASLEY: Secrets From The Grave

Last year, the Ouachita Parish Public Library’s Genealogy and Special Collections Department applied for and won a Rebirth Public Library grant* from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Our project was to create a virtual cemetery tour of some of the burials in Hasley cemetery, West Monroe. The fruits of that labor are now available to the public. … Continue reading HISTORIC HASLEY: Secrets From The Grave →

Kate Willis Carroll

Did you know that in the collection of Southern University's Archives, they have a picture of Morris Henry Carroll's mother? I didn't either! You can see it here: http://7008.sydneyplus.com/final/Portal/SouthernUniversity.aspx?lang=en-US . Mrs. Carroll was an educator herself and was involved with many charities in the area. Apparently, she had been a student of J.S. Clark!

May Day, 1951

I love the top photo, because I have never seen a photo of Mr. Carroll looking so casual! The May Queen, Miss Della Rosalynne Boughton, was a senior.

Ringing of the Liberty Bell, 1950

I like this page, since it shows all of the grades that attended the school. MCHS had all twelve grades. This happened May 15, 1950, when the liberty bell was tapped by the U.S. Treasury Secretary to kick off a Treasury Bond drive. It was broadcast over the radio.

Voice of the South, 1951

Mr. Carroll is of course, Morris Henry Carroll. He was principal of Monroe Colored High School. "The Voice of the South" was the first African-American radio program aired in Ouachita Parish. One thing I found is that when the school is referred to in the yearbook, a majority of the time it was referred to … Continue reading Voice of the South, 1951 →

Front Cover of Morris Henry Carroll’s Funeral Program

This came in the other day and I was struck by how well this captures this great educator's persona. Mr. Carroll, of course, was the principal of Monroe Colored High and Carroll High School, which was named for his grandfather.