Six individuals will be inducted into the Murray County High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the school on Sunday, Nov. 29, at 2 p.m. The honorees for 2009 are Lula Gladden, Jerry Barker, W.A. Crump, Frank Higdon, John Langford and George Ross.
A reception for the inductees will be held in the school cafeteria. All family, friends and alumni are invited. For more information contact Anne Brindle, president of the alumni association, at (706) 695-2597.
Gladden, known as “Miss Lula,” was born in 1876 and grew up at Gladden Springs. Her father, Capt. Berry Gladden, was in the Civil War. She was a founder of the local United Daughters of the Confederacy, helped start First Baptist Church and was most identified with education. She was one of the first women in Murray County to get a high school diploma, doing so at the Sumach Seminary, and earned a degree from Peabody College. She taught in Walker, Polk and Murray counties and wrote the words to the Murray County High School alma mater. Gladden Middle School was named in her memory in 1989.
Lawrence “Jerry” Barker graduated from Murray High in 1958 and is married to the former Lois Lucille Ledford, also of Chatsworth. Barker served 12 years in the U.S. Navy, operated a television and radio repair shop in Murray County, earned degrees from the University of Georgia and Georgia State, taught school in Douglasville, coached baseball and basketball, and then worked as an engineer in Iran, Thailand and Taiwan. He was in Iran when the Shah was deposed and Ayatollah Khomeini took power. He’s teaching school again and is also active in his church.
Crump’s high school career was interrupted by World War II. He joined the U.S. Army in 1944, and returned to officially “graduate” in 1947. In high school he was on the debate team and active in FFA where he also played in the string band. Crump then went to the University of Georgia where he earned a bachelor of science in education and then came back to Murray County to teach at the high school and served as principal at Spring Place Elementary before working at the Georgia Department of Education in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as counselor and administrator. He also worked as assistant commissioner of operations for the Georgia Department of Corrections and taught criminal justice courses at Georgia State University until his retirement in 1991.
A 1957 graduate of Murray High, Higdon grew up at Cisco and is still known as one of the best basketball players the school ever produced. He went on to play basketball at and graduate from Lincoln Memorial University with a degree in finance and accounting. After completing his military service in 1964, Higdon began a 33-year career with the Shell Oil Co. and rose through the ranks to become finance manager of commercial products. He is retired and lives in Rockport, Texas, where he continues to be active in sports. He returns to Murray County for several weeks each year to visit family and friends and enjoy the Cohutta Mountains where he hunted and fished as a child.
Langford is the son of Hall of Fame member Hazel Langford and the late Frank Langford of Chatsworth. As a student at MCHS, Langford excelled in many areas and was drum major for two years. An Eagle Scout, he served as counselor at Camp Sidney Dew and was the top male student in the class of 1972. Going on to UGA, he graduated from the School of Pharmacy in 1977 and returned to Chatsworth where he worked at Corner Drugs for three years, followed by a stint as chief pharmacist at Hamilton Medical Center. In 1983, he and his wife Rebecca Ryman of Dalton moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In Riyadh, Langford was pharmacy director at the King Fahad National Guard Hospital and was instrumental in the beginning of the Saudi International Trading Co., the largest pharmaceutical distribution company in the Middle East. He is now director of the sales and distribution department.
Ross graduated in 1954. The son of George and Charlie Ruth Bond Ross, he grew up at Center Valley United Methodist Church. Called into the ministry in 1963, he began pastoring while attending Clear Creek Bible College in Pineville, Ky., where he finished in 1967, and pastored at various churches for more than 30 years. He has held key positions in the Georgia Baptist Convention and the North Georgia Baptist Association. Since retirement, he has been busy in supply ministries and as a deacon at First Baptist in Chatsworth. He will be the first minister to be inducted into the MCHS Alumni Hall of Fame.
Education
Murray alumni to hold Hall of Fame induction
- Education
-
-
Northwest students place high, take tech to next level
Several Northwest Whitfield High School students placed high in the Sequoyah Regional Georgia Educational Technology Fair. Pictured from left are Josh Rountree, Audrey Edds, Bryan Cooper and Eli McMahon.
Several Northwest Whitfield High School students placed high in the Sequoyah Regional Georgia Educational Technology Fair.
Continued ... -
Dalton student on GPS May Court
Christian Bryant of Dalton has been elected to the May Court at Girls Preparatory School and will serve as crown bearer to the May Queen during the May Day festivities in April.
Continued ... -
Northwest Whitfield High School Sweetheart Court
Northwest Whitfield High School's Tip Off Club hosted the 2012 Sweetheart Dance at the school recently.
Continued ... -
Art student’s work on exhibition
Gary Sanchez Soto will represent Murray County High School in “An Artistic Discovery: The Congressional Art Competition” at the Derrell C. Roberts Library on the campus of Dalton State College.
Continued ... -
Professor to speak on the Oscars during 'Lunch & Learn' program
Jonathan Lampley, assistant professor of English at Dalton State, will present “The Oscars: Winners, Losers, and Weird Moments” in the College’s James E. Brown Center, room 105, on Feb. 15 from noon to 1 p.m.
Continued ... -
Local high schools recognized for AP classes, exams
State School Superintendent John Barge named several local high schools as Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools.
Continued ... -
The Perfect Polish
Cosmetology and Skills U.S.A. at North Murray High School recently sponsored a community service project in which Donna Blankenship’s students gave manicures to the residents of the Murray County Senior Center.
Continued ... -
MCHS accepts letterman's jacket
James “William” Butler’s family presented his letterman’s jacket to Murray County High School Principal Gina Linder during halftime of a varsity boys’ basketball game recently. The jacket, which has a “1962 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP” patch on it, will be displayed in the school’s trophy case. Presenting the jacket to Linder were Butler’s nieces, Chloe Brown and Ashley Strong; his wife, Patsy Butler; his daughter, Robin Baggett; and his grandchildren, Jaden and Janna Baggett.
Continued ... -
Mountain Creek Academy honors December teacher of the month
English teacher Jennifer Weninger (center) was selected by her peers as December’s Teacher of the Month at Mountain Creek Academy. Principal Paula Martin (right) and Curriculum Instructor Facilitator/Counselor Jennifer Lents presented her with the award.
Continued ... -
Mountain Creek Academy honors December staff of the month
Mountain Creek Academy Lisa Sanford, center, accepts a certificate from Principal Paula Martin and Counselor Jennifer Lents (left) as she is recognized with a December Staff of the Month award. Sanford has worked at Mountain Creek for 12 years.
Continued ... -
Med students visit Murray High
In December, students from Murray County High School and North Murray High School were invited to meet with fourth-year medical students Allen Ligon of Augusta and Heath Petty, an MCHS graduate.
Continued ... -
Gladden honors December student of the month
Joey Ecklebarger is the December 2011 Gladden Middle School Student of the Month. Joey is motivated and puts forth great effort in all classes. His behavior and attitude towards school, other students and teachers is also outstanding. Sean Hammond, Joey’s social studies teacher says of Joey, “He is great to have on our team.”
Continued ... -
Coker honors students for Week 14 good behavior
As part of Coker Elementary School’s PBIS or Positive Behavioral and Interventions Support system, students that follow the school expectations are recognized each week for their Great Behavior.
Continued ... -
Gladden students use Facebook in lessons
Gladden Middle School eighth-grader Shaley Stafford shows her Facebook page model on the book “Alice in Wonderland.” Eighth grade reading teacher Keith Rollins had his students choose a book from the library to do a book report on. However, this was not an ordinary book report. After the students read their book, they were to do their report by making a Facebook page about their book.
Continued ... -
Gladden assigns January Dreamcatcher award
Every month, one of the faculty members at Gladden Middle School is recognized for having the most clean and organized room. The award given is called the Dream Catcher Award. Seventh grade social studies teacher Jennifer Bennett was awarded the Dream Catcher Classroom of the Month for January and will hang the Dream Catcher model in her room until the next month.
Continued ...
-
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Expert: Removing LA School's Staff 'Appropriate'
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
