Fairland High in Sewing Club Spotlight

(Taken from undated Ironton newspaper clipping)

Submitted by Lorna Marks

When the Buckeye Club meets today with Mrs. H. E. SCHRAMM, 1676 Sixth Avenue, one of its topics of discussion is sure to be the formal opening and dedication of the new Fairland High School, near Proctorville, on Sunday at 2 P.M., for all members of the group who attended the Proctorville High School, one of two predecessors of the present high school.

About 1910 a large number of former Proctorville residents moved to Huntington, mainly young couples. Some 10 years later a group of the women decided to form a club to get together once a month and talk over old times while they sewed. So the Buckeye Club came into existence. It still meets regularly for the women to reminisce and laugh together, but members say they never did get any sewing done. Several are also 99ers: others who still attend are Mrs. Otto STETTLER (Ruby) DEMENT, ’02; Mrs. Oral BLAKE (Alice ATKINSON, ’04); Mrs. Cliff BLAKE (Marian ALEXANDER); Mrs. C. O. REYNOLDS (Nell CORN, ’06); and Mrs. H. D. REYNOLDS (May ROLPHE).

Integration was accomplished in the Ohio schools in the 1880’s, and Proctorville has reason to be proud of the records of many of its Negro graduates. The family of Otis SPENCER, a Proctorville barber, is an outstanding example. The first to graduate was Vanola, ’12, now a widow, Mrs. William SHOUSE, residing in her home town. She was a teacher in the public schools of Logan and McDowell Counties, W. Va., for a number of years. Anna, ’13, who became Mrs. Henry REED, taught school in Logan County, W. Va., most of the time from her graduation until her death in 1937. Charles, ’15, lives in Huntington and has been a millwright for the International Nickel Co. for almost 29 years. Lota and Lorena, twins, ’21, both taught a few years; Mrs. Lorena REID lives in Proctorville, Lois married a dentist, Dr. Henry WHISAKER, and lives in Bluefield, W. Va. A cousin, Adna SPENCER, who lived with their grandparents, also graduated in 1921. He later completed his education in dentistry at Howard University in Washington, where he is now in successful practice; his wife is a member of the Washington school board. Martha SPENCER, ’27, was talented in music, studied piano and organ, taught in the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Teachers College, and is now the wife of President Frank R. ATKINS of that institution. Georgia, ’30, is "Chappie" Dillon, ’44, is a missionary in the Belgian Congo.

I.F. WILLIAMS, ’27, HAS BEEN A TEACHER IN Proctorville schools, and is now principal of Fairland Elementary School No. 1, Nellie Maude SMITH, ’36, now Mrs. John DAILEY, is a Marshall College instructor in Commerce.

Wilson JONES, ’19, is manager of the Gallagher Truck Center here. Gary PINKERMAN, ’46, is a radio announcer in Ashland. Dr. Robert G. SMITH, ’41, has his office in Chesapeake and still lives in Proctorville.

And so it goes, Graduates of Proctorville High School have traveled a long way and their accomplishments would fill many books.

The second predecessor of Fairland School, Rome High School, had as principal from September, 1937, to May, 1944, G. Howard McCORMICK, one of its own graduates and a graduate of Ohio State University, who today is professor of engineering chemistry at the Denver University research institute, where he has been teaching since 1946 with the exception of 1953, when he was on leave of absence as a research participant at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Professor McCormick directs the Denver Research Institute radioactive isotope tracer laboratory, is a consultant for the Charles Parker Engineering Co. of Denver, and is retained as a consultant chemist for the Oak Ridge laboratory. He has had five articles published in "Physical Review."