EDITOR’S NOTE: Looking Back features past articles from The Tidewater News with commentary by local history buff Clyde Parker. The series commemorates the 50th anniversary of Franklin becoming an independent city.

Oct. 21, 1961

COUNTY PARENTS REQUEST FRANKLIN SCHOOLING

A delegation representing parents of out-of-town children now attending Franklin schools told the Southampton County School Board Monday night that they want their children to continue attending Franklin schools when the town becomes a city. “Our social and business interests are in Franklin”, said Raymond Cobb of Black Creek. “We want our children to go to school where we are.”

“We feel very strongly about it”, said Paul Councill Jr., of Hunterdale, who suggested that some parents might petition Franklin to annex Hunterdale into the city if their children were assigned to other schools.

“We feel as much a part of Franklin as Franklin residents do”, said Hunter Darden of the Forks of the River community. “All our activities are centered in Franklin. We are very much concerned about the possibility of children going elsewhere to school.”

In addition to those who spoke, the visiting delegation included Miles Carr, Ben Kitchen, Robert Watson and Hunter Scott.

All told, over 1,000 students who live outside Franklin, mostly in Southampton County, currently attend the town’s schools. When Franklin announced its bid for city status, town officials offered to provide schooling for all those now attending Franklin schools.

School Board Chairman William Rawlings told the delegation that they should remember that “the single voluntary act that brought about this problem was Franklin’s decision to become a city”. He said that the Franklin district representative on the County Board of Supervisors, John Camp, in the spring of 1960, objected when the Supervisors were considering the financing of a new Franklin High School with loans or a bond issue.

Franklin officials have indicated that they plan to build a new Franklin High School, as well as a new elementary school, when the town becomes a city.

Relations were cordial between the visiting delegation and the School Board.

UNION BAG-CAMP PAPER CORPORATION ANNOUNCES TEACHER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Miss Winnie Frances Eubank, Mrs. Louise Magette and Mr. William Hardee are the first recipients of Union Bag-Camp’s Teacher Fellowship Program. The Summer program offers Southampton County academic teachers opportunities to advance their education with the aid of college fellowships. The selected teachers may choose the institution that they wish to attend.

Miss Eubank of Franklin High School attended Duke University in pursuit of a Master’s Degree. Mrs. Magette, also of Franklin High, attended Longwood College and Mr. Hardee of Southampton High School attended William and Mary College.

CLYDE PARKER is a retired human resources manager for the former Franklin Equipment Co. and a member of the Southampton County Historical Society. His email address is parkerc@seva-redcross.org.