The front of Tennessee school registers in the 1940s had the following note on the bottom of the front cover:

NOTE: This register is the property of the State of Tennessee. Each classroom teacher must keep the Register neatly and accurately according to instructions, completely fill in all data, and return the Register at the close of the school term to the office of the principal or county superintendent to be filed before the teacher’s salary for the last month can be drawn. It becomes an important official record for the school. PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.

The inside back cover of registers for Tennessee public schools listed the Rules and Regulations Governing the Approval of Rural Elementary Schools that were adopted by the State Board of Education on August 20, 1937. They read as follows:

1. The school plant must be adequate to care for the children enrolled in the school.
a. The school building and grounds must be clean and well kept and there must be evidences of good housekeeping practices.
b. The school must have sanitary toilets constructed according to State approved plans and kept clean and free from marks.
c. There must be an adequate supply of pure drinking water.
2. The school term shall be at least eight months in length.
3. The principal and teachers must hold valid elementary certificates and comply with State laws applicable to school teachers and also comply with rules and regulations of the State and County Boards of Education.
4. Each teacher must follow the State course of study. He or she must possess and use bulletins issued by the State Department of Education pertaining to elementary schools and put into practice the suggestions outlined in the improvement of instruction program.
5. Pupils satisfactorily completing the elementary school course in an approved elementary school and eligible under the rules and regulations governing the promotion of pupils adopted by local school authorities and approved by the Commissioner of Education shall be given eighth grade certificates.
6. There must be provided adequate equipment and instructional supplies and library facilities. There must be a library center in each classroom, with a minimum of two books per pupil enrolled and an annual expenditure of ten cents per pupil enrolled for the purchase of books and periodicals. This requirement may be waived for schools served by County central libraries, provided the school receives the equivalent in service from the central library.
7. Improvement must be shown from year to year in:
a. Care of buildings and grounds.
b. Teaching procedure as evidenced by:
(1) Attendance on summer schools,
(2) Conferences,
(3) Reading of books and periodicals on teaching,
(4) Improved public relation.

The register on file at the Union County Board of Education for the school term August 1940 through March 1941 lists James I. Davis as the only teacher of all subjects in all eight grades taught at Wood Dale School, a 900 square foot frame building that was constructed four years earlier, heated by an “ordinary” stove (as opposed to a furnace, I suppose). Water was supplied by a sanitary spring on the two acre school grounds. There were two sanitary toilets. Mr. Davis listed the value of the playground equipment at $17.00. He was expected to teach the eight month term at a salary of $65.00 per month. To aid his success, he was provided with 20 double desks and 76 books secured from traveling libraries during the year.

Mr. Davis was born on July 6, 1919 and was a resident of the Liberty Hill community where he taught. He was new to the teaching profession, having been issued a permanent teaching certificate on June 10, 1940, just a few months prior to the beginning of the term. Mr. Davis attended Lincoln Memorial University from 1938 to 1940, accruing 96 total college credits, all of which were education credits, defined in the register as the “number of quarter hours credit in professional subjects”. Mr. Davis was an unmarried white male with four dependents. (An interesting note: Tennessee state school registers, before segregation in public schools was outlawed by the historical 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, asked for the “color” of the teacher though not of the students. At present, the trend seems to have reversed: academic achievement data for students in Tennessee’s public schools is disaggregated by ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic levels, and traditionally underserved populations.)

The affidavit as to the accuracy of the register from which the information in this article was taken was sworn to by Mr. Davis before Union County Judge Sterling S. Inklebarger on the 4th day of April 1941. The last names of the 51 students, 29 boys and 22 girls, many from the same immediate family or their cousins), give testimony to their descendancy from several prominent community members, many who now are ancestors of present day residents: Bailey (5), Cabbage (2), Capps (1), Claxton (2), Clay (3), Davis (2), Ingle (3), Jones (1), Mincy (3), Munsy (6), Nicely (7), Thomas (7), Turner (3), Walker (2), Walton (1), and Woolard (3). The three Turner children had only “Mrs. Turner” listed for the parent’s name. Many of the students enrolled I have heard my family and neighbors talk about many times, and some I have known personally.

Five year old first grader Tip (listed as “Tippy” in some of the registers) Ingle attended Wood Dale School for 39 days in 1940. He was absent three of those days. Tip had two older brothers who also attended for a few weeks after Tip was withdrawn. I remember Tip as a maintenance worker for the Union County Public Schools. I was principal of Sharps Chapel Elementary, and I called Tip to come fix my air conditioner. He came, and the unit worked for an hour. I called and Tip repaired it again; this time it worked half a day. The third time that Tip came to fix the air conditioner, I asked him how long it would work that time. Tip replied, “By golly, Mincey, I’m gonna’ fix it so it works all day this time!” The third time was a charm—it outlasted Tip’s tenure as a Union County Schools employee.

Also a first grader that year was my eight year old half-brother Fred Mincy (the “e” was added to the family several years later, supposedly by one of my aunts). Fred was enrolled a total of 58 days and was absent five days. Both Tip and Fred were listed as living one mile from the school. No student was listed as living more than one and a half miles from the school, and none were listed as transported.

Two of the students who attended Wood Dale in the first year of the decade of the 40s became well respected preachers—Elder D. R. Cabbage and Rev. Ford Thomas. Rev. Thomas was a cousin to my half-brothers and –sisters on my father’s side.

My two oldest half-sisters were enrolled—Estelle and Ruby Nelle Mincey. Eleven year old fifth grader Estelle Mincey (married Buford Mullins and worked at Magnavox in Morristown) attended 77 days (absent 12). Ruby Nelle (married Alfred John “Buddy” Foulks, Sr.) attended the first fifteen days of the term. My cousin Bertha Jones (married John Lay) was enrolled 72 days (absent 6).
Mr. Davis described the record of his first year’s work as a teacher as follows:

Enrollment at beginning of school term—51
Enrollment at the end of school term—28
Number dropped from roll—23

New basket-ball goals were erected on the school ground.
Window shades were bought.
A flag pole was erected.
Funds for these new equipments was acquired by a Pie Supper.

Twenty-one of Mr. Davis’ 23 students who completed the school term were promoted, though seven failures were reported. Three students received eighth grade certificates on April 3, 1941—all were fourteen years old.

The school term August 4, 1941 to March 24, 1942 saw an increase in Wood Dale’s total enrollment to 68 and two new teachers. Clarence Nicely taught grades 1-3 and Joe Davis returned to teach grades 4-8.

My oldest half-brother Fred attended the entire school term and was promoted to second grade at the term’s end. My half-brother Billie (Billy?) Howard attended grade “P” (for Primer) 70 days and was absent 15. My eight year old half-sister Ruby Nell was again retained in first grade (possibly due to missing 44 of 158 days). They were in Mr. Nicely’s classes.

Mr. Nicely was born on March 28, 1906 and was a resident of the Liberty Hill community where he taught. He had taught four years previously at three different locations. He held a teaching permit that was renewed March 2, 1942. Mr. Nicely, specifically prepared to teach upper elementary grades, was an elementary school graduate, though he had not graduated from high school. He listed no teacher training on his record. Mr. Nicely was a married white male with six dependents, expected to teach an eight month term at a salary of $50.00 per month. Mr. Nicely reported on one page of his register that the number enrolled at the beginning of the term was 44. Sixteen were dropped from the roll, leaving 28 at the term’s end. The length of the school term was 158 days taught. On the next page, he reported a total of 45 students, 31 boys, fourteen girls, fifteen dropped from the rolls with fourteen failures, eight boys and six girls.

I wrote much about Mr. Joe Davis in my previous article. Mr. Davis had my 11 year and 2 months oldest half-sister Estelle in his fifth grade class. She received good grades, but was retained most likely for missing 38 days of the term. Estelle was 5’ 3” tall, weighing 78 pounds. At some point in her life, she had whooping cough, measles and mumps. Also in Mr. Davis’ 7th grade class that year was my cousin Carson Rosenbalm, who was promoted to eighth grade.

Mr. Davis’ report boasted a school property valued at $2,000.00 on grounds worth $500.00. At the beginning of the year he said the school had 174 usable books for the grades as a total, while 75 books were centrally housed for use of all grades. The central collection was increased to 175 by years’ end. Mr. Davis’ record of the year’s work reads as follows:

Enrollment at beginning of the term 68
Enrollment at end of term 51
Number dropped from roll 19
Number promoted to next grade were 16
Four students were awarded eighth grade certificates
Eight students received reading certificates
One student spelling certificate
And one student was awarded a perfect attendance certificate
The school had one pie supper which netted about $16.00
This money was used to purchase material for school

Mr. Davis reported that in grades 4-8 he had 24 total students enrolled, ten boys and fourteen girls. Only one fourth grade girl dropped from the roll. Fifteen students were promoted to the next grade, and eight were retained. A note on the last otherwise blank page of Mr. Davis’ register says: “One key was left at Joe Davis’ house.”

Clarence Nicely did not return for the 1942-43 term. Taking his place alongside Joe Davis was first through fourth grade teacher Mrs. Rosella Nicely. Mrs. Nicely was born on June 14, 1918 and was a resident of the Liberty Hill community where she taught. She had taught three years previously, all at one location. Mrs. Nicely held a permanent teaching certificate that was issued on July 15, 1939. She attended Lincoln Memorial University from 1937 to 1939, accruing 90 total college credits, 21 of which were education credits. Mrs. Nicely was a married white female with no dependents. She was to be paid $74.00 per month for an expected eight month term. Following is Mrs. Nicely’s record of the year’s work:

We began school at Wood Dale in 1942 with fifty-seven students enrolled. Fourteen of these were dropped from the roll. We finished school with a membership of forty-three, of these thirty-eight were promoted to higher grades. The chief cause of the five failures was irregular attendance.

In addition to our regular schoolwork we had several new activities this year such as:
Collecting scrap metal, rubber, and etc. [this would have undoubtedly been to support the war effort]
A Red Cross Drive.
Physical Training.

Under Mrs. Nicely, my eight year oldest half-sister Ruby Nell finally was promoted to second grade, though she only attended 78 days and was absent 26 of those. My oldest half-brother Fred was also promoted to fourth grade, receiving good marks and only missing eleven days of the full term. Unfortunately, my six year old half-brother Billy Howard was retained in the Primer class, having only attended 52 of the 78 days he was enrolled.

I found an almost illegible note in Mrs. Nicely’s register written by “YOUR FRIEND BILLY” to “DEAR BETTY”. The subject was “WHY DON’T YOU DRAW PUMPKINS”. Could this have been from my half-brother Billy Howard to a girl named Betty? (It just so happens there is a girl named Betty recorded in Mrs. Nicely’s register.)

Joe Davis’ register for 1942-43 records that my twelve year old half-sister Estelle was dropped from the roll on December 4, 1942 in her second year of the fourth grade with the stated reason that she moved to Knoxville. Joe Davis’ record of the year’s work was exactly like Mrs. Nicely’s except for his addition of the following: “We had several public programs during the year, at which many of the parents were present.” Mr. Davis reported one student receiving an eighth grade certificate on April 2, 1943.

Both Mrs. Nicely and Joe Davis returned to Wood Dale to teach the 1943-1944 school year. Billy Howard Mincy left school on December 17, 1942 (cause: sick), and Ruby Nell finally was promoted to third grade. Mrs. Nicely noted in the record of the year’s work, in addition to the record of attendance (50 total), drops (5), promotion (31) and retention (14), the scrap metal collection and Red Cross donation continued, but new this year was the tuberculosis fund. Fred Mincy was retained in Joe Davis’ fourth grade and Estelle Mincy in his fifth. Mr. Davis listed the principal cause of the failures of both (as well as of several other retained students) as “emotional factors”. If this was indeed true for Fred and Estelle Mincy, the situation was about to get worse as their mother Dora Thomas Mincy would pass away during the summer of 1944 (May 26), leaving nine children ranging from ages 14 years to 5 months.

Three students received eighth grade certificates. New forms were added to the register that Joe Davis as school principal had to complete:

Rural Elementary School Standardization Report—I
Preliminary Form for Checking Elementary Schools Seeking Approval, Session ___

Rural Elementary School Standardization Report—II
and
Requisition for Eighth Grade Certificates
Final Form for Checking Elementary Schools Seeking Approval, Session ________

Report of Pupil Failure

School year 1944-1945 seems to have been rather more chaotic at Wood Dale than previous years. Mr. Joe Davis remained principal and grade 4-8 teacher. There are two registers for grades 1-3. One is for Lucille Nicely, who reported teaching 26 first through third graders, 16 boys and five girls. Of her students, fourteen were over age and two were underage for their grade placements.

Ms. Lucille Nicely was born on December 7, 1924 and was a resident of the Liberty Hill community where she taught. She was new to the teaching profession. She was an elementary and high school graduate. There seems to be a small checkmark next to the word “permit” on her Teacher’s Record form, but no issue date is listed. She listed no post-secondary training. Ms. Davis was an unmarried white female with no dependents. She listed no monthly salary amount. Her register was notarized by the legendary Union County Schools employee Ruth Gentry on January 12, 1945, indicating that Ms. Lucille Nicely only taught the first half of the term. In her class were two of my half-brothers, Billy Howard and J. C. Mincey (the “e” in the last name finally appeared). Both were in first grade, though this was Billy Howard’s second year of school. Ruby Nell Mincey was in third grade, though this was her fourth year in school.

Another register is on file for teacher Faustine Nicely. It is highly disorganized. The register contains a half sheet (front and back) for reporting each student’s information, grades, and attendance. Part of the way through Faustine Nicely’s register, the names on the front and back do not match. Her register was not validated by the affirmation oath before a notary public.

Joe Davis’ register maintained its usual level of clarity and accuracy. It appears he completed one register for the entire school, as it contains students from all grades. Mr. Davis lists Ruby Nell, Billy Howard, and J. C. Mincy as having moved on January 23, 1945. (The “e” in the last name disappeared again in Mr. Davis’ register.) Surprisingly, Mr Davis’ register for 1944-45 also was not validated by the affirmation oath before a notary public.

Mr. Davis’ monthly salary for the 1944-45 term was $104.50. The value of playground equipment was listed as “none”, and the condition of the two toilets was listed as unsanitary. Mr. Davis reported 52 students enrolled, 5 dropped, 17 promoted to the next grade, and 30 failures. Two eighth grade certificates were awarded on March 23, 1945. On his Report of Pupil Failure, Mr. Davis cited the following factors which determined school failures: physical (auditory, speech defects, immaturity, poor health but not absent, laziness, low vitality, poor nutrition); emotional (antagonism to teacher and certain school activities); attendance (irregular); social (overage, delinquency, parental interference, economic deficiency, out-of-school interests and activities); mental (low mentality, insufficient work and study habits, lack of readiness, indifference of pupils, lack of study, failure in certain subjects). He reported that most pupils in the community spent their leisure time in unsupervised play.

In this article I have shared information about Wood Dale School during the World War II years (1940 through 1945) as related in available school registers on file at the Union County Board of Education. I will continue this discussion through the post war years in the next edition.