Writer: Jasmyn Porter
Ninety Years Of Success-Happy Anniversary!
Can you imagine what Mary Persons was like 90 years ago? Well, don't worry, because some MP alumni have stuck around to tell you! Over the past 90 years, Mary Persons High School has accomplished much and is still making history. For years, Mary Persons has been known as a school that exceeds in not just academics, but athletics as well. As the only high school in Monroe County, going to Mary Persons comes with a large amount of pride, and an even larger amount of love for the teachers, students, and the community.
Banks Stephens, the current middle school of Monroe County, was the first public high school in 1912. It was built on East Johnson Street which is now the main road in Forsyth. Soon, Banks Stephens became overcrowded. Mary Persons High School was erected in 1929 for white students and Hubbard School was built to serve black students. Mary Persons was located where the current Board of Education is located. The Hubbard School was located where Hubbard Elementary School is now.
Hubbard School was named after two brothers, William and Samuel Hubbard. The school was recognized as the first vocational agricultural school in Georgia in 1918. In 1931, Hubbard was made into a junior college called The State Teachers and Agricultural College. The history of Hubbard School contributed greatly to the success of Mary Persons because it brought students educated in agriculture to the school when the schools were integrated in 1970. By 1970, Mary Persons served all students, black and white, grades 7-12. These students went to school where the current B.O.E is located.
Over the next 10 years, two principals, Mr. David Holland and Mr. Frank Bates, served Mary Persons. In 1980, Mr. Mike Hickman led Mary Persons into arguably the most successful years of its history. Twice in the 1980s, MPHS was named a school of excellence. The MPHS debate team won state championships in 1986, 1990, and 1991. The Literary team was state champions in 1984, while Dan Pitts led the football team to the AA state championship in 1980.
Under the tenure of Dr. Porter, effective things happened as well. Dr. Porter saw the expansion of 15 classrooms, known today as the 500th wing. The technology lab added in 2001. Joe Parlier was the next principal. He was responsible for the finalization of the freshman campus. It opened in 2007 when Dr. Finch became the principal.
Ninety years later, Mary Persons is a thriving success. Since Dr. Finch started his tenure, Mary Persons has created many things to be proud of. I spoke to Dr. Finch about the accomplishments of the school since he has been the principal and he stated:
“My tenure began here in 2007. Since then, Mary Persons has been recognized as a model school for several years. In 2008, Mary Persons was recognized by the governor and the state department of education as a school with some of the highest gains in SAT scores in the state. As one of the leading schools in Middle Georgia, Mary Persons was named a Silver Medal School in 2013 by US News and World Report, being in the top 11% of high schools nationwide. Most recently, Mary Persons was recognized by the state department of education in 2015 as a model high school for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Additionally, Mary Persons earned a 5 Star Climate Rating in 2018, a distinction that signifies our school is performing well in academics, fine arts, athletics, behavior, and CTAE activities. And finally, Mary Persons, as the flagship school of our district, helped Monroe County Schools become the 11th ranked school district in Georgia, according to the website SchoolDigger.com.”
Current teachers at MPHS, Mrs. Rosalyn Sparks and Mrs. Ellen Clark, told information about when they went to Mary Persons. They said that they had pep rallies every Friday and that they were at the football field rather than in the gym. They also said that their home side was on the away side of our current stadium. Mrs. Sparks said that there was a lot more freedom. For example, they had breaks during the day. Mrs. Clark said her favorite memory of high school was going to pep rallies every Friday. Mrs. Clark stated, “I had the time of my life in high school. I would not trade it for the world.” Mrs. Clark, who had won Homecoming Queen further stated that winning was also one of her greatest memories.
Even after 90 years, Mary Persons is still doing great things and will be doing great things for generations to come. Dr. Finch states. “To me, Mary Persons is more than just a high school. It is its own community of students and teachers. Consider this: there are 24 teachers here that are MP alumni--this is a strong indication that students are graduating from MPHS satisfied with their high school experience, so much so they are willing to come back and teach to provide the same to future graduating classes.” Happy 90th Anniversary Mary Persons!
Jasmyn Porter is a tenth grade journalism student at Mary Persons High School