Heritage

The following is from "A Salute to the Heritage of Tate High School - 1976" project by the Class of '76.

Courtesy of Louise Robinson Davis, Class of '46.

Some of the past principals:

J. M. Tate          1878 - 1913

J. O. Brown        1913 - 1927

O. A. Strange     1927 - 1951

R. C. Lipscomb    1951 - 1953

Sidney Nelson    1953 - 1955

J. E. Christian     1955 - 1966

Ralph L. Godwin 1966 -

A Salute to the Heritage of Tate High School - 1976

Professor James M. Tate was the founder of Tate High School. He was born in 1837 in Alabama. The original school was known as Roberts High and was one of the first high schools in the county. The school building began as one room, and a shed was added for assemblies. The students sat on benches and walked on a sawdust floor.

Professor Tate was a lawyer and Civil War veteran who, on arrival at Roberts, taught all grades by himself for the first few years. He was also a minister, and when there was a funeral in the community the students were released from school and permitted to go. When his classes studied the Civil War, Professor Tate would often state that the textbooks were wrong. He then would tell of his many experiences while serving on the Confederate side.

The school day would start with Professor Tate calling the room to order. Then the boys would fill the water bucket from the creek, the girls would sweep the floor, some boys would clean the blackboard, and others would bring in the firewood. The girls then would sit on one side of the room and the boys on the other. They would have history, English, math, Latin, and spelling lessons. School would let out at three. All students living near the school would walk while those who lived in Ferry Pass or Beulah would ride horses.

Professor Tate's room was the largest and was located in the center of the building. It was also used for assemblies. He would sit on the stage and to his right sat those students who misbehaved.

In 1915 the styles of clothing were middy blouses and ankle-length skirts for girls, and the boys would wear knickerbocker style pants with long socks. Only the senior and junior boys were allowed to wear long pants.

During the thirty-five years Professor Tate taught at Roberts High, 107 students graduated. He married more than 200 couples, with 114 being previous students. Although he retired in 1913, Professor Tate lived to see the completion of the James M. Tate Agricultural School in 1917. It was a two-story brick building consisting of eight classrooms. This building advanced the agricultural program, and crop raising was taught to the boys who also learned to raise chickens and hogs.

The ninety-four students never even thought of skipping school. The only exception was April Fools Day. On this day all the students would skip and go on a picnic. The last April Fool's Day when they had their picnic, the principal chased them. He only caught half of them, and the other half took off with all of the lunch.

There was no football equipment in the early days of the school, so the main sports were basketball and baseball. During physical education the girls had uniforms consisting of shirts, ties and bloomers draped to their knees. At this time the school buses were Model T Fords and were usually operated by the students.

The first idea of a lunchroom was when a mother in 1924 brought a pot of soup and sandwiches to the school. Although teachers were both men and women, the women had to be single. Because of a developing teacher shortage, this rule was later changed. In the 1920’s teachers were paid $73 a month.

In 1927 O. A. Strange became principal of Tate High School. He was nicknamed “Pop”. During his twenty-four years a Tate, ten buildings were added. Tate grew from a small rual school to a more modern high school.

Our present principal R. L. Godwin administrates over 2,635 students and has seen the school grow to its present state. Mr. Godwin's nickname has become and will remain "Uncle Ralph."

A real warmth and friendliness exists between faculty and students at Tate. It continues to grow even as the school grows. The programs are more diverse, and the buildings are more numerous, but the same Aggie pride which characterized the school in its earliest days is alive and well in Gonzalez, Florida.