The Death Of A High School
The gargoyles in the brick structure pictured above once guarded the entrance to Hugh Morson High School. It has long since been demolished, and this was erected in 1978 to preserve the memory of it by alumni. The inscription above reads:
These gargoyles once graced the entrance to Hugh Morson High School. They now face the site approximately 275 yards southeast between Person, Morgan, Bloodworth, and Hargett Streets. Erected in remembrance by former students in 1978
This structure is located on Morgan Street, near where it intersects Blount Street. When doing my routine scientific and exclusive detective work that accompanies each post (a Google search), I found a treasure trove of Raleigh history in the form of a video interviewing the final class of Hugh Morson High School. Some of the interesting facts about Raleigh in 1955 noted by alumni include:
- The population was around 55,000 people
- There were 3 high schools: Broughton, Ligon, and Hugh Morson
- All schools combined their athletic programs to form one team, The Raleigh Caps
The original is hosted on the WCPSS web site but for embedding purposes, I uploaded it to YouTube. There are several incredible photos of Raleigh’s past that are worth checking out in the video below.
UPDATE: Karl (Raleigh Boy) has provided me with the following images of Hugh Morson High School. Thanks Karl!
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05/21/2008
Yours truly attended Hugh Morson in the mid-60s when it was a junior high school. It was an enormous building and occupied the entire block bounded by Hargett, Person, Bloodworth and Morgan streets. The gargoyles were way up on the facade above the third floor. There were six of them and I think four of the figures represented a principal, a teacher, a “good” student and a “bad” student (the other two escape me right now). It looks like the two “student” faces were the ones saved for the monument. Gigantic iron gates guarded the recessed front entryway… There was an awesome and delightfully foreboding mystique about that place that will be with me always. Thanks for the memory flashback John!
You certainly have an uncanny knack for capturing Raleigh the unusual and arcane…Good job!
04/04/2009
boy does this bring back memories, i went to hugh morson from ’62 ’63 ’64… still remember the friends and teachers. i live a long way from there now , but still think about it once in while. i remember the day jfk was shot and they sent us home from school. the beatles were new and short skirts were just coming in….i can still recall the pale blue dress i wore to the eighth grade dance…. loved the pics!!!!
05/16/2009
I attended Hugh Morson in the 7th and 8th grades in 1943-44. My stepfather was with the Salvation Army, which was a half block from school on Person Street. There was a Greek Church next to our Salvation Army Hall.
I had previously attended Thompson Elementary on Hargett and when I started at Hugh Morson I thought I was really in the big leagues. I remember my home room teacher was a Miss Dennison and the music teacher was a red haired lady whose name I cannot recall.
This was during WWII and German POW’s were used to work on the streets in Raleigh at that time. They were always a source of great curiosity when they were (guarded of course) working near the school.
My stepfather was reassigned to Charlotte, so my tenure at Hugh Morson was short. I live in Colorado now, but have never forgotten the school and some of the people I knew then. My grandson and I were in Raleigh in 2006 during the street construction period on the main street. I visited the old neighborhood with him and showed him where the school had been. To a seventeen year old it had to be the same as seeing a large block with a hugh cave on it, trying to visulize how it appeared in those very distant days.
08/24/2009
Hi there –
Does anyone by chance remember what the mascot was for Morson?
08/24/2009
yes, oakie, I do remember. The school mascot was the Morson Demon. He was a devilish lil dude, with horns on his head, a forked tail, and carried a trident. The lil imp wore a wool athletic sweater with a capital ‘M’ emblazoned on the front. The school colors were __ and __ Anybody else remember?? hah!
09/29/2009
Thank you for this web site, on which I was so glad to see photos of Hugh Morson High School!
Can someone advise me who could tell me when Lundie Calvin Ogburn and Jean Winton Ogburn attended HMHS? LCO would have graduated (I think) about 1921 and JWO did not graduate but might have attended about 1930 or 1931. I would be very grateful for a contact, since I have had no luck so far with other sites. KIO in Austin TX
10/06/2009
The school colors were (are) purple and Gold
Does anyone remember when the school went to the 12th grade to graduate? I recall that year was the first one that required the 12th grade. Others I have asked remembered is as ’40. Was it optional for that 2 year period?
11/11/2009
I have a copy of the 1934 Oak Leaf annual from Morson High School. I would be glad for someone who would cherish it to have it.
01/12/2010
Does anyone know the name of someone who would have graduated from HMHS in 1932 with the initials M.H.J.? We have a woman’s high school ring from HMHS that was given to us by a relative who was born in 1933 in North Carolina.
01/19/2010
Patricia Ann commented, and pulled me also back to that faithful day for Mr. Kennedy. Another President said it best, “A Day That Will Live In…….”, well, you know the rest. Hugh Morson (Jr. High) School will remain the fondest memory of my youth. A place to grow, learn, and create memories forever. So very sad to have seen it go, so very happy to have seen those photos of a place very dear in my heart…..Luther Gillispie, Cana Virginia
01/25/2010
I went to Hugh Morson the year it became a junior high and was there the day Raleigh had its first bomb threat call in to a school we were all taken across the street to the big white church on the corner until thy could call of parents.I am looking for a year from 32to35 to see if my mother Margaret Lucille Hopkins or my dad James Thomas Miller is in it.
01/25/2010
I went to Hugh Morson the year it became a junior high and was there the day Raleigh had its first bomb threat call in to a school we were all taken across the street to the big white church on the corner until thy could call of parents.I am looking for a year from 32to35 to see if my mother Margaret Lucille Hopkins or my dad James Thomas Miller is in it.by the way the red head music teacher was miss woods
02/16/2010
I went to Morson(now called Aycock) for the first semester of 1965-1966 school year. The student body moved into the new Aycock Junior High School buiding after the Christmas hoildays and demolition of the old school began.
02/19/2010
I went to Morson when it was junior high school. Two of the teachers that made a big impression on me were Mrs Winslow and Mrs Guthie. Does anyone remember how we had to go upstairs? We had four sets of stairs, two for up and two for down. I will always remenber the good times there.
02/19/2010
Bernice, Al, Barbara, Luther and all the commenters who have fond memories of Hugh Morson — Thanks for sharing them with our readers.
05/04/2010
My sister-in-law is doing a family history and is using some old yearbooks for research. She’s come across a question to which we can’t find the answer…When Hugh Morson changed to a middle school, what school did the high school students move to? Thanks
05/04/2010
Hmmm, this is a good question, Dawn. In all the references I’ve seen, and from everything I’ve been told, Hugh Morson High School was converted to a junior high school (grades 7-9) in 1955. I myself attended Morson from fall 1963 (7th grade) until halfway through 9th in 1965. We finished out junior high at Charles B. Aycock, which was a new school built next door to W.G. Enloe High School. Enloe had opened in 1962.
What puzzles me is what grade level attended Morson between the years 1955 and 1962? I looked in Raleigh city directories for 1952, 1958, 1959 and 1962, and they all listed Broughton and Morson as a “high school.” The only (white) junior high school listed in 1962 was Daniels. (By that time Raleigh’s first black high school, Washington, had been converted to a junior high.)
So I’m guessing that between 1955 and 1962 Morson perhaps served grades 7-12. You have to remember that this period was the era of segregated schools in Raleigh. The inner city white population was dwindling at the time, so it would make sense that a single neighborhood school could serve the white students in the junior-senior high age bracket. But that is only a guess. So the short answer to your question is that by 1962 all senior high students had been transferred to either Broughton or Enloe.
But your question has intrigued me. Now I’ll have to try to solve this mystery!
05/05/2010
Thanks for the info. I’ve also contacted the Raleigh City Museum who said they’d look into it. So if I get an answer from them before you find it, I’ll let you know.
05/29/2010
Grady Carroll was an excellent English teacher who also played the cello. We had to write themes in his class and read them in front of the class. I really enjoyed that part of the day.
08/13/2010
I have great memories of Morson Jr High… Coach Bauers and “studentcoach” Creech who was also an art teacher… member that? huh? Ms Annie Davis… science teacher extraordinaire… member her… Ms Bass… bet lotsa guys remember her. Remember meeting at the gas station up the street before school to decide if today was a school day? Or the meetings there after school for the butt whoopinz?
How ’bout… hmmmm, I think her name was Ms Webb(?)… history teacher. Swung a pretty mean paddle as I remember. RJ Proctor, school principal, remember him waddling down the hallways?. Ms Guthrie as I recall was a math teacher. Some of the most wonderful ppl I have met in my life graced the doors of Hugh Morson. Remember getting to school early in the cool of the early morning for the quickie softball games? [The high point of many a day there] The great .35[cent] lunches? The after school track practices… me always *attempting* to get close to Pete’s ability to sling the discus. Oh, I do have some fond memories of HMJHS. Anyone seen Diane Arnaiz, Sandra Poole, OX…? huh, inquiring bachelors wanna know ;o)
At Hugh Morson I had a perfect attendance record… I really liked the school and fellow students… it was truly a “hometown” school.
How about the field trip out to the “RockinJ”, thanks Steve [and parents], remember that anyone?
I still have rare contact with some fellow students.
After Morson I ended up going to Broughton, it was like an entirely different world… I never felt attached to Broughton like I did HMJHS. I was just a simple kinda kid… HMJHS fit me well.
08/14/2010
I wish I could recall the exact story in a newspaper clipping that I read frmo a file at the Cameron Village Library probably 20 years ago? At that time near the back of the library, they had a wall of file cabinets and inside had various files on different topics that had newspaper clippings etc. inside. I don’t know if the new library has this available today?
However, it was a clipping about the gargoyles that are now in the memorial. The story was about a man who worked with the company that was in charge of the demo. of Hugh Morson. The supervisor/or head of the company said, he could have/keep anything he liked from the building once it hit the ground. So the gentleman salvaged the 2 gargoyles that survived their tumble down from their watchful perch 3 stories above the ground. You can see clearly in the memorial they were very lucky to survive that fall and only loose small pieces of their faces. The others did not survive the fall in a whole piece like the 2 in the memorial..He took them home and placed them out back of a building or something like that at his home.
So from I 1966? until 1977-78? they sat out behind this building and he actually forgot about them. Now the next part I can not recall how the alumni and the gentleman come in contact with each other,and used the gargoyles as part of the memorial we see today. However I know he gladly gave them to the Alumni group for free to use, and what a beautiful way to use them, to remember such a beautiful building that sadly was taken down long before it needed to.
I hate that I cannot remember every detail but I ran across this blog story on Hugh Morson and I had to add this to the comment section. For some reason, I think it was from the Raleigh Times, and it was after the memorial was completed and dedicated. It did have a picture of 2 alumni students, if I’m correct, the 2 alumni, one man and one woman were both from the Class of ’53.
09/02/2010
Just running throught to se if any new posts have been added. And see who remembers who. I added the post “Don says” posted on 8/13.
That would be Don Jones.
I can be contacted at punchdrunque@gmail.com. It would be great hearing from some of ya.
DJ is upright and breathing in sunny Fl. Ya better make it quick though, sheeesh you guys are getting old… all this reminiscing … brings back more memories… most specific, my grandparents and their reminiscing… sheeesh… I’m there.
Habla Espanol anyone? tehehe Me neither.
Oh… and the colors for Hugh Morson High School may have been purple and gold… the colors accepted by Broughton High School… the colors for HMJH where blue and white. And Hugh Morson Jr High also put together a yearbook for it’s final graduating class… one of the few Jr Highs to have one. Does anyone still have that? A paperback with all the pix in B and W? I got memories I am about to unremember… life seems to do that to ya when ya spent a lot of it getting yer head banged. Better get up with me while I remember who *I* am. ;o)
I recognize a couple of names I’ve seen here… just can’t be sure that the association I put with them are accurate.
Anyhow, yell out… I’ll yell back.
Oh yeah… I know this site was for Hugh Morson High… I’m cheating; stealing their space. I would say “So suit me” but in this day and age, that an all too welcome invite. ;o)
09/09/2010
Interesting site – my father (George Jivatode) attended Hugh Morson – believe he was school treasurer. I believe he was part of the class that had to transfer high schools. I am informing my Uncle about this site and maybe he can answer some questions. I have a great cartoon my father illustrated for the school paper, if I can find it, to whom should I send it?? Thanks for the site, it helps me get to know just that much more of the greatest man in my life!
09/10/2010
Just received the following from my uncle, who also attended HMHS.
Re Hugh Morson: George graduated in 1953. He was an Officer either for the Student Council or his class. The Class of 1955 was the last graduating class from Hugh Morson High School. After that it became a Junior High School. In the 1953-1955 time frame there were two white public schools in Raleigh; Hugh Morson and Needham Broughton. Each building housed the 8Th grade in addition to grades 9-12. Eighth graders were called sub-freshmen. After that Hugh Morson, Needham Broughton and Methodist Orphanage combined to form the only white public Senior High School in Raleigh (grades 10-12). That was Broughton. I graduated from Broughton in 1957.
09/13/2010
I also spent 3 yrs at HMJHS. This was during Princ. George Khady’s tenure. So many students really loved him as well as the school. I remember a couple of boys who loved being there so much that they kept failing so they wouldn’t have to leave it. I moved on to Broughton in 1962. Others moved on to Enloe. 1962 was the last year for HMJHS.
It was in the days when corporal punishment was allowed. The boys counselor, Mr. Proctor, kept a shaved down slab of wood that became a paddle. A few holes were drilled into it to allow for a goooood swat. Despite the fact that it hurt, the boys took the punishment instead of having their parents called to school. They knew Mom and Dad would give them much worse, in those days.
Yes, the colors were blue and white. There was a cheer club of girls called the Blue Caps. I was a member. We weren’t the cheerleaders but we sat in the stands with our colors on doing the rah rah thing.
09/17/2010
philip stone asked the question about a year ago:
“Does anyone remember when the school went to the 12th grade to graduate? I recall that year was the first one that required the 12th grade. Others I have asked remembered is as ’40. Was it optional for that 2 year period?”
My father (went to Broughton, but same policies applied to Morson) took the option of graduating in 1939, after the 11th grade, although some in his class stayed for 12th grade and graduated in 1940. In the 1939 yearbook, he’s pictured as a graduating senior. Anyhow, I’ve heard him say that his class was the last one to have the option of graduating a year early. Over the years, the 1939 and 1940 Broughton classes have held combined reunions.
09/17/2010
re Mike’s comment about Grady Carroll:
“Grady Carroll was an excellent English teacher who also played the cello. We had to write themes in his class and read them in front of the class. I really enjoyed that part of the day.”
I’ll take a guess that this is the same Grady Carroll who lived in my neighborhood, was the stepfather of one of my classmates (Broughton ’68), and was a professor at Louisburg Jr. College. I didn’t realize he’d taught at Morson. He and his wife moved to Morehead City maybe 10 years ago (time slips away from me, maybe longer ago than that) to live near their younger son and family. Mrs. Carroll died not too long after that; as far as I know, Grady Carroll is still living. Until he left Raleigh, he was the historian at our church (Hayes-Barton Methodist).
09/21/2010
Thank you for the work making this information available, and for all the good comments. my father went there in the 30s and was (i think) valedictorian. i had his yearbook and some copies of the school paper, but they’re long gone by now. i’m glad others are keeping the memory alive. thanks!
11/19/2010
For Bill Thompson…Bill, the red headed music teacher was Alice woods. I remember her assisant Rose Mary Holmes. Every boy in the music class was in love with her. She got married and broke every boys heart, including mine. I remember my art teacher, Helen Wooten. I was at Hugh Morson 1946-1950,8th thru the 12th. The best years of my life were at Hugh Morson. Thank all of you for the memories.
12/11/2010
Hi everyone. I bought a house in the neighborhood across from Broughton High School back in the 1990′s & sold it in the early 2000′s. It had an attic which had many old & interesting things.
I’ve just recently cleaned out my attic & found the 1915, 1916, 1917, & 1918 yearbooks called the Rattler from Raleigh High School. The only professor on staff was a Hugh Morson.
Does anyone know where the original Raleigh High School was located?
12/12/2010
@Mike — Raleigh High School (predecessor of Morson and Broughton) was built next door to the Raleigh water tower, across the street from fire station #1, on W. Morgan Street in 1909. The site is now occupied by the First Presbyterian Church education building expansion. btw Mike– I also have a copy of the 1915 ‘Rattler’ — would be interested in seeing the others.
12/13/2010
Hugh Morson grads meet monthly at the Person Street Pharmacy. Next meeting is 17 Dec. They bring old yearbooks to the meetings and although I am not a Morson grad, I enjoy going thru the old books just to see how many of the students I recognize. Very interesting and I am sure they would love to see Mike’s copies of the Rattler.
02/09/2011
My father passed about away 22 years ago but I have his ring from Hugh Morsey dated 1945. Unfortunately, we never really talked about his HS days. I know he graduated from NC State but would really like to know more about life at Hugh Morsey during those years.
Thanks,
Don Chappelear
Roanoke, VA
540-353-6848
02/09/2011
Sorry, my typo.
I meant Hugh Morson. I would welcome e-mails at mully2004@cox.net.
Thank you in advance.
03/06/2011
It’s great to see people still remember Hugh Morson Jr. High. I went to Morson in the 60′s and played football and ran track for Coach Bauer , he was a great man. I had a lot of good times there and made a lot of friends, then I went Broughton and did not like that school. I should have gone to Enloe. But that life. I’m glad I found this sight, I enjoy reading the notes people leave.
Thanks
Sammy Nance
03/30/2011
I was the class president of the last senior class to graduate from HMHS….The HMHS Class of 1955. For our 50th year reunion in 2005,
we produced a DVD, “Lost In the Fifties Tonight”. Copies were furnished to the Raleigh City Museum, the Olivia Rainey branch of the
Raleigh (Wake County) libraries and to Broughton HS. The DVD described with pictures and music our lives in Raleigh during our days at HM from 1950 through 1955, as well as what was going on in the world during those days. I recommend it. Ernest “Duck” Spence
03/31/2011
I WENT TO MORSON JR HIGH IN THE 60s. I PLAYED FOOTBALL FOR COACH SEXTON AND COACH BAUER.AFTER I GOT OUT OF THE SERVICE I WENT TO SEE THE SCHOOL AND WAS SAD TO SEE THAT IT WAS NO LONGER THEIR.
04/30/2011
Thanks for the name of the music teacher. I remember we spent a lot of time rehearsing “Summertime and The Living Is Easy”, etc., for some special event. Strange how small things will be remembered after all these years. I remember Leonard Uzzle who sat in front of me in home room and he had black hair, except for a patch, round, about the size of a fifty-cent piece on the lower left side near the end of his hair line. For some reason that fascinated me.
I am pushing 81 now, but still have a lot of great memories of my time at Hugh Morson. I left NC for the USAF in 1948. That took me to Wyoming and all over a lot of the world, but NC is till my home state and I have some relatives in the Henderson area. Thanks again and good luck to you.
05/19/2011
I remember you guys, Sammy Nance and Boyce Stafford. I went to Murphy, Morson and Enloe. I went to Enloe the first year it opened. Morson was blue and white and Enloe was green and gold.
05/25/2011
Many fond memories were had by all when I attended HMHS from 1950-1955. I returned to Raleigh Area in 1983 and decided to live in Cary, where we still reside. Later, I found Ernest (Duck) Spence and Alice (Kelley) Burrows who have tried to contact all our class members of 1955, and I offered to help them, since I’ve had 24+ years in recruiting and search. Now beginning the search and have attended 3 gatherings of friends from 1955. Making contacts directly and through HMHS55search@gmail.com to include others. Please reply if you know of someone or yourself from 1955 class! Hope to hear from you, soon!
PS: Seeking 1955 Oak Leaf; mine was lost in a 1974 flood in NY state.
Regards, Hardy Rothrock May 25, 2011
05/31/2011
I would have been class of 49 but left for Hargrave Military Academy after my 8th grade year. I sang in MRS. Woods church choir. i remember she had roving girl quartets sing at functions. they were great. I remember teasing one girl by calling her “everready” she would then chase you all over the school grounds. I am trying to find alums of this era who attended Murphy school. my emil is leonrue@roadrunner.com.
06/01/2011
What a treat, to find this site! I attended Hugh Morson Jr. High from ’62 to graduation in 1964. Thank you, all of you, who have recorded so many wonderful memories on this page. I remember Mr. Bauer (Coach Bauer) so well, from 9th Grade Civics class. He used to prowl the aisles between seats with that wooden pointer in his hand, ready to poke anyone (lightly, in jest) who might have dozed off, or gave a dumb answer, or no answer at all.
I also recall JFK’s assassination so clearly. I was in Mr. Ludlum’s science class when Mr. Proctor came on the PA and first announced JFK’s being shot, and no one knew any more yet; (Lex Ludlum, aka “Sexy Lexy” by so many of the girls I had crushes on. (Sandra Honeycutt, Cathy Sterling, many others, and yes, (This is for Don, above) on Sandra Poole, also. My family lived on Oakwood Avenue, across from the main entrance to Oakwood Cemetery, at the intersection of Linden Avenue. Sandra Poole and her brother, Lamont, and family, lived just a few houses up from us, on Linden. I was always too shy to speak to Sandra, but she did come over to my yard a few times, when Lamont was there playing “Goose and Catch,” or “Four-Square” with the neighborhood gang. (Johnny Bell, Johnny Bryant, Mary Pope, Tommy Parrish, the three Honeycutt boys (no relation to Sandra, I think), and so many more great people.
My 7th Grade homeroom teacher was the infamous Mrs Oswald, and we had Mrs. Davis also, and Mrs. Stevenson. Gym class was usually led by Coach Tench.
Will write more. THANK YOU ALL.
Rut Etheridge
Class of ’64
06/01/2011
P.S.
I have an original copy of the class picture from 7th Grade, with homeroom teacher Mrs. Oswald. When I figure out how, I’ll upload it to a site, blog or something, that will allow the picture to be either viewed or downloaded full-sized – that is, if anyone might be interested.
Rut Etheridge
And, remember: (A little music, if you please, and some LOUD voices from the home-team bleachers of Charlie Dayton leading the mighty Morson Blue Demons!)
“The voice of Morson Junior High will ring
‘Til all the rafters fill with joy again,
The Spirit of the School…”
Wish I remembered more of that song :)
06/04/2011
This website has me so hooked, it’s beyond words. Raleigh in the early 1960′s was my favorite time of life. Hugh Morson Junior High was the best school, and I had the best friends, not counting my Navy buddies, at that time and place. My Dad, Rutledge Etheridge Sr., was a career Navy man. He was a Hospital Corpsman and we came to Raleigh for him to work in the Marine Corps recruiting station as a medic. (The Corps has always used Navy Corpsmen, including WWII and Korea, where Dad did two combat tours with the Marines.) When I went for my top secret clearance for Polaris submarines, (I enlisted 6 days after my 17th birthday, in October of 1966) it seemed to take forever just to list the schools I’d been to; it turned out that there had been 22 of them. Morson was by far the best.
And the people of Raleigh were the friendliest I’ve ever known, both before and since living there.
With my brother Jerry and my cousin Wil Etheridge, I walked up to the Governor’s Mansion – occupied by Terry Sanford at the time – a couple of times a week. We loved to climb the statues. I was fascinated by watching the senior citizens sitting on the park benches there, talking with one another and feeding the pigeons and squirrels. I knew in 1964 that my family was leaving Raleigh in a few months, after graduation from 9th Grade at Morson. I didn’t want to leave that place and those people. So I promised myself then that I would return to Raleigh when I was old, and sit on one of those benches, and feed the critters. I still intend to; it’s like that Paul Simon song, “OLD FRIENDS/BOOKENDS.” There’s a great line in the song, “How terribly strange, to be seventy.” That’s a promise I will keep. Who knows? There may be some of my old and dear friends there, old like me, ready to discuss the world and life. There is comfort in that thought – completing the cycle, from 14 to 70 or so.
Hey, if anyone has a Morson yearbook from ’62, ’63, or especially ’64, I will guarantee its safe return if you’d consent to lend it to me via insured mail. I’ll even throw in a couple of the science fiction novels I wrote back in the 1980s and ’90s, autographed for you to keep. One of them was a national bestseller – an autographed first edition is going on eBay for $245.00 and up, depending on condition. I’ll send you a mint-condition (never opened) copy.
Thank you all for the great memories of a great place, in a great time to be alive. All I need next is a vintage car like the one my friend James Solomon sometimes got to drive – a 1959 Plymouth Fury convertible, black exterior and red interior, with that weird (iridescent blue, and square) steering wheel. That car was so strange to look at, with those amazing huge fins, it was truly beautiful! Then my memories would be complete:)
I can be reached at rutledge.etheridge@gmail.com
Best to all you Blue Demons!
Rut
06/04/2011
hey Rut!
What a fascinating story! I attended Hugh Morson Junior High 1963- 1965. I knew all the teachers you’ve talked about, and many of the students — and I remember your brother Jerry, as he was in my class.
An article I wrote for Goodnight Raleigh back in January about the sad demolition of our beloved school might interest you — http://goodnightraleigh.com/2011/01/in-days-of-auld-lang-syne-chronicling-the-last-days-of-hugh-morson-high-school/
08/22/2011
It’s interesting that the plaque on the Morson monument only lists the High School years. I suppose that’s because it was donated by high school alumni. My brother attended Morson High School. I still have the annuals, Oak Leaf, from 1954 and 1955. It’s interesting to see how many faculty members from the high school stayed for Jr. High. Some of them went with us to Enloe, specifically Cornelia Tongue, the GREATEST TEACHER EVER. I attended Morson Jr High from 1959 through 1962 then went on to Enloe. Boyce Stafford, nice to see your name. I remember you and your sister Pat from Morson. Loving this site and all of the memories it brings back. Love the photos of Morson. I spent many hours in the room on the 4th floor (band room) during my 3 years there. I was sad to see them turn the property into the Federal Bldg.
09/08/2011
Wow!! Ran across this site by pure coincidence. How cool! Yes, I attended Morson JUNIOR High School from 1958-61. It was 7,8,9 at that time. Then my class went to Broughton High School for one year (1961-62). Then, those of us who lived on the East side of Raleigh ended up opening Enloe High School. They opened Enloe in 1962-63 with the Junior Class being the highest class there that year. They did not want to transfer the upcoming seniors from Broughton as that had been their home school for their entire career. From Morson, I remember the gym teacher, Mrs. Merrick, who started a “kick-line”…We danced at basketball games and other events….Christmas concert. We had courderoy “jumpers” with bibs. We wore tap shoes! Are there any former Kickliners out there from Morson. Also, remember Mr. Sexton and Mrs. Redecker (?). Can’t remember what she taught. My sister, Bonnie Archer, preceded me at Morson and was a big fan of the music teacher, Mrs. Woods. Bonnie was part of the Broughton Group (Octect) that sang under Mrs. Woods after she trasferred to Broughton. They called her Ma Woods. I fondly remember Cornelia Tongue, who came with us to Enloe in 1962. Any other people remember these days??
09/11/2011
>V Vernon says:
>11/11/2009
>I have a copy of the 1934 Oak Leaf annual from Morson High School. I >would be glad for someone who would cherish it to have it.
I realize that his post is two years old, but if V Vernon is still around and still has the 1934 Oak Leaf, I would like to have it (my mother graduated in 1933 or 1934).
Meanwhile, I have a copy of the 1951 & 1952 Oak Leaf (my sister was a graduate) and will do look-ups for anyone.
I attended HMJHS for one semester (8th grade) in 1966 or 1967, perparatory to attending the then unfinished Aycock JHS that was located adjacent to Enloe High School. I do not really have any fond memories of the building. other than admiring the gargoyles. I pretty much thought it was a creepy building.
09/23/2011
We were living on S Swain St in Raleigh, when Hurricane Hazel hit, and my brother and I were going to Hugh Morson at the time. (On the morning of October 15,1954 Hurricane Hazel made a direct hit on the heart (Raleigh)of North Carolina.)
If “SMOKY HOLLOW GIRL” still comes to this web site, please get in touch with me! I lived in Smoky Hollow, it was my favorite of all places I ever lived. We just might know each other, I sure would like to know. My name was Mary Ann Creech then, now married! My e mail address is brjefferson4@embarqmail.com.
I enjoyed going to Hugh Morson, but only went about half the year, then we moved to Garner NC.
My brother was Grady Creech.
09/24/2011
Saundra Archer Hoover,
I had heard Cornelia Tongue’s name (always spoken with affection) when I attended HMJHS (I’m Class of ’63). Didn’t Cornelia have a son named William who was about four years older than me, which means he’d have finished the 9th grade in 1958 or thereabouts? The reason I ask – and this is a total shot in the dark – is that in my Navy days, 1966 through `70, I had a buddy named Willie Tongue. He was a quiet guy who owned up to being a Tar-heel, but he never did answer my question about the possibility of Cornelia Tongue being his mother. (I’m thinking that (we weren’t really close friends, just buddies)maybe there was something deeply personal there that he just didn’t want to discuss.
Just a thought. Thanks for your letter.
Rutledge
09/24/2011
Was Miss/Mrs Tongue married? All you guys need to go on FB. There are 3 Raleigh groups where we share our memories. It is such fun.
09/29/2011
Saundra-I remember those early Enloe days very well. I started the 7th grade at Enloe in the 63-64 school year. I recently read an article from the N&O about a player who was on Enloe’s first football team. I’m sure you’ll remember him. http://www.newsobserver.com/search_results/enloe%20football%20oliver%20frady
10/18/2011
I was at Morson years 60 thru 62. I loved every
minute I was there. I remember meeting
friends at the Mecca Grill for a coke after school.
We had wonderful school dances ( I attended my first
with a broken arm). Anyone remember
Ms. Love? I wish we could have a school
reunion it would be great seeing everyone.
My mother graduated from Hugh Morson High
School class of 1940.
I am so glad I found this site. Thanks for
the memories. joybeth612@bellsouth.net
10/28/2011
I have a picture of my 7th Grade class at Hugh Morson, from 1961. How can I upload it to this site, if anyone wants to see it?
Thanks!
Rutledge
Also – the name of this site is clever, considering how it came to be. But we have proved that Hugh Morson and the Blue Demons will NEVER die! As the school song proudly proclaimed,
“”The voice of Morson Junior High will sing
‘Til all the rafters ring
With joy again”
Remember how that song used to fill the auditorium before each Assembly? I’ll never forget it.
Well, we will keep those rafters of memory ringing, again and again, even after (for me) 50+ years so far, and in the case of others, far longer! Go, Blue Demons!
10/29/2011
Joy-I had Ms. Love for homeroom and science in the 7th grade at Enloe(1963-1964) I never forgot the display of fresh picked mushrooms she brought in on the first day of school.
11/04/2011
I went to Hugh Morson, 7th,8th,9th grade
played Football 3 years
we had a great team all 3 years
coach Sexton,was a great coach, great guy & wonderful roll model
had alot of wonderful friends at Morson
family moved to Atlanta, Ga after 9th Grade
great life experience
12/30/2011
I went to Hugh Morson in Jr. Hi for a while. Bill Hutchins who used to live on Jones st. was collecting anything that was Hugh Morson. He and his wife sold the house and moved I don’t know where they went but heard that his wife died in the last year and have wondered what happened to him and his collection of Hugh Morson memorabilia.
Anyone know?
The Hugh Morson Alumni meet the last Friday of the month at Person st. Pharmacy at 11:00 AM