Dedications

Clyde School owes Bob McCracken (’61) a debt of gratitude for taking on the enormous task of developing the first Clyde Cardinals school website. At the time Bob was doing his first work on this project, websites and the internet were much more difficult to manipulate and establish. Pulling together all the school annuals, pictures, and newspaper articles from back as far as 1949 was quite a feat. But with the help of his friend Johnny Rogers (’57), they managed to get all that put together in a workable website. He and Johnny established a great beginning for a website that should be able to continue for years yet to come and to be enjoyed by alumni and families. Bob credited the Class of ’61 with the original sponsorship of the Clyde Cardinals website and he maintained it for some fifteen years. The website is currently being maintained by Alumni funding and the Class of ’66. It is a pleasure to be able to carry on Bob’s beginning work and add recent pictures and events to the website.

Thanks, Bob, for your diligent work and constant efforts to get this memory website off the ground and running. Thanks, also to Johnny Rogers for his part in scanning and helping with all the annuals and articles. Hopefully, each year reunion pictures and news can be added for the enjoyment of alumni and families of Clyde School.

The 1955 Clyde Cardinal annual was dedicated to James Thomas Leatherwood who was Chairman of the Haywood County Board of Eudcation and was instrumental in helping to obtain funding for the Clyde School Gymnasium in that year 1954-55. The Gymnasium served the Clyde School and community for many years to come until it was eventually destroyed by a flood around 2015. He was also employed by Chamption Paper & Fiber Company as an accountant, was secretary/treasurer for the Clyde Building & Loan Association and owner of the Clyde Insurance Agency at the time of his death in 1954. He was married to Wilda Jackson Leatherwood and father of Stephen Leatherwood who was in the first grade at Clyde School. J. Tom was a deacon at Clyde First Baptist Church where he and several other men in the church played gospel hymns. J. Tom played guitar, mandolin and fiddle. He was a dedicated servant of the community, the school system and Haywood County in general.

For time unselfishly dedicated to building a stronger and more substantial athletic program; for effort expended in molding the lives of others in his kind and understanding way, we, the Senior Class of 1956 dedicate this, the eighth edition of THE CARDINAL, to COACH BROWN H. GRIFFIN, Teacher and Friend to all.

For your constant help in time of need, helpful supervision, and interest in helping us make ourselves better, we humbly make this dedication. You came to us two years ago, and during that time we have learned to love you and to respect your authority. You have carved an unforgettable figure in our memory, and one we will always hold in reverence. We humbly make this dedication to you, Perry W. Plemmons. Class of ‘57

Mr. Caldwell once dropped a remark which explains in a few words his philosophy of life and tells why this edition of the Cardinal is dedicated to him. “I have set as my aim in life, “he said “the making and keeping of as many friends as possible.” How well he achieved this goal can be attested by all of us—teachers, pupils, patrons, and by all who came in contact with him in his daily round of duties. Always cheerful and optimistic, always tactful and considerate, always polite and courteous, always ready and willing to do any task which makes the way more pleasant for pupils or teachers, he has earned the respect and love of all of us. Our school days have been made more pleasant because of him in faithfulness to duty and in his speech and actions, he set before all of us an example worthy of imitation. We extend to him an honor richly deserved in the dedication of this 1952 fourth edition of our annual. Class of 1952

Mr. Fulton F. Roper, beloved Agriculture I, II, III, and IV teacher who taught so much more than "agriculture" to the hundreds of students who passed through the doors of his classroom and shop over the years he taught at Clyde in the 1960s. All class levels from freshman to senior could enroll in his class and most of the males at Clyde did enroll. In the summers, students were outside planting gardens, dehorning bulls, and judging cows and pigs and in the colder months, they were inside learning about plumbing, electrical wiring, welding, shop equipment and identifying tools and learning shop safety. Students built picnic tables, cabinets, benches, learned how to measure, cut angles and lay brick and block. Mr. Roper's class in "agriculture" was so much more and was truly about "life and living skills" so many went on to use in their daily lives and some even making a living doing in later years. His was truly an "unforgetable" experience for any student who entered those doors. In later years, when asked about where or how they learned to do something, most often replied, "Mr. Roper 101". It was a class where students learned "living skills" and used them for the rest of their lives.

In picturing the activities of our school, we wish to recognize one who has played an important role in making our yearbook possible. She has worked faithfully for five years, and has devoted much time and patience as annual advisor, senior class sponsor, and in all phases of our school work. We wish to express our appreciation and to say Thank You. The Senior Class proudly dedicates the 1958 Cardinal to Mrs. C.E. (Sara) Brown, Jr.