A while ago, we were contacted by a reader who asked the Tribune to research and write the history of the Shirley Owens and Zack Huggins schools and how they merged. This will be a multi-part series over the next few weeks. – Jennifer Bozeman, publisher
With such a rich history of education in Clarke County, we have chosen to focus on the history and what life was like at both Zack Huggins High School and Shirley Owens High School. All history of the schools was provided by the Historic Clarke County book. While initially focusing on the history of the schools for those who may not have learned about them before, memories from some of the students who attended the schools will be provided in the upcoming weeks.
History of Shirley Owens and Zack Huggins Schools
While students are now able to enjoy only two major school districts in Clarke County, Enterprise and Quitman, wasn’t always so simple. Initially, Clarke County was known for having schools in almost every community in the county. The simple schools would form, merge, and change constantly. The City of Quitman has its own rich history in education with the school system becoming the district that is known today. Before integration, the final schools that dominated Quitman were Shirley Owens and Zack Huggins.
Shirley Owens High School
Most people in the community are able to identify the current Quitman Junior High School as the final building of Shirley Owens High School. Shirley Owens has much more history to it than just that one school building, however.
The idea of developing a school for the black children in this area wasn’t considered until 1919. The school didn’t have its own building at first and started out by having classes in Pearlie Grove Baptist Church. Mr. Thomas Blakney took on the role as the first principal for the school.
Later on, the school moved to a different location where it shared a two story building with a lodge. At that point, Mr. Samuel Owens, who had been principal for a couple of terms, requested that the school board pay another teacher for nine months as long as the patrons of the school did the same. The town granted his request and took over the operation of the school for several years after that.
By 1925, the school received assistance from the Rosenwald Fund and erected a Rosenwald School. The school and parents wanted to make it where students could continue their education at the school past the eighth grade. To minimize the cost, a fourth teacher was hired independently and paid by the students, effectively beginning the first part of high school for Shirley Owens.
Once they had the high school started, the City of Quitman paid part of the salary for another teacher. One more year was added on each year until they were able to have all four years of high school, which happened for the first time in the 1946-47 school year. Five students successfully completed all four years of high school that first time it was offered to them.
In 1948, their building was again replaced and built on the hill on Highway 45, where the current Clarke County Career and Technical Center is located. While the building was new, it still lacked many of the amenities that are required in schools today, such as bathrooms and running water.
By 1959, another new building was built for the high school just across the railroad tracks. That would be the final high school building for Shirley Owens since the schools integrated in 1970.
Zack Huggins High School
As the white school at the time, Zack Huggins has a broader history that has changed multiple times over the years.
In 1839, it wasn’t just one school; instead, there was a Quitman Male and Female Academy. By the early 1860s, it was Quitman Pay School and was located in Quitman Baptist Church. Later on, when the county seat was moved to Enterprise, the school also changed location and took place in the jailer’s house in Quitman. It was then taught at a different place almost every year.
It wasn’t until 1902 that the City of Quitman took over responsibility for the school, and it didn’t become a separate school district until 1906. At the time, the school had a two story building, but it burned down in 1907. Students continued their classes in the upper floor of the courthouse to complete their term that year.
By 1929, students were boasting of a beautiful new high school building, and a vocational education department was later added in 1933.
In 1936, the name of the school again changed to become Quitman Special Consolidated School. Superintendent Zack Huggins announced in 1947 that Quitman High School was admitted to the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The following year, a contract was made to construct a new elementary building and make additions to the high school. They were finally able to use the new elementary building by 1950, and board meetings were held in its auditorium.
Throughout this time, more and more community schools were merging and sending the kids to Quitman instead.
It wasn’t until 1963 that the school board chose to honor the superintendent by changing the name of the high school. Instead of being Quitman High School, it was officially declared to be Zack Huggins High School.
While Zack Huggins had been solely a white school for years, 1965 brought about some changes for the school. With desegregation and integration being a major topic of the 1960s, a plan was developed in 1965 to allow voluntary desegregation to take place. The first year, grades one, two, three, and twelve were allowed to voluntarily desegregate. The following year, grades four, eight, ten, and eleven were also allowed to desegregate.
By 1970, both of the schools officially integrated that spring. When integration occurred mid-year, the school changed its name from Zack Huggins High School back to Quitman High School.
See next week’s Tribune for the second part of this series.
