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Seniors at local schools who had enough credits to graduate were given the opportunity to visit a college of their choice on a certain day and inspect the facility and curriculum.
The photo above is controversial. Mr. Baker told everyone to go to NEMJC (now NEMCC) for their day. Some defied him and went to Itawamba JC instead.
The story goes that this photo was published in the Tupelo Journal the very next morning and he was not pleased with the students who didn't go to Booneville.
IJC was more popular to Baldwyn and Guntown students.
Does anyone recall the outcome of the story? I am sure Mr. J. B. was not congenial to the above pictured students.
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Photo and story courtesy of Gerald McKibben.
You guys still like to pick on Mr. Baker.
ReplyDeleteHe was a good man and fine principal.
Mr Baker was a fine man,,I guess he whipped me nearly every year..Even my senior year,,didn't he Frog and Bobby Joe? But not a time I did not deserve it..There was two more of us my senior year but I can't remember who they were,,One I thing was David G..
ReplyDeleteWallis
Ditto the compliments on Mr. B. He was also very honest and had a lot to do with BHS success in athletics, starting a legacy that continues today.
ReplyDeleteMr. Baker got a severe beating himself a couple of times for unnecessary roughness with small children. One such was put on him by the Harkey brothers.
ReplyDeleteI had no trouble with him i was afraid of him.
There is certainly no intent on my part to discredit Mr. Baker in any way. He was human and had faults just like I do.
ReplyDeleteHe and I never were on very good terms, but Miriam Baker and I were the best of friends - a thing he really resented...
Mr Baker whipped Johnny M his senior year. The same day he whipped Frog and Bobby. Johnny and Mr. Baker were 2nd or 3rd cousins.
ReplyDeleteI would like to correct the Daily Journal's mistake in the identity of one of the students. Nancy Goodson was listed as Nancy Gordon. Elaine Cook Stone, Winford Williams and I graduated IJC in 1959 and went to Delta State joining Henry Outlaw,Wimp Nichols,Ellis Wayne Christian, and Forrest Underwood (maybe others) who were already there.
ReplyDeleteNancy Goodson Bruce
enough is enough - i think lots more BHS students will support Mr JB Baker & his tenure at BHS
ReplyDeletethan will say bad things about him-he was good for the school & he cared for the education of his students--frankly his staff & the people who knew him personally saw him in a different light than some of you who may have been chastised by him in high school--GET OVER IT!
Some of us who played for him also remember Mr. Baker as a pretty good baseball coach. He loved the suicide squeeze play. The only problem was we never had a lot of runners on third base.
ReplyDeleteI must have missed something but have not seen any criticism of Mr. Baker on the blog, only affectionate commentary and recognition that his job was never an easy one, just like today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the all the the commenters both. The staff at BHS including J B Baker probably shaped the outcome of all who were instructed by them and corrected on numerous occasions. I haven't heard about even one of us becoming killers, thieves, or unimaginable ogres since we left there.
ReplyDelete