Corsicana High School 50th reunion gift installed at the high school
May 3—The day the new fully-integrated Corsicana High School opened its doors in September of 1970, the Tiger Class of 1973 were Sophomores. "None of us will forget that day", said Larry Glass, a Black football player who had gone to the predominantly white Collins Junior High the year before.
"The Black students would ask me about the white students, and the white students would ask me about the Black students. Like my teammates Ronald Jones and Sidney Hicks, we were bridges between the two sides of town."
On March 7, members of the CHS Class of 1973 were hosted at Corsicana High by the current CHS Principal Scott Doring for the installation of their 50th reunion gift to the school.
The gift is a large mosaic of a Tiger Head, made from tiny pieces of blue and gold tiles, stained glass, rocks, and other "found" objects. The artwork was commissioned and custom-made by the famous Nashville artist Laurie A. Davis. CHS Class of 1973 President Bill McNutt discovered her work at the Nashville airport, where examples of her work were showcased at "The Best of Tennessee Craft" exhibition.
The evening was perfect, right down to the catered dinner from the Old Mexican Inn.
Here are some comments made by the class of '73 members who attended the dedication:
"We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves." Cindi Jones who finished her career as a Major in the US Army
"Isn't it funny how the High School has changed so little since we walked the halls over a half-century ago!" Robert Harper
"Our sports teams had great success when we put together Jackson and Corsicana High," said football halfback and retired Corsicana School teacher Larry Deeds. "Our first football team went to the quarter-finals in AAAA in the day when there was no 5A or 6A. Our basketball team won District as well."
This is the second gift the Class of '73 has given Corsicana High School. In the old original gym, the Class of '73 had Mr. Gilbert Stubbs paint the words to "All Hail Corsicana". It still looks fresh, as if it was painted in the last few years.
Bill McNutt said "Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time, we grew side by side. Our roots will always be tangled. As my classmate and former Corsicana Mayor Chuck McClanahan says,
"Once a Tiger, always a Tiger." It is interesting to note that McNutt's father was in the Corsicana High School Class of 1942, which was the class that gifted the life-size bronze tiger to the school, located at the main entrance to the building.
As Charles Dickens said, "The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again."
