Project replacing Southwest senior photos lost in ‘74 fire begins
October 21, 2015
Charlea Mills
Walking the halls at Southwest High School, you can peruse the graduating classes beginning in 1975 up to the present. However, any graduates prior to 1974 are missing because photos were lost when the high school burned in 1974. Now, a member of the 1966 graduating class is working to find those seniors’ photos and put them back up.
Freddie Napier graduated from Southwest High School in Washburn in 1966. The spring marks his 50th year reunion, and his class is in charge of organizing the all-school reunion. Napier said that when he started working to organize the reunion, he thought of replacing the seniors photos and having them ready for the reunion on May 28, 2016. He said, “No one’s thought to do this in all this time, and I think all of us would like to see our pictures up with everyone else’s.”
Napier approached the Southwest School Board to get permission to take on the project, but he also wanted to make sure that Seligman School graduates were also included. Prior to 1954, Seligman and Washburn had separate schools. The school board, Southwest Superintendent Bob Walker and Southwest Principal Tosha Watson were all in favor of the project, so Napier began looking for all of the older annuals to be able to pull photos from and compile composites to hang with the other graduating classes photos.
Napier is collecting annuals from Seligman and Washburn from 1944 up to the consolidation of the schools in 1954. He has already gathered all of the annuals for Southwest from 1954 to 1974 when the school burned down and the photos were lost. Napier said, “We’ve been taking pictures of the annuals as we’ve found them, then if we find a better copy, we use that one instead. It’s been a lot of work, but I think it’ll be worth it.”
Napier said, “I’m still missing a couple of the Seligman annuals, but we’re doing good. I still need 1944 to 1947 from Seligman, so if people have those, that would be great.”
Once photos are taken of the original annuals, Napier has been taking the photos to the high school where one of the teachers is having her students help with the project. Sharesa Rodgers, who teaches advanced computer applications and web design, is having students print the photos and design the pages. Walker said, “The school will also provide the panels to display the finished pages.”
When asked why the project was important and they decided to support is, Walker said, “I think it will bring a lot of enjoyment to the graduates and their families to be able to view their senior pictures during the reunion and at other functions at the high school.
“Pictures from the past always seem to be of interest to people. I also think having the pictures all together will bring a sense of unity that will enhance the tradition and history of our school district.”
Walker continued, “This is not the school’s project, but rather the vision of 1966 graduate Freddie Napier...He should be given credit for this endeavor.”
Napier said that he and a few others have been working on the project, but he plans to share the work as soon as it is complete. He said, “I’ll be giving flash drives of the copies of the annuals to Southwest and also the Barry County Museum to keep.”
When asked why he decided to do this, Napier said, “We want to give the alumni a reason to come back. I wanted to do something for the school, and this is what I could do. We’re trying to do stuff different than classes before. It will be a historical event.”
Napier added, “I’m just doing this for my class, but also the school. All of the alumni deserve to be recognized and remembered.”
Napier plans to unveil the new composites at the all-school reunion next year on May 28. Anyone wanting to make a contribution to help pay to have the composites done may do so at People’s Bank in the Southwest Alumni bank account. Napier said, “We’d love for people to donate and be a part of history.”
If you have questions or have copies of annuals from Seligman or Washburn, contact Napier at (479) 256-8801.
Charlea Mills
Walking the halls at Southwest High School, you can peruse the graduating classes beginning in 1975 up to the present. However, any graduates prior to 1974 are missing because photos were lost when the high school burned in 1974. Now, a member of the 1966 graduating class is working to find those seniors’ photos and put them back up.
Freddie Napier graduated from Southwest High School in Washburn in 1966. The spring marks his 50th year reunion, and his class is in charge of organizing the all-school reunion. Napier said that when he started working to organize the reunion, he thought of replacing the seniors photos and having them ready for the reunion on May 28, 2016. He said, “No one’s thought to do this in all this time, and I think all of us would like to see our pictures up with everyone else’s.”
Napier approached the Southwest School Board to get permission to take on the project, but he also wanted to make sure that Seligman School graduates were also included. Prior to 1954, Seligman and Washburn had separate schools. The school board, Southwest Superintendent Bob Walker and Southwest Principal Tosha Watson were all in favor of the project, so Napier began looking for all of the older annuals to be able to pull photos from and compile composites to hang with the other graduating classes photos.
Napier is collecting annuals from Seligman and Washburn from 1944 up to the consolidation of the schools in 1954. He has already gathered all of the annuals for Southwest from 1954 to 1974 when the school burned down and the photos were lost. Napier said, “We’ve been taking pictures of the annuals as we’ve found them, then if we find a better copy, we use that one instead. It’s been a lot of work, but I think it’ll be worth it.”
Napier said, “I’m still missing a couple of the Seligman annuals, but we’re doing good. I still need 1944 to 1947 from Seligman, so if people have those, that would be great.”
Once photos are taken of the original annuals, Napier has been taking the photos to the high school where one of the teachers is having her students help with the project. Sharesa Rodgers, who teaches advanced computer applications and web design, is having students print the photos and design the pages. Walker said, “The school will also provide the panels to display the finished pages.”
When asked why the project was important and they decided to support is, Walker said, “I think it will bring a lot of enjoyment to the graduates and their families to be able to view their senior pictures during the reunion and at other functions at the high school.
“Pictures from the past always seem to be of interest to people. I also think having the pictures all together will bring a sense of unity that will enhance the tradition and history of our school district.”
Walker continued, “This is not the school’s project, but rather the vision of 1966 graduate Freddie Napier...He should be given credit for this endeavor.”
Napier said that he and a few others have been working on the project, but he plans to share the work as soon as it is complete. He said, “I’ll be giving flash drives of the copies of the annuals to Southwest and also the Barry County Museum to keep.”
When asked why he decided to do this, Napier said, “We want to give the alumni a reason to come back. I wanted to do something for the school, and this is what I could do. We’re trying to do stuff different than classes before. It will be a historical event.”
Napier added, “I’m just doing this for my class, but also the school. All of the alumni deserve to be recognized and remembered.”
Napier plans to unveil the new composites at the all-school reunion next year on May 28. Anyone wanting to make a contribution to help pay to have the composites done may do so at People’s Bank in the Southwest Alumni bank account. Napier said, “We’d love for people to donate and be a part of history.”
If you have questions or have copies of annuals from Seligman or Washburn, contact Napier at (479) 256-8801.
