Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 4-2-19

Local
Middleton High School Survives Three Fires
George S. Middleton High School, which opened in 1934, survived three devastating fires during its history. The school’s alumni association celebrates its alma mater’s 85th year in 2019 with the “Miss Middleton, Homecoming Kings and Queens Scholar- ship Ball” in Tampa, April 26- 27. The two-day event will be held at the Marriott Hotel Westshore, 1001 N. Westshore Boulevard. Tickets are avail- able at Paypal-gsmalum- nischolarship, at African Extravaganza, 1409 Tampa Park Plaza, or from any mem- ber of the planning committee.
For more information e- mail Yvonne Douglas at yvonnedouglas1968@yahoo.c om. The ball planning com- mittee next meets Saturday, April 6, 9:30 a. m. at the Tampa Police Department District III Office, 3808 N. 22nd Street.
Shown here is the head- line in the Middletonian, the school newspaper, when Car- olyn Stone (Holifield) was voted the honor of serving as
“Miss Middleton, 1967.” Friday, April 26, 2019, at 6 p. m. features a Maroon and Gold Pool Party (casual) at the Marriott Hotel. The Saturday, April 27, 2019, activities begin at 6 p. m. with the (formal) Promenade of “Miss Middle- tons, Homecoming Kings and Queens,” a fashion show, music by Tonya LaReese, a dinner, a Tiger give-away, music by DJ Randal C and a dance. Festivities begin at 6 p.
m. both nights.
Dr. Barbara Shircliff
wrote in her 2006 book The Best of that World: Histori- cally Black High Schools and the Crisis of Desegregation in a Southern Metropolis, “records at the (Hillsborough County) Board of Education indicate a fire destroyed Mid- dleton in 1938-1939.”
In 1941, Middleton stu- dent, James (Big Jim) Williams was captain of the school’s football and basket- ball teams. The player every- one called “Big Jim” recalled returning to Tampa after Mid- dleton won that year’s Florida
“Miss Middleton,” 1966- 67, Carolyn Stone was crowned by former “Miss Middleton,” Cynthia Owens, 1963.
State Negro High School Bas- ketball Tournament only to find the school again had been destroyed by fire.
The next two years Middle- ton students attended classes in West Tampa in the building that then also served as George Washington Carver El- ementary School.
In 1942-1943, the school
district spent $125,000 to re- build Middleton High School on N. 24th Street. Shircliff pointed out that during that first school year the reborn Middleton operated in East Tampa without electricity.
In 1940-1941, Williams’ Middleton state championship basketball team was coached by future Tampa entrepre- neur, James Hargrett, Sr. In addition to Williams the team’s other outstanding play- ers were: Robert Gardner, Robert Davis, George Clements, Oree Williams and Nat Green. Incidentally, Mrs. Mamie Hargrett, James’ wife (now 102 years old), coached Middleton’s girls’ team during the 1940s.
Jim Williams went on to become an All-American quar- terback at Florida A&M Col- lege (now Florida A&M University) before successfully coaching football and basket- ball at Don Thompson High School on Marion Street. Don Thompson closed its doors when Howard W. Blake High School opened on Spruce
Street in 1956. Today, G. V. Stewart Middle School occu- pies the facility that had been Blake, while a Blake High School stands at 1701 N. Boulevard.
A third fire during the 1967-1968 school year de- stroyed Middleton’s adminis- tration building, which included the auditorium, school trophy case and several classrooms. No record has been found of any extensive investigations of possible arson in any of the three fires from 1938 to 1968 at the school.
In spite of these and other challenges brought about be- cause of a segregated Hillsbor- ough County, the East Tampa community pressed forward. The school district administra- tion built the current main building that now houses A. J. Ferrell Middle School (the for- mer Middleton High School) at 4302 N. 24th Street. The fa- cility was renamed for Ferrell in 2002, when the current Middleton High School opened in 2002.
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