• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Leader

The Leader

Tipton County's Newspaper since 1886

  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Business
    • Churches
    • Courts
    • Education
    • Election 2024
    • Events
    • Local Government
    • Local Politics
    • Military
    • Public Records
    • Public Safety
  • Sports
    • All
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Fishing
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Wrestling
  • E-Editions
  • Public Notices
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Contact Us
    • Submit News
    • Advertise With Us
  • Where to Buy

Meet Frazier High School’s Class of 1957

By Echo Day on February 26, 2021

Frazier High School is no longer standing and few of its artifacts are still around, but Tipton County Museum Archivist Sherri Onorati has a 1957 yearbook from the former all-Black school in Covington’s District 1.

The Class of 1957 featured some people who would go on to do great things. Minnie Burrell was the class’s treasurer who would later marry classmate John Bommer, become a nurse and mother, founded the Children and Family Services agency in 1982, the Tennessee Black Child Institute, and became the first woman and the first African American on the Covington Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

(Click on composite to enlarge)

The Frazier High School Class of 1957 included:

Valedictorian Annie B. Terry, who was also the assistant secretary; salutatorian James Boddie, also class president; vice president Clarence Wakefield; sergeant-at-arms John Holland; business manager Freddie L. McCall; secretary Doris M. Smith; treasurer Minnie Burrell; Eunice Hughlett; Hattie J. Taylor; Evrette Woods; Marva E. Cole; James Gaines; Tommie Boyd; Eunice Alston; Robert Blakely; Yvonne Woods; John A. Douglas; Clara J. Wakefield; Allen Payne; Everlyna Elam; Lois Jean Brown; Dora Harper; Hazel Harris; Robert Alston; Edna J. Davis; John Bommer; Dorothy M. Teamer; Issie M. Baker; Annette Boyd; Bessie M. Jones; Dorothy R. Wynn; Warlene Dyson; Mary Alexander; Willie P. Taylor; Mary L. Sneed; Dorothy Wherry; Alice Winston; Thurmon Wright; Juanita D. Moye; Edward Adams; Juanita Tipton; Ernest Bragg; Francine G. Woods; Edward L. Crowder; and  Katheryn Burrell.

Mr. Percy B. Brown was the principal. Other teachers were Mrs. R.W. Heaston and Miss A. F. Mercer, first grade; Mrs. L.M. Haley and Mrs. J.D. Bentley, second grade; Mrs. B.J. Lyles and Mrs. I. Collier, third grade; Mrs. J.A. Bethel and Mrs. T.J. Brown, fourth grade Mrs. H.M. Yarbrough, fifth grade; Mr. R.C. Davis, sixth grade; Mrs. O.P. Donaldson, seventh grade; Mrs. M.E. Selden, eighth grade; Miss N.P. Hampton, Home Economics; Miss R.G. Montgomery, English; Mrs. F.R. White, Math; Mrs. V.L. Turner, library advisor; Mrs. I.E. Orr, English; Miss O.M. Flemings, Commerce; Mr. W.M. Moore, Agriculture; Mrs. C.N. Epps, Math; Mr. J.H. Pirtle, Physical Education; Miss O. Haynes, Science; Miss E.M. Washington, French; Mr. E.J. Quinn, Science, coach; Miss D.E. King, Social Studies.

Additionally, this photo of Frazier students with the Coke machine was also printed in the yearbook, but no one was identified.

Related Articles:

Brighton teacher and coach Stan Gatlin is not shy about expressing his views Munford High pitcher Balfour Roe signs with Bethel University An Atoka veteran operates a military history museum near the county line School board approves expenses for interim Crestview schools

Posted Under: Black History, Education Tags: black history, class of 1957, frazier high school, minnie bommer

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Featured News

Former Covington, Munford basketball coach Tim Halford inducted into BCAT Hall of Fame

April 8, 2025 By Jeff Ireland

A man known in these … [Continue Reading...] about Former Covington, Munford basketball coach Tim Halford inducted into BCAT Hall of Fame

Brighton midfielder J Kiphut signs soccer scholarship with Dyersburg State

April 1, 2025 By Jeff Ireland

Brighton senior J … [Continue Reading...] about Brighton midfielder J Kiphut signs soccer scholarship with Dyersburg State

Brighton’s Pierce Meacham signs with Cumberland University

March 11, 2025 By Jeff Ireland

In this day and age, … [Continue Reading...] about Brighton’s Pierce Meacham signs with Cumberland University

Munford High School closed Thursday after teacher found deceased

March 6, 2025 By The Leader

Munford High School … [Continue Reading...] about Munford High School closed Thursday after teacher found deceased

Tags

auvic white black history braxton sharp brighton baseball brighton basketball brighton football brighton high school city of covington City of Munford coronavirus covid-19 covington Covington Baseball covington basketball Covington football covington high school Covington HS covington police covington police station Election 2020 events homicide J.R. Kirby Jalen Fayne Jamarion Dowell jeff huffman john edwards Jordan Bell JR Kirby Munford basketball munford football munford high school murder ronnie gorton sex crimes shooting Slade Calhoun tcso Tipton-Rosemark Academy Tipton County Museum tipton county schools tipton county sheriff's office town of atoka town of mason TRA basketball

Footer

The Leader is a weekly newspaper, published on Thursdays, serving Tipton County, Tenn. since 1886.

Contact us: news@covingtonleader.com

Editor’s Choice

Here’s how Home Depot and a team of volunteers helped make over CIAA

December 5, 2019 By Echo Day

Black History Month: Mason’s John W. Boyd went from slavery to the statehouse

February 7, 2020 By The Leader

Search

Copyright © 2025 · The Leader | Legacy Media · Log in