Amazing enough is the fact of their organization and devotion over many years, a dedication alumni are passing on to their children and grandchildren as time goes by. But the Webb story is much more than that. It is a story of a people who so love their alma mater that when the school came up for sale a few years after it closed following graduation ceremonies in 1966, it was bought by the students who once studied and in some cases lived there. For the school represents more than just the place where they received their education; it is a legacy built with their own hands, their own sweat. It is a story of perseverance and faith; of cooperation and dignity in the physical growth of a school that is paralleled by the emotional, spiritual and intellectual progression of the students who attended the school as well as that of their parents, their teachers, and the community.

The children who graduated from Webb School were afforded an opportunity that had been unavailable to previous generations, that of a high school education. The school represents not only the values of the past that they have carried into the present, but also the hope for the future.

Said Webb Alumni President Emeritus Roscoe McKenzie regarding the purchase of the school, "We have purchased our past and reserved it as a standard upon which we were made to be who we are, as well as tradition by which future generations can be led. In the constantly changing circumstances of the world and our community, the future generations will need a place, an institution, upon which they can focus as the starting point. We have been successful in securing that point of focus."

Prior to 1898, Baptist and Methodist churches assumed much of the responsibility for educating the black communities of McKenzie, according to Webb Alumni literature compiled by the late Professor J.L. Seets. Later, classes took place in a one-room building with one teacher for all grades in a setting similar to that of rural white communities.

Around 1900, the parents of students built an addition onto the one-room schoolhouse in order to add a second teacher and more children to the roll. That the school was called the "Booker T. Washington High School" was a misnomer indicating a seed of desire for more education, since, at the time, the school taught classes only through the eighth grade.

New National President Eugene Williams and wife, Shirley May.  Williams' father was first cousin to the esteemed Professor J.L. Seets. He graduated from Webb School in 1954 after his uncle, Savoid Baldridge, who was a teacher of agriculture at Webb, persuaded him to come and live in the dorm. "It seems like everybody just excelled after they left from here," he says. Williams attended Nashville A&I University before going into the Army. He completed his education at Tennessee State and taught school for two years before pursuing a career with AVCO Aerostructures, where he was employed for 30 years while also a member of the Army Reserves. The couple have five childre, five great-grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Daughter Sheila will also be taking an active part in the new administration as she conducts research into services that will best serve the community in which Webb is a vital part.

Sometime around 1924, community leader and teacher J.L. Seets heard of Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish businessman and philanthropist who, although he lived in the Mid-West, concentrated his efforts upon the South, providing money and architectural assistance to improve school facilities while endeavoring to create greater cooperation between the races by requiring that local black communities and local white communities each contribute toward matching funds in order to receive monies for the construction of schools built through the Foundation.

The black community raised $1000 toward the matching fund and a new four-room, four-teacher frame schoolhouse was built. The Booker T. Washington name was changed to the McKenzie Elementary School for Colored Boys and Girls.

The new facility made possible the long hoped for high school. The first high school class in 1925 consisted of four students, two of whom graduated four years later: Kelcy Bell and Addie Broach, with diplomas granted from the State Department of Education. In 1926, enrollment increased to 12 students.

In the early 1920s, a "County Training School" for black students had been established in the Smyrna community near Buena Vista. When the County Training School was moved from Smyrna to McKenzie, the McKenzie facility came under the jurisdiction of the Carroll County Board of Education rather than the McKenzie School Board and became the only high school for black children in Carroll County, serving 22 communities plus children who moved to Carroll County in order to obtain an education.

The Rosenwald Fund once more came into play with the construction of a new building for the high school and a dormitory for teachers and students. The fund also helped purchase two new buses with the black community contributing $4000 toward this endeavor, raising money in every way possible, "from cotton picking to fairs". Enrollment at the high school level grew from the original four students to over one hundred students while faculty members increased to 15, with a corresponding enhancement in the diversity of the curriculum. The school also hired its first janitor from monies raised.

During this latest round of fund raising, Mr. John L. Webb, a black businessman originally from Tuskegee, Alabama, made the largest donation of any black or white contributor. Mr. Webb's philanthropic efforts in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where he had moved after completing his education at Tuskegee University, were a source of great inspiration for Professor Seets, who had also attended Tuskegee University. In gratitude of Mr. Webb's donation and in honor of his work, the name of the school was changed from the County Training School to Webb High School.

June 8, 1936, marks the date that the original high school complex, worth $30,000 at the time, was destroyed by fire. The former Masonic building was repaired and put into use for the high school during the following year with graduation exercises taking place at Enon Baptist Church.

With the help of Mayor Glen A. King and the citizens of McKenzie, according to a history compiled by Professor Seets, the school was able to be moved into the abandoned McTyiere College facility, which consisted of five brick buildings and 30 acres of land.

Enhancements and repairs to the school were taken care of through a unique combination of classes and extracurricular activities, giving the teachers real-life examples to use in teaching math, science, and other classes. For instance, a half-year of general mathematics was a building block toward the construction of concrete walkways connecting the buildings.

One of Professor Seet's favorite expressions was, "A nation rides forward on the feet of its children." The saying came to life as the children worked together with parents and faculty to make the school a place they could be proud of. With the help of the National Youth Administration, the buildings received new plaster, painting, plumbing and wiring. The National Youth Administration was a U.S. government agency established in 1935 as a part of President F.D. Roosevelt's New Deal program.
 

The school's curriculum was modified to complement the project, with a building trades department added. Students learned by doing as new water lines were installed, new sewage lines were connected to the city's sewage lines to replace the septic tank, and plastering and painting job were completed. School furniture - sewing tables, tablet-arm chairs, teacher's desks, library tables and chairs, and more - were made by students as a part of the project.

Lunchrooms and an auditorium/gymnasium were built with the black community contributing $1500 toward the effort. When work was stopped on the gym because of a shortage of bricks, students picked 12,000 pounds of cotton at $1.25 per hundred pounds in order to purchase the needed materials.

Professor J.L. Seets was principal of Webb School until the spring of 1957 when Mr. T.A. Warford took over until 1966 when Webb closed. Mr. Seets was a great educator and a leader among his people. He was admired and respected by every member of society.

Preceding Professor Seets as Principal of Web School was David Morgan Jones, who was remembered by the Class of 1933 in a recent Webb publication as also being a great educator and community leader. He is quoted as saying, following a prayer after assemblies on Fridays, "This is Friday; before we assemble again you will have an opportunity to attend Sunday School and Church. I have you will avail yourself of these opportunities."

At its close in 1966, Webb School had a 17-member faculty teaching classes which included: Social Studies, English, Math, Home Economics, Agriculture, Music, Science, Cosmetology, Art, Physical Education, with special provisions for the mentally handicapped, with facilities for elementary, junior high and high school classes. Throughout its existence, approximately 1900 students graduated from the school.

Although Carroll County experienced a smooth transition in the integration of schools, thanks to the cooperative relationships between the black and white communities, the black population felt a great loss in the closing of the school which had evolved into a symbol of their heritage and pride.

On a Sunday afternoon in 1969, a few "Webbites", as they had come to call themselves, got together during a birthday party and discussed plans to organize the Webb Alumni Association, never dreaming the group would not only organize, they would one day own their alma mater.

The first National Reunion met on Labor Day, September 4, 1970. Acting General Chairman Roscoe McKenzie became the first National President, an office he held for 22 years. The group organized a General Assembly, wrote and adopted a National Constitution for the organization, and obtained a charter from the State of Indiana on August 28, 1972, later securing a Certificate of Authorization from the Secretary of State in Tennessee which legalized the organization to do business in the State of Tennessee.

When the school came up for sale shortly after the Webb Alumni Association formed, members rallied to purchase the school themselves. On April 28, 1973, the Webb Alumni Association Board of Directors met in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where they resolved to purchase the school and develop it. The legal entity which arose from the meeting, called the Webb Development Group, was authorized to negotiate the purchase of the school with Mr. McKenzie as Director.

In a leap of faith, the group began collecting funds for the purchase of the school, asking members of the national association to sign notes in the amount of $2400 to the Webb Development Group for the purchase of the school. Twenty members agreed to sign promissory notes of $2400 each in the initial fund raising effort.

A letter was sent to the Carroll County Court on October 9, 1973 requesting that the Webb Alumni Association be allowed to purchase the school without bid. The letter set out a dual purpose in the organization's desire to purchase the historic landmark: "The purpose and concern of our organization is to maintain our heritage and to preserve our roots in Carroll County. To prepare for the aged, provide for the poor, and to promote the welfare of the citizens within Carroll County," the letter read. At the time, Webb School was the site of a day care center, Head-Start, a self-help program, a senior citizens club, a community youth organization, a home-managements class, a food and nutrition class, a garden club, a clothing store and a crafts class.

The Webb Development group made an offer of $90,000 for the property on which there remained an $87,000 mortgage. At the Annual Homecoming in September, 1974, Webbites were still awaiting the decision of the County Committee who had heard Webb's case in June that year.

The group adopted the slogan, "Where there is unity, there is strength." Professor Seets, though deceased, was a continuing inspiration to the members who recalled that he once challenged young male students, "I dare you to be a man." By January, 1975 the group was already close to their April goal of $10,000.

Judge Pat Williams traveled to the General Assembly in Detroit, Michigan in April, 1976 where he presented chapter presidents with the court's resolution to sell the school to the Webb Alumni Association for $95,000.

On May 8, 1976 officers of the Webb Development Group and Carroll County officials met in the Webb School auditorium to complete the sale of the school to the Webb Alumni Association. The sale was completed with a $12,000 deposit and 6% interest on the balance, payable at $8000 per year.

1n 1991, Bobby Pate succeeded Roscoe McKenzie as National President with Wade Allen serving as Vice President. Later, Nathaniel Eugene Williams became Vice-President. One of Mr. Pate's first actions as President was to dissolve the Webb Development Group, bringing all members together under one banner, the Webb Alumni Association.

On October 15, 1999 Webb Alumni officials presented the final payment on their alma mater after an intensive fund-raising effort was made to retire the note in that year. A nation-wide cash raffle at $1.00 per chance was part of efforts that made it possible to write a final check of $14,000 to pay off the debt. President Pate had the pleasure of burning the mortgage at the 1999 Annual Homecoming celebration to the delight of Alumni.

This year, President Pate passed the torch to a new president, Mr. Nathaniel Eugene Williams, who plans to focus on the community following an intensive needs-assessment study.

He also intends to do work toward bringing more young people into the fold, a need that President Emeritus Roscoe McKenzie addressed at the 22nd Annual Homecoming, writing, "... our priorities should be primarily focused on the leaders of tomorrow - our youth. The same values that our fathers, forefathers, preachers and teachers instilled in us must be passed on to them. If not, all this will have been in vain. We should always lead by excellent example and remember the simplistic yet powerful scripture, 'Train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it. - Proverb 22:6' As we continue to grow and move forward, remember that it will be up to them to pick up where we left off."

With the mortgage paid, alumni have no time for relaxing. There is work to be done and a story still to be told to future generations of Webb Alumni Association members. As is written in Webb Alumni literature, "It will not be enough that he has labored, nor he, nor she, nor they. What can only matter is that the young will come to know the Webb story and understand that a story as this is never to be forgotten."

Phone (731) 352-3323 or Fax (731) 352-3322
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