Originally published in The News-Star newspaper, February 26, 2006

Last week, we considered some of the first faculty members hired by the Ouachita Parish School Board to make up the "full corps of teachers" for Ouachita Parish Junior College and looked at Grady G. Albritton, Bess Mary Crider, Frellsen F. Smith, Dorothy N. Younse, J. Paul Kemerer and C.C. Colvert.

As we continue our exploration of the first faculty and look at information found in Volume 1, No. 1 of the PowWow (Dec. 15, 1931), whose editor-in-chief, by the way, was Howard Griffin, minutes of the Ouachita Parish School Board and the Monroe Morning World, we continue to see the depth and breadth of excellence that arrived in Monroe that singularly significant fall. The rest of the fall 1931 OPJC faculty was made up of:

Kathryn M. Wolfe, who earned her B.A. and M.A. in chemistry from the University of Kansas. Wolfe came to us from Searcy, Ark., where she was head of the chemistry department at Galloway College. She was originally from Columbus, Ohio. She taught biology and chemistry and in 1936 took a one year's leave to finish her Ph.D. in chemistry at The Ohio State University.

Bruce Hampton Redditt, who held his B.A. from Randolph Macon College in Virginia and his M.A. from Johns Hopkins University. He taught mathematics and during his career had several articles published in the Mathematics Journal.

Dorothy Mengis, who received her Bachelor of Design degree from Newcombe College in New Orleans. She taught art and physical education, and had a gallery on South Grand Street where she displayed her specialty of pastel portraits.

Doris Turner, from Springfield, Mo., and who received her B.A. degree from Drury College in Missouri and her M.A. degree from Columbia University in New York. She taught geography and history and had participated in further graduate study at the University of Colorado and the University of Chicago.

Anna Lee Null, who came to OPJC from Martha Washington College in Virginia. Originally from Chattanooga, Tenn., Null received her B.A. from the University of Tennessee and her M.A. degree from George Peabody College. She taught French. The PowWow reported that her hobby was collecting coins.

Robert Orrell Morrison, who held a bachelor's from The Ohio State University in engineering. He taught engineering and also served as the Monroe city engineer and the Ouachita Parish highway engineer.

These first faculty members held degrees from more than 17 different colleges and universities and came from seven different states (not counting Louisiana). Each and every one of them has their own life story ... and their own special individual significance to our university. Much larger still is their significance to the lives of all the students who walked into their classrooms .... lives guided, knowledge taught, lives changed.

Have a great day at ULM!

Dr. John Knesel, ULM Professor

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