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 The second high school
building built in Houma was completed in 1918 at
a cost of $100,000. Another $2000 was raised by
the high school and the Auxiliary for books and
shelves in the library. The student population
of Terrebonne Parish at that time was 2504. The
Houma schools had an enrollment of 600 in grade
school and 44 at the high school level. The
faculty of THS was increased from seven to
eleven to handle the increasing number of
students.
 The old 1909 building was
then used as Houma Elementary school. It was
finally torn down in 1976.
Clicking on the map (left) shows a larger view
with both schools (each marked as THS) ... with
the 1918 school located just below the
courthouse and the 1909 school located below the
Catholic cemetery. The aerial image (below)
shows both the 1909 and 1918 school buildings.
Mr. P. C. Rogers, the
first principal of the new high school, served
from 1918 through 1921. He was followed by Mr.
M. S. Robertson (1921 to 1922) and then by Mr.
E. L. Talbot in 1922 - who served for 18 years.
P.C. Rogers |
M.S. Robertson |
E.L. Talbot |
The THS newspaper, the
Mirror, began in the 1920s as a 6-page
monthly. The first editor was Ethel
Bourg. Although one source says the school paper
was first published on January 19, 1923, the
first “regular” publication probably began in
the following school year (since 1924 is
considered to be volume 1). Publication was
sometimes sporadic. In 1935-36, for example,
there were only three issues.
The lack of yearbooks and
surviving newspapers from the 1920s and 1930s
make it difficult to reconstruct THS events
during that time.
An article in the Houma
Times (click on image to the right to view
entire article) provides a glimpse into the THS
graduation of 1925. Graduation ceremonies were
held at the Grand Theatre as Superintendent
Bourgeois presented the thirty-two graduates
with their diplomas.
After oil was discovered
in Terrebonne Parish in 1929, the development of
the petroleum industry brought significant
growth in the population. By the 1930s, the
school system realized that a larger structure
would be needed. The school board purchased
property from Hugh S. Suthon on June 9,
1934. Instead of building on this property, they
decided on another location and later sold this
land.
By 1934, there were also
18 smaller white grade schools located around
the parish. This included 3 one-room schools
(Coteau, Point au Chien, Cocodrie), two and
four-room schools (Chauvin, Gibson, Bayou Black,
Ellendale, Boudreaux Canal, Ashland, Little
Caillou, Bayou Cane), larger schools up to nine
rooms in size (Schriever, Montegut, Bourg,
Dularge, Lacache, Donner, Grand Caillou). When a
student reached the highest grade at a school,
they then moved on to a nearby school where
higher grades were taught. There were also
several schools for African-Americans, and the
Methodist Church had begun teaching Native
Americans in Dulac.
At THS, the teachers in
1934 were: Mr. Russell Miller, Miss Isabel Lund,
Miss Thais Micas Mrs. Floyd Bourg, Miss Eleanor
Marrioneaux, Miss Una Parr, Miss Mary Cullen,
Miss Rhea St. Martin, Miss Tom Turner, Mr. C.C.
Couvillion, and Miss Lucia Easton (who also
taught elementary grades).
 Although there was no
yearbook in the 1930s until 1938, a document was
contributed that appears to be the groundwork
for such a publication. It mentions that 5000
pictures were taken that year, though none were
present in the document.
In 1938, the Mirror staff
decided to resume publication of an annual, or
yearbook. It was called the Terrebonne Mirror
for the 1938 and 1939 editions..
A separate yearbook staff
began in 1939. The lack of yearbooks and
surviving newspapers from the 1920s and 1930s
make it difficult to reconstruct THS events
during that time.
Those first two yearbooks
show us what life was like at THS in the pre-war
days. The clubs were Los Camarados (Spanish
club), Le Cercle Francais (French club), Etti
Ketters (girls manners club), Better Life Club,
the Glee Club, Local Talent Club, Literary Club,
Latin Club, Stentorian Club, Girls and Boys
Athletic Clubs, and Future Farmers of America.
The school board bought a
piece of land of about 275’ along Main Street
just north of the city from Paul Adam on June
14, 1938. Mr. Adam had acquired the land from
the estate of Gabriel Montague fourteen years
earlier. The school system was aided in
construction of the new school by federal funds
through the Administration of Public Works. WPA
Project 1228-F called for the construction of
“Terrebonne Parish High School and Athletic
Field.” The architects for the new school were
Wogan & Bernard. The budget cost for the new
school was set at $775, 637. The federal
government supplied a $323, 091 grant and the
remainder was financed by the school board.
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