84 Years of Service-
Mr. and Mrs. Teaching Team
to Retire in Fall
The Decatur Daily May 15, 1965 By Winford Turner, County Editor
Mr. and Mrs. Teaching Team
to Retire in Fall
The Decatur Daily May 15, 1965 By Winford Turner, County Editor
FLINT CITY -- Mr. and Mrs. Shafton Dewey Whitten, principal and teacher at Flint Elementary School for the past 28 years, are retiring at the end of this school year, leaving behind a combined teaching career of 84 years.
Forty-five of the 84 years belong to Mrs. Whitten as a teacher and the remaining 39 years were served by her husband
as a principal of three schools in Morgan County.
The Whittens, who make their home near Hartselle, said this week they plan to retire when the 1965-1965 school year ends May 27.
Whitten said he will devote most of his free time to his farm near Cotaco. His wife said she will take it easy and be a "normal housewife."
Mrs. Whitten, who now teaches the fifth grade at the elementary school, said she began her teaching career in 1920. She said she taught her first year at Center Point, the next at Florette, the third at Woodland Mill, the fourth and fifth in the Hartselle city school system and the sixth at Enon in Lawrence County. The remaining 39 years, she said, were taught in schools where her husband was principal.
Whitten's career as a principal began in 1926. He was principal, with his wife as a teacher, at Collins Junior High School which was located near Hartselle for 10 years.
After the Collins school was consolidated, the Whittens taught one year at Winton and then moved to Flint.
Whitten said he attended grammar and high school with Senator John Sparkman. He said that after he completed six grades at Mt. Tabor "I walked several miles each day and graduated from Morgan County High School."
The retiring 66-year-old principal said he received his Bachelor's Degree from Florence State and masters and D.S. degrees from Peabody College.
Mrs. Whitten, who will be 65 in August, said she also graduated from Morgan County High School. She added that she received her college education at Florence State.
Mr. and Mrs. Whitten said when they began their teaching careers that there were more than 90 schools in Morgan County. Today there are 24.
The couple said there were no means of transportation except walking and horse and buggy and that every community had a school.
"Back in those days," Mrs. Whitten recalled, "a one and two teacher school was about all we had. Then, a four-teacher unit was considered a large school."
Whitten said he has always considered Alabama's education system among the best, but thought much "improvement has been made in the past few years."
When the Whittens came to Flint 28 years ago, the school had four teachers and about 90 students. Today the school is an elementary school, has six teachers and 246 students.
The junior high school was consolidated about two years ago when the new elementary school was built.
Whitten said Doyle Walker, science teacher at Morgan County High School, will replace him as principal at Flint. "He asked for the job and he has one," Whitten said.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Whitten said they have enjoyed their teaching careers. "You have to like teaching to teach this long," Mrs. Whitten said.
They had high praise for the people of Flint. "We have the best PTA in Morgan County," Whitten said while speaking on the cooperation of the parents.
A reception for Mr. and Mrs. Whitten will be sponsored by the PTA May 27 from 7 until 8 p.m. at the school. Superintendent J.C. Pettey will be present.
Forty-five of the 84 years belong to Mrs. Whitten as a teacher and the remaining 39 years were served by her husband
as a principal of three schools in Morgan County.
The Whittens, who make their home near Hartselle, said this week they plan to retire when the 1965-1965 school year ends May 27.
Whitten said he will devote most of his free time to his farm near Cotaco. His wife said she will take it easy and be a "normal housewife."
Mrs. Whitten, who now teaches the fifth grade at the elementary school, said she began her teaching career in 1920. She said she taught her first year at Center Point, the next at Florette, the third at Woodland Mill, the fourth and fifth in the Hartselle city school system and the sixth at Enon in Lawrence County. The remaining 39 years, she said, were taught in schools where her husband was principal.
Whitten's career as a principal began in 1926. He was principal, with his wife as a teacher, at Collins Junior High School which was located near Hartselle for 10 years.
After the Collins school was consolidated, the Whittens taught one year at Winton and then moved to Flint.
Whitten said he attended grammar and high school with Senator John Sparkman. He said that after he completed six grades at Mt. Tabor "I walked several miles each day and graduated from Morgan County High School."
The retiring 66-year-old principal said he received his Bachelor's Degree from Florence State and masters and D.S. degrees from Peabody College.
Mrs. Whitten, who will be 65 in August, said she also graduated from Morgan County High School. She added that she received her college education at Florence State.
Mr. and Mrs. Whitten said when they began their teaching careers that there were more than 90 schools in Morgan County. Today there are 24.
The couple said there were no means of transportation except walking and horse and buggy and that every community had a school.
"Back in those days," Mrs. Whitten recalled, "a one and two teacher school was about all we had. Then, a four-teacher unit was considered a large school."
Whitten said he has always considered Alabama's education system among the best, but thought much "improvement has been made in the past few years."
When the Whittens came to Flint 28 years ago, the school had four teachers and about 90 students. Today the school is an elementary school, has six teachers and 246 students.
The junior high school was consolidated about two years ago when the new elementary school was built.
Whitten said Doyle Walker, science teacher at Morgan County High School, will replace him as principal at Flint. "He asked for the job and he has one," Whitten said.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Whitten said they have enjoyed their teaching careers. "You have to like teaching to teach this long," Mrs. Whitten said.
They had high praise for the people of Flint. "We have the best PTA in Morgan County," Whitten said while speaking on the cooperation of the parents.
A reception for Mr. and Mrs. Whitten will be sponsored by the PTA May 27 from 7 until 8 p.m. at the school. Superintendent J.C. Pettey will be present.
