Dub West's First Year as a Teacher
Many area residents know Dub West as a local historian without knowing much about his background. Here is part of the story of his early life before he arrived in Muskogee.
His parents were Adam Clark and Selena West. He was their first child. Though Texans for most of their lives, Dub was born in 1908 while his parents lived briefly in New Mexico.
Dub always went by the initials "C. W." Because his father often went by the name of Clark, the family referred to Dub by his middle initial. The "C." in Dub's name likely stood for Clark, but Dub always denied it. He perpetuated the use of Clark by giving it to his own son.
He spent most of his early life in the Texas panhandle where his father operated a furniture store or worked as a brick contractor in Floydada before the Great Depression wrecked so many careers and lives.
Dub graduated in 1930 from West Texas State Teachers College located in Canyon City. He and his young wife lived in a room on Fifth Avenue their last year in college. The rent was twenty dollars a month. Their room was in the floored attic with exposed rafters in the William Reid residence.
At the end of the summer, Dub began his teaching career in a rural schoolhouse in the Texas panhandle. The school's name and exact location is now lost. All that describes it is that it stood on prairie land along the Canadian River north of Amarillo.
One subject Dub taught was algebra. Yet, he found the school textbook more advanced than the one semester of algebra he studied in college. Therefore, he studied ahead each night in order to be a couple of lessons ahead of his two students, a boy and a girl. Dub was proud that these two told him at the end of the year that he was the best math teacher they ever had.
Kids usually become restive during a school day. Being cooped up in a single classroom was often over whelming. On fair weather days, however, Dub's students had a natural Texas outlet. After wolfing down their lunches, and sometimes during their meals, the children tried to out yell the prairie dogs that lived close by. Of course, the prairie dogs stood on the tops of their mounds and chattered more and more loudly.
Dub settled into the teaching routine well. So, too, did the students for the most part. As April Fool's Day approached, some of the children decided to test Dub one more time. At last, they decided to skip school on April Fool's Day. Being hesitant, one of the pupils approached their teacher and asked him what would he do.
His answer was firm. "I'll expel the student that cuts class," he said. Sensing a revolt near at hand, Dub proposed that if the students came to class and stayed until the noon bell, he would let all of them go on a picnic on the Canadian River during the afternoon. Both teacher and pupil enjoyed the picnic.
At the beginning of summer in 1931, Dub and his wife left the Canadian River school and returned to Floydada, Texas. Dub lived and worked with his parents until the following school year started. That summer, Dub purchased his first automobile, a Chevrolet.
His parents were Adam Clark and Selena West. He was their first child. Though Texans for most of their lives, Dub was born in 1908 while his parents lived briefly in New Mexico.
Dub always went by the initials "C. W." Because his father often went by the name of Clark, the family referred to Dub by his middle initial. The "C." in Dub's name likely stood for Clark, but Dub always denied it. He perpetuated the use of Clark by giving it to his own son.
He spent most of his early life in the Texas panhandle where his father operated a furniture store or worked as a brick contractor in Floydada before the Great Depression wrecked so many careers and lives.
Dub graduated in 1930 from West Texas State Teachers College located in Canyon City. He and his young wife lived in a room on Fifth Avenue their last year in college. The rent was twenty dollars a month. Their room was in the floored attic with exposed rafters in the William Reid residence.
At the end of the summer, Dub began his teaching career in a rural schoolhouse in the Texas panhandle. The school's name and exact location is now lost. All that describes it is that it stood on prairie land along the Canadian River north of Amarillo.
One subject Dub taught was algebra. Yet, he found the school textbook more advanced than the one semester of algebra he studied in college. Therefore, he studied ahead each night in order to be a couple of lessons ahead of his two students, a boy and a girl. Dub was proud that these two told him at the end of the year that he was the best math teacher they ever had.
Kids usually become restive during a school day. Being cooped up in a single classroom was often over whelming. On fair weather days, however, Dub's students had a natural Texas outlet. After wolfing down their lunches, and sometimes during their meals, the children tried to out yell the prairie dogs that lived close by. Of course, the prairie dogs stood on the tops of their mounds and chattered more and more loudly.
Dub settled into the teaching routine well. So, too, did the students for the most part. As April Fool's Day approached, some of the children decided to test Dub one more time. At last, they decided to skip school on April Fool's Day. Being hesitant, one of the pupils approached their teacher and asked him what would he do.
His answer was firm. "I'll expel the student that cuts class," he said. Sensing a revolt near at hand, Dub proposed that if the students came to class and stayed until the noon bell, he would let all of them go on a picnic on the Canadian River during the afternoon. Both teacher and pupil enjoyed the picnic.
At the beginning of summer in 1931, Dub and his wife left the Canadian River school and returned to Floydada, Texas. Dub lived and worked with his parents until the following school year started. That summer, Dub purchased his first automobile, a Chevrolet.
Labels: Adam Clark West, Canadian River, Dub West, Selena West
posted by Wally Waits at
5:57 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home