CLASS OF 1918

HAS MANGUM EDUCATION FOUNDATION

HALL OF FAME MEMBER

MISS TOMMIE BORDER JOHNSON

1900 – 1996

Miss Tommie Border Johnson was born to L. A. Johnson and Lula V. Crouch

Johnson on 20 July 1900, in Oklahoma Territory. She was the third child born to this

union of early day Pioneers to Old Greer County, Texas. The children born to this union

in order of age were: Vonnie, Routh, Miss Tommie, Robert L., William H. “Spooks”,

Houston, Joan, and Ted (Julian H.)

“Miss Tom” graduated from MHS in 1918. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English

from Lindenwood College, St. Charles, Missouri, in 1923. She did graduate work at

Columbia University in New York City and earned a Master of Arts degree from

Oklahoma University in 1937. She did post graduate work at the National University of

Mexico, Mexico City.

Miss Johnson taught in Mangum schools from 1923 until her June 1, 1966, retirement.

She taught in both the Junior High and High School; served as Dean and History

Professor at the Mangum Junior College. She served as Principal of Mangum HS from

1941 – 1947. She was chosen Teacher of the Year in 1963 by the Greer County Chapter

of the Oklahoma Education Association.

Miss Johnson was the first woman ever to be elected president of the Greer County

Teachers Association.

Miss Johnson died July 29, 1996, at Four Corners Health Care Center in Durango,

Colorado, where she had been a resident since 1989. She lived most of her life in the

Johnson home on North Penn in Mangum. She is buried at Riverside Cemetery. Rev.

Ron Davenport, pastor of the Central Christian Church and Rev. Jim Hollifield, pastor of

the United Methodist Church, officiated at the service held under the direction of Greer

Funeral Home.

A great niece, Kathy Neff, of Oklahoma City, is the youngest child of Elaine “Muffet”

Moore, and the grand daughter of Vonnie and Jake Jackson. Her brother, Tom Johnson

(named after his Aunt) also stayed in contact with this Historian. He and Kathy both

attended the Foundation Banquet to honor their Aunt’s memory. They provided

information on the entire Johnson family along with pictures of Miss Tom Johnson, as

all of the Mangum graduates remember her.

Two other class mates in the 1918 class were: Top: Emma Hall Croft and Lois Overton

Norman, long time Registrar/Historian of the Alumni Association.

Another classmate, Miss Francis Clay, became Mrs. Francis Phipps, a long time

Mangum Junior High science teacher loved by everyone. Miss Dora Dean Reed, became

a long time opera voice coach and piano teacher with a studio on North Pennsylvania.

Loyd Harris became Dr. Loyd Harris holding many honors at the University of

Oklahoma. Warren Broome was a long time pharmacist at Richard’s Drug in Mangum.

Charles Boone

Werner Botts

Warren Broome

Ethel Byars-Weaver

Lillian Carlos

Lloyd Chaffin

Miss Francis Clay

Virginia Cocke

George Curphey

Flora Davidson

Jessie Doyle-Thrower

Ulman Elsea

Ola Farmer-Smith

Esco Freeman

Estelle Freeman

Lorena Freeman

Clara Fuller

Orvalle Fuller

Atha Gray

Minnie K. Guthrie

Emma Hall-Croft

Susie Hardin

Loyd Harris

Winnie L. Harris

Nora Hudson

Mr. Summers Hudson

James Johnson

Miss Tommie Johnson

Miss Uffer Lanford

Melvin McMinn

Clinton Maloy

Margaret L. Maloy

Harry Melton

Lila Miller-Head

James Newton

Lois Overton-Norman

Berniece O’Hara

Nola M. Patrick

Lawrence Paxton

Stella Penrod

Birdie Phillips-Castle

Dora Dean Reed

Ruby Roberts

Frankie Simpson

Mr. Theddie Shelton

Hobart Shields

William Smiley

James Tubbs

Llora Underwood

Gladys Walton

Tom Williams

Miss Mirl Winburne

Cora Wooldridge

Hazel Wright

Mary Wright

Joy Hall Grant, Historian, Class of 1957