I saw that there is a commencement notice in Corsicana Daily Sun about this class that it is posted on the Navarro County website. Here is a photo of the 1897 class. My grandfather, Al Sowell, is seated on the front row in the middle. I thought you might want to add on the site.  ...Tom Sowell

 

Apr 23, 1897 The Commencement exercises of the Corsicana high school will be held at the Merchants' opera-house on Thursday night, May 21. The graduates are as follows: Mabelle Molder, Ewing Edens, Inez Freeman, Al Sowell, Jewell White, Annie Mae Douglas, May Lea, Walter Guthrie, Meta Ransom, Mary Rainwater, Aggie Witherspoon, Pearl Carter, Eva Richardson, Edna Martin, Charles Gibbs. The following programme will be carried oth: Invocation, Rev. M. S. Hotchkiss; salutatory, Miss Mabelle Molder, oration, "Ancient and Modern Nations of Liberty," Ewing Edens: music, chorus class; essay, "Backward and Forward," Miss Inez Freeman; declamation, "Funeral Oration of Euclid," Al Sowell; music, orchestra; essay, "Let There Be Light," Miss Jewel White: recitation, "Thora," Miss Annie Mae Douglas: music, orchestra: essay, "An Ideal City," Miss May Lea: Shakespearean burlesque, Misses Meta Ransom, Mary Rainwater, Aggie Witherspoon and Pearl Carter; oration, "The Achievements of Our Civilization," Walter Guthrie: chorus, class: essay, "The Wire Puller," Miss Eva Richardson: recitation, Miss Edna Martin: music, orchestra: valedictory, Charles Gibbs. Delivering the diplomas to the class by Superintendent J. T. Hand. Submitted by Dana Stubbs