Ron Jordan: First Student Body President
The First Student Body President
It was my honor and privilege fifty years ago to serve as the first student body president of Page High School. My older brother Jim was the president of the student body at then Greensboro High School a few years before.
The most prominent memory of my time at Page was of Principal Luther Medlin bringing everyone together, stressing the importance of creating the organizations and programs necessary to achieve accreditation in the first year. It was his goal, and he made it our goal. Under his leadership—and with the dedication of the teachers, administrative staff, and the students—the goal was achieved.
Luther Medlin set high standards for Page from the beginning, and we have all benefited. It was a privilege to have known him while at Page and for many years after. My wife was Helen Medlin’s secretary for a few years at Claxton Elementary, and we maintained friendship with Dr. Medlin until his passing a few years ago and with Helen Medlin now.
Page was a new beginning, particularly for the Senior Class of 1959. We were a small group who had left GHS and for THE FIRST STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT the most part had all known each other and been in school together since first grade. For the short time that we were at Page, I surmised that we all enjoyed the warmth and participation afforded by a smaller school.
May 31 of this year [2008] I retired after 36 years of selling textiles to the furniture industry. My wife Carol and I have moved to coastal North Carolina to ponder the sound of the surf, play golf, and devote ourselves to our two-yearold grandson. My brother and I spend much time on the phone and internet solving the major problems of mankind such as oil independence, transportation, agriculture, and soil and water conservation. We have them all solved, but no one is asking, so we will continue to enjoy the challenge.
Good luck to all of you, and continue your travels with the wind at your back.
Ronald A. (Ron) Jordan, Class of 1959
Notes from the First Graduating student in the First Graduating Class (alphabetically, that is):
As seniors, we were given the option of completing our last year of high school at Greensboro Senior or transferring to Page. I was a little disappointed that all the classmates from elementary and junior high did not choose to transfer, as some of us had been together since first grade. But it was exciting to be in a new building, have new teachers, and to select the school colors, mascot, name of newspaper, etc. Since our class was smaller than the several hundred that would have been in our class at Greensboro Senior, there was a feeling of closeness that you did not have at the old school.
Graduation time came quickly. We were all proud of our accomplishments, nervous and excited about the future. Some were going on to college, some were getting married, some were going into the workforce. And on graduation day, I was very proud and excited to be the FIRST Page graduate to walk up there and receive a diploma.
Molly Apple Hall, Class of 1959