The Life, Legend, and Legacy Of Mary Hines Johnson
By: Grady Ellis
In the West Georgia area, most people remember and still speak of Mayhayley Lancaster, and respectfully so by her abilities, and her part in regards to the Murder In Coweta County. There's another lady however, of whom is rarely mentioned, known, and almost forgotten. A true unsung hero in every sense as you'll learn in this story on Mary Hines Johnson, and now let's go there and take a look at this selfless woman who made it her life to help children of color in Heard County get an education in the 1940s, until integration, and the huge legacy and impact she made.
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| Mary Hines Johnson |
On March 23rd, 1895, Mary Hines Johnson would be born in Glenn, in Heard County Georgia. As a child of God, she was teaching Sunday School at her local church, and felt the call in this time to help local children of color have a school to obtain an education. In 1940, she began to teach from the Ebenezer Baptist Church, yet wanted a school of her own. A notable story in this time was how she would actually walk to the homes to lead the children to school. Traveling through woods, fields etc. One day, walking the kids back from school ,a huge thunderstorm came up, and Johnson and the kids gathered under the bridge for shelter. She prayed for safety and God heard her plea. They made it safely from school, but Johnson was on a mission, and made things happen. She would donate her 28 dollars a month salary for a schoolhouse of her own. It was a small one room wooden school on the outskirt of Franklin, on Georgia Highway 34 headed towards Newnan.
The school would be known as the "brown schoolhouse", and after World War 2, some barracks were donated and helped Mary's mission grow. She also was considered one of the first to offer free lunches to students, unheard of at the time. Her vision would allow African American children be able to graduate eventually in Heard County. Prior, it was 9th grade, or you had to go to neighboring cities like Carrollton, LaGrange to had furthered an education. Her school served all grades, and was very proud of the school, and very dedicated to her school, and children. Also stern, she would not allow a child to show ungratefulness, or what could be called today being a "brat". It was a different time, and that would bring you a paddling, and maybe a surprise visit from Mrs. Johnson to your home. It is clear she knew where she was meant to go, and what she felt called to do, she did so, and beautifully.
By 1954, a new school opened on Alford Drive, as the new home for the Mary Johnson School, and was a huge deal for the community and Mary Johnson, a new brick school on Bevis Road and Alford Drive. It was a huge upgrade from the school she donated her monthly salary of 28 dollars to have built. As the times advanced, the requirements to teach would grow more greater, and Mary Johnson would continue to follow, as she and another local hero and legend in Heard County, Robert Canady would ride together to attend classes in Fort Valley. In this era, we still dealt with segregation and fortunately the tide was turning.
As the tide turned, and integration was on the horizon, by 1968, the final class would graduate from the Mary Johnson School. Mary had retired before-hand to my understanding, and this part of the story is where I wish to emphasize her true impact and the huge mark she made, and the paths her legend would go, and also influence. With integration, the brick school that was a symbol of pride to so very many people, and the lady herself would be renamed Heard Elementary. The name of the school would be changed, which is said to have broken Mary Johnson's heart, and one can just imagine. Sadly, on September 18, 1969, Johnson would pass away from a stroke, although many do believe she also had a broken heart. To look at what she was able to do, and creating something amazing to look at and research.. it's enough to break one's heart. But, though there was a new name on the building, and Mrs. Mary Hines Johnson got her wings, her impact was felt in so many areas, and in that same school!
There's many people who don't realize, nor know that they have too had the influence, and felt the legacy of one our our most unsung pioneers. Many educators worked with her, and was inspired, and perfected their excellent teaching skills from her. Educators such as George Moore, he took his influence to Troup County, and there it passed onto others with his own influence. At Heard Elementary, Heard County High School in Franklin Georgia, throughout, her influence was felt, and still today as of 2021. Robert Canady taught at Mary Johnson, before moving to Heard High to teach before returning to the Mary Johnson School, of course then known as Heard Elementary and would be one of the assistant principals, and very much like his mentor and friend Mary Johnson for anyone who knew his style.
Notable teachers at Heard Elementary and Heard County High School who worked with Mary Johnson besides Robert Canady included Ms. Willie Veal. Ms. Marion Rouse. Ms. Thelma Young, and Mrs. Faye Thompson, and Mrs. Theresa Freeman at Heard High. I could list so many names but this is just a glimpse at her impact. These teachers loved their students, and went by the Johnson playbook. Another teacher who didn't teach at Mary Johnson, but went there, and eventually became a teacher at Heard Elementary was Mrs. Willie Woodruff. She was directly influenced from Mary Johnson, and she inspired her to follow her dreams of furthering her education, and also becoming a teacher. Her Husband, Grady Woodruff also went to school at Mary Johnson, and drove the school bus for many years. They too went by the Mary Johnson playbook, and it wasn't written, but so by Johnson's actions. Those actions were marks of a leader, and the others followed her path, and all known and beloved.
In 1993, Mary Johnson's name would return to Heard Elementary, with the media center, part of an addition onto the front of the 1954 building in 1986, being named in her honor. I was a student in second grade at the time and this was my first time of hearing of Mary Hines Johnson. I wondered "Who was she?" I never heard her mentioned, but as I grew older, the more I learned. I knew even as a kid I was standing in a place of history. The school had such character, and if you walked the halls, you could realize which rooms were for which subject yet maintained well and kept up nicely. Although standing in history, around was her influence, which beautifully integrated into many people's lives. But, we have an issue arising, and also one already going on.
As mentioned above, the renaming of the school hurt Mary Johnson deeply, as did many. In 2004, a new school was built on Highway 34, as Heard Elementary would leave the 1954 building. The influence followed to the new school, built past the location of her original one room schoolhouse. The 1954 building would stand empty. It would remain so before the property it sat on was sold, and this symbol of pride for so many people, far and wide, would be torn down. A section of Bevis Road from 34, to past the Robert Canady homes, a housing project across from the former school named in his honor and now memory, is ALL that is left in the area with the name of Mary Johnson to see. A brick building that brought everyone together, and held such a special place in many hearts. The building that was the standing monument to a true trailblazer in every sense. In 24 years, she went from teaching African American children inside Ebenezer Baptist Church, to donating her salary of 28 dollars a month for a one room school, then 1954, that beautiful brick schoolhouse that would unite many people along numerous paths as it transcended time. The monument is gone now. That place that is so special to so many people, and from Mary Johnson's dream. The building stood as the perfect example of doing what you're called to do, answering that call, and the rewards of dedication, discipline, and overcoming.
It is now 2021, and 81 years since this beautiful legacy came to reality. The site of the 1954 school still echoes the sounds of children, of laughter. An asphalt business today sits where the school was, but behind, and in front, two parts remain of the Mary Johnson School campus. The stories it tells, is slowly silenced with time. Mary Hines Johnson's legacy is strong, and is very much alive today at Heard Elementary, and the High School, where there remains teachers impacted from this lady. Though she inspired, and continues to, this story has been almost forgot. It is known, but almost to the point of folklore. People may see her name on a stretch of street, but not know why that is. All of her schools have been torn down now, but when you are at the corner of Mary Johnson Drive and Alford Drive, and you see Rutledge's Cafe, there's one last piece of a time that's now gone besides some old homes, along the ghosts of glory of the school site.
I want to say I think more should be done for this wonderful lady. I pray I see a day where if the front of the site of the 1954 school turned into a park. Maybe a small replica of the one room schoolhouse as a reminder of her impact. Maybe changing the name of the Heard Elementary to Mary Hines Johnson Elementary. Why did we allow the name Heard Elementary? There's more than one answer for sure, but for generations her impact will continue to be made. I know she is smiling from her mansion in heaven seeing what she brought together, and let's honor Mary Hines Johnson while we still have time. A legend, and a legacy such as hers cannot become mere myth nor folklore, and we must never forget it, it's time to educate people on this unsung hero and if anything, remember she was stern, and wanted her students to obtain the best education possible, and the perfect example of saying you're going to do something, and you do just that. Heard County was truly blessed to be the homeplace of such an amazing woman, who gave her all in return.
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| Former plaque that sat in the "new" school that'd become known as Heard Elementary. |
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| Mr. Robert "Chief" Canady was a legendary figure, and he and Mary Johnson would travel to middle Georgia to advance their degrees. He would be a part of the legacy for many years, retiring as an assistant in the Mary Johnson school, which was then called Heard Elementary. |
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| Miss Marion Rouse was a teacher at Mary Johnson School who would too stay at the building, retiring in the early 2000s. |
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| Mrs. Willie Woodruff went to school in the same building she'd spend a career as a teacher. In this photo we see this great lady, a protégé of Johnson's in action in that same building. Story is dedicated in memory to Mrs. Mary Hines Johnson. Also dedicated in honor and memory of each and every educator and student impacted by Mary Hines Johnson. |
