In the Archives: Centenary’s Centennial in 1925
As Centenary College of Louisiana approaches its bicentennial in 2025, one might wonder how the institution celebrated its centennial in 1925, which included a carnival and elaborate historical pageant taking place in the leadup to graduation. First, though, let’s set the stage by starting one year earlier…
In 1924, Centenary was 99 years old and had been in Shreveport the last eighteen of those years. Its prior home had been 200 miles away in Jackson, Louisiana. As the College prepared for its one hundredth anniversary, Centenary’s Centennial Campaign Committee was headed by Edwin A. Frost, a member of the College’s board of trustees, who was involved in banking and the lumber industry (Centenary dedicated the Frost Memorial Fountain and Gardens in 1952). In addition to the five person Centennial Campaign Committee, there was a separate 156 person Centennial Committee and a five person Publicity Committee, which consisted of the presidents and managing editors of the Shreveport Times and Shreveport Journal newspapers.
This collective group published a booklet titled Centenary’s Next Century.[1] It outlines the College’s past progress as well as its future needs. The publication noted recent achievements, many of which occurred under the leadership of Dr. George S. Sexton, who became Centenary’s president after resigning as pastor of Shreveport’s First Methodist Episcopal Church South in 1921 (Centenary dedicated the George S. Sexton Memorial Residence Hall in 1960). From 1919 to 1924, enrollment grew from 36 students to 432, and the endowment rose from $90,000 to $653,000. The publication also explained the Million Dollar Thank Offering fundraising campaign. This campaign sought to raise funds for an administration building, a gymnasium and permanent athletic field, additional classrooms, a new dormitory, modernization of the library, general campus improvements, and the endowment.
Throughout the calendar year of 1924, the College underwent a number of significant changes. In January, the campus opened the newly-constructed Arts Building (renamed Meadows Museum of Art in 1975). In May, the Centenary College Academy, a preparatory department, was renamed Centenary Academy and reorganized as a private school no longer managed and financed by the College. That fall, the College offered a newly-expanded music department, and Dr. Katherine Jackson French joined the English department as the first woman on Centenary’s faculty with a Ph.D. In December 1924, Centenary got one step closer to its long-running goal of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities. That first step, though, involved the College agreeing to reduce the salary of the celebrated football coach, Alvin “Bo” McMillian, who had been earning more than Centenary’s president. President Sexton also noted to the trustees that during McMillian’s years, the football program consistently ran an annual deficit. With his salary reduced, McMillian immediately resigned, and Centenary was admitted to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Twelve months later, in December 1925, the College successfully became a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities.
The spring semester of 1925 held its own high points, including the formation of Centenary’s Woman’s Athletic Association. The organization’s activities included basketball, hiking, tennis, bicycling, swimming, and horseback riding. As the spring semester concluded, Centenary launched its centennial celebrations.
Centenary’s centennial celebration kicked off with the institution’s second annual carnival sponsored by the College’s Y.M.C.A. student organization.[2] It occurred May 29 on the athletic field (now Jones-Rice Intramural Field). The carnival featured a royal court and their attendants, a separate burlesque coronation of a male student dressed as a queen, vaudeville acts, clown acrobatics, and music furnished by the College band. Fraternities and sororities provided side shows and concessions. Two Shreveport locals with experience working in professional carnivals and vaudeville shows were also instrumental in organizing and running the event.
Two weeks later, on June 11, Centenary hosted an elaborate historical pageant called “The Light of a Century.”[3] This event was organized by Dr. Robert Henry Harper, pastor of First Methodist Episcopal Church South of New Orleans, who was a member of Centenary’s class of 1904. The pageant included numerous scenes reenacting moments throughout the College’s 100-year history. The event also sought to include the participation of Centenary’s oldest living alumnus and the six College presidents still alive.
June 11 also marked the publication of a special twelve-page section titled the “Centenary College Centennial Edition” found inside that day’s issue of the Shreveport Times.[4] Featuring nearly forty separate articles, the newspaper highlighted the College’s history, academic departments, athletic teams, student organizations, alumni, campus buildings, Million Dollar Thank Offering fundraising campaign, and details about the separate Centenary Academy. Throughout the newspaper, advertisements from local businesses featured congratulatory messages to the College. Effusive praise came from many of Shreveport’s leading businesses – Kidd-Russ Luggage, M. Levy Company, Booth’s Furniture, Commercial National Bank, the W. K. Henderson Iron Works, Victoria Lumber Company, A. C. Steere realty company, Shreveport Railways Company, Frost-Johnson Lumber Company, Hotel Youree, Jordan and Booth Company, Selber Brothers, and Southwestern Gas and Electric Company.
Commencement occurred the following day on June 12 for Centenary’s fourteen graduating seniors.[5] The ceremony began with the College band leading a procession from the administrative building to the College auditorium. Louisiana’s lieutenant governor, Oramel Hinckley Simpson, delivered the commencement address. He was a member of Centenary’s class of 1890.
As 1925 progressed, more good news greeted the College as the year concluded. In November, the Louisiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South approved a bond issue of $300,000 to benefit its two educational facilities – Centenary College and the Mansfield Female College.[6] Centenary’s funds went to raise the College’s endowment. The Louisiana Conference was a regional offshoot from the Mississippi Methodists that established one of Centenary’s two predecessor institutions in 1839. In December, Centenary again benefited from the financial support of another organization. The Kiwanis Club of Shreveport funded the construction of a building that many identified as sorely missing on campus – a gymnasium.[7] This wooden frame gym served as the site of basketball games and athletics activities until the construction of the Physical Education Building in 1937 (renamed Haynes Memorial Gymnasium in 1951, then the Centenary Fitness Center in 2000).
Though there may not be a clown circus at Centenary’s Bicentennial in 2025, there will likely be some similarities to celebrations that took place one hundred years ago. In 1925, Centenary’s Centennial Committee planned a variety of events and fundraisers with the assistance of students, alumni, faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, and local boosters. At present, Centenary’s Bicentennial Committee is working with these same types of stakeholders. Their work harnesses current supporters and their strengths to plan fun and meaningful events. Keep an eye on the Centenary website and social media accounts for details about the upcoming Bicentennial celebration in 2025!
— Chris Brown ‘01
[1] Centenary’s Next Century (Shreveport, LA: Centenary College of Louisiana, 1924). https://archive.org/details/centenarysnextcentury/
[2] “Open Carnival This Evening,” Shreveport Times, May 29, 1925, page 5.
[3] Dolph Frantz, “Romantic Fact Basis of Historical Pageant for Centennial of Centenary,” Shreveport Journal, June 4, 1925, page 1.
[4] Centenary College Centennial Edition, Shreveport Times, June 11, 1925, pages 1-12.
[5] “Give Diplomas to Centennial Senior Class,” Shreveport Times, June 13, 1925, page 1.
[6] “Methodists’ Bond Issue to Increase Centenary Funds,” Shreveport Journal, November 6, 1925, page 1.
[7] “Kiwanians Will Build Gym for Gent Cage Team,” Shreveport Times, December 12, 1925, page 13.