Anna's Stories - Back to School - Palmer College, TII - Brenda Rees - Shaping Florida

Anna’s Stories – Back to School -- Palmer College, TII – Brenda Rees – Shaping Florida

Florida’s First Junior College
Early Florida Higher Education Institutions
From the Papers of Anna Smith Hollingsworth Reardon and her son, Ernest L. Hollingsworth, Jr. (Sonny and my mother recently retrieved these notes and papers from their attic.)
Presented by Brenda Rees – Shaping Florida
© All Rights Reserved 2009

Walton County was an early educational and cultural center for Florida. The Florida Chautauqua of New York started a winter program in DeFuniak Springs, Florida in 1885. Thousands traveled here to relax at this winter resort and to improve their education and religious training. The programs were a perfect blend of education, culture, recreation and religion. Formal education programs and institutions were also notable in Walton County. Among them was Palmer College. Anna Smith Hollingsworth Reardon attended Palmer College and Academy, and was a Senior in 1922. Enjoy another installment of Anna Smith’s stories as you read about her personal school experiences and view pictures from her scrapbook of Palmer College. Her son, Ernest L. (Sonny) Hollingsworth and his wife, Gloria, recently retrieved these pictures and notes from their attic. Gloria is my mother. Anna's family owned Grayton Beach and Camp Walton homes and resorts. – Brenda Rees – Shaping Florida


Anna Smith (Hollingworth Reardon) and her Class of 1922 at Palmer College and Academy. You'll see other Walton County historic names noted such as Catts, McCaskill, and McKinnon.

Palmer College and Academy existed from 1907 until 1935 or 1936 in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. A number of those early students were well acquainted with the beaches of South Walton, Camp Walton and other Emerald Coast beach locations. They often attended school in DeFuniak, and went to the beach in Grayton, Eastern Lake and other beaches in South Walton. You can read more about early resorts in Camp Walton and Grayton Beach in my other blogs on SoWal.com. – Brenda Rees – Shaping Florida


Class picture of the Palmer College Academy seniors of 1922.


Palmer girls in Anna's album.

The state of Florida operated a Normal School in DeFuniak Springs until moving classes to Tallahassee and Gainesville. The Presbyterian Church purchased the Normal School and named it Palmer College in honor of Rev. B.M. Palmer, D.D. L.L.D. of New Orleans. The early curriculum consisted of academic courses, Bible study and physical education. The board, tuition and fees were around $350.00 in 1923 according to a catalogue of Mrs. Mack. E. Dennis of Pensacola per a story by Dianne Day in the DeFuniak Springs Herald – Breeze, Thursday, November 13, 1975. Day also wrote that the elementary section was where Everett Yates now had a home. An update here is that Yates son, Sonny Yates, is a past president of the Walton County Heritage Association. My father, Mac Anderson, was Sonny Yates teacher and football coach. – Brenda Rees – Shaping Florida

Anna Smith, in writing about her Auntie and Uncle (Mrs. and Mrs. L.I. Smith), shared a story about Palmer College. Anna wrote:

…”I recall that my parents were concerned about my health and for a while I walked from Palmer College to Uncle and Auntie’s for mid-day dinner. What feasts! We had old fashioned strawberry short cake with whipped cream every day for a month – fried chicken, pork chops, tiny fresh peas, new potatoes, biscuits, etc.

They were kind, loving and generous. During their last years of life, Cousin Eubert Fletcher and his wife, Mary, spent the winters with Uncle and Auntie. Sometimes their grown daughter, Liona, came along. Auntie was fond of Mrs. Sue Gillis, a Civil War widow who lived on Live Oak Ave.. Dr. Dye had built a house next door about 1922, so there was an almost perpetual game of “set-back” going on. My grandfather, Hugh Thornber, after playing cards with my father at home, would drop in at Uncle’s for a game, every afternoon. I was embarrassed to arrive and leave Palmer College and Academy in a car when everyone else was walking. I’d get Granddad to put me out a few blocks away from school, so I could walk, too, and I’d walk to Uncle and Auntie’s house to meet Granddad in the afternoon where the card game was in progress.”…


Anna Smith and her aunt, Mrs. L.I. (Anna Durinda) Smith in front of home on historic Circle Drive on Lake DeFuniak. This is probably the house from which Anna walked to Palmer College. Quality education was always important in Walton County. The sophisticated population attracted by the Florida Chautauqua demanded first class institutions to match the beauty of the area. Some early names used to describe places along Northwest Florida were "The Naples of America" or "America's Riviera."




Representative Palmer Students. Also, theatre and an appreciation of the arts was very important from the early days of Walton County education.


Elegantly dressed for a special event.


p. 32 handwritten note
…“Among L.I. Smith’s holdings in the Camp Walton – Mary Esther area were 200 acres on the sound beach adjacent to the present Santa Rosa County line, and acreage at what was known as the German dye plant, now on Eglin Air Force Base. He did much to develop that area, and always foresaw that some day it would develop. He helped many in Walton County, including assistance given to Thomas Industrial Memorial Institute, a Methodist private school.”


Thomas Industrial Institute. My mother's notes with this picture say it is 1921 and Mr. Bailey is the principal. Joe Arrington was a senior and captain of the football team.




Anna Smith, 1922, Palmer College and Academy, Senior Picture. This is the same picture that is on the composite of entire class.

End of Anna’s notes, pictures and writing.

Bessie Tervin also attended Palmer College. Her granddaughter, Christy Haynes, had several Palmer College Yearbooks from 1916 and 1918. Bessie is mentioned several times. Her daughter was Bets Haynes, which many on SoWal know from her efforts to save Grayton Beach. Another daughter of Bets and Gap Haynes, Kelly, now owns one of Anna Smith's Grayton Beach family homes. In addition, Bessie and her husband, Wells Nelson I think, bought Anna Smith's sister and brother-in-law's laundry business. Sonny said he worked for the Nelson's laundry service for a short while.


Palmer College Students Pictured in the 1916 Palmera. We're checking on identification. Perhaps Bessie is third from right. -- 9-1-09-- My Mom just said she thinks this is Bessie. Bessie was my Mom's math teacher. She checked her 1950s Walton annual. My Mom recalls Mrs. Bessie Nelson saying, "Now, watch me as I go through the board." I'll try to scan and include a picture later.


The Math Department with Mrs. Nelson. From my Mom's 1952 War Whoop Annual.

Bessie Tervin was President of the Wallace Bruce Club at Palmer College. Bruce is known for his early leadership of the Florida Chautauqua in DeFuniak Springs. 1916 Palmera


Girls also participated in sports at Palmer College. This page in the Palmera of 1916 mentions Bessie Tervin and a track meet win. Bessie's daughter and granddaughters are from Grayton Beach in South Walton, Florida. Bessie's daughter lived in Grayton Beach in Walton County, Florida and was known as Bets Haynes or "Big Mama."


Anna Smith's family had owned "The Racket" store and you can read about it in my other blogs. The Thornbers retired and sold their store. The Jennings, who later owned "The Racket" store, bought an ad in the Palmer College Palmera in 1916.


There are over 100 schools of historical and current note in Walton County.


Some buildings still exist that were once part of Palmer College. I believe this was the boys dorm. It is now an apartment complex in DeFuniak Springs on College Avenue.


Gloria Jackson, a math student of Mrs. Nelson in 1952. Many generations of Walton County students were taught by teachers who attended Palmer Academy and College. Gloria is now married to Sonny Hollingsworth, the son of Anna Smith (Hollingsworth Reardon).