Editor’s Note: This reminiscence of a legendary Rockdale education was written by Fate Arnwine, an Aycock High School and Reporter contributor. It is resent as a Juneteenth feature:
When I was stationed in San Antonio, I made frequent trips to Rockdale.
One of the people I made sure to visit was Principal O.E. (Prof) Wilhite Sr. I always make it a priority to contact people I know from Rockdale when I visit relatives in Dallas. In 1973 while on such a visit, Lee Alcorn took me by the apartment complex where he worked.
We found him picking up debris on the grounds. We chatted for several minutes. He was more interested in how I was getting along and what I was doing than anything else.
For some reason Rockdale and Aycock did not enter into the conversation. This would be the last time I was to see him.
During my almost 12 years at Aycock, you could say I was under the guidance prudence of Mr. O. E. Wilhite Sr., the principal.
He was known to his students, peers and community as Prof throughout his long and distinguished servitude as an educator. No, I did not spend my entire secondary on education at Aycock. I spent some time in kindergarten in Cameron. I was once a member of the little school in the Liberty Hill Community and later at Anderson High in Austin.
I had very few situations in School, although I was a bit mischievous and possibly had ADHD as a kid.
I remember three situations I had involving Prof. All of us went to the men’s room regardless of age. There was no privacy. I went one day when some of the older boys were drinking with an outsider who was drunk.
He told the others to watch him slap this kid and he slapped me. Prof called the police and had him arrested and barred from the property.
One time the teacher had to go out of the room. One of the students put a hat on my head. The hat belonged to someone who had something we called “tetter.” I gave that kid such a whack.
The teacher came back to find him bawling, He only said I hit him, not why. She did not want to take what I had to say into consideration. I thought we both should be punished.
Nope, only me. I booked.
I was subsequently caught and brought back. By that time Prof was there. I was in his lap as she laid the old hickory stick to me. She may have had something against Prof or she was so angry at me for running away.
For every two or three licks I got, poor Prof got one or two.
Through all of this she remained my favorite teacher.
One year mom and I were going to Dallas for an Easter visit. I was to leave school at noon so we could catch a 1 p.m. bus. As I was leaving a kid asked me for the lone dice he knew I had on a key chain as he needed it to make a pair. I gave it to him and left.
The following Monday when I returned to school I was directed to go to Prof’s office. I was informed some boys were caught shooting dice in the boy’s locker room. Everyone involved was given a two week suspension. This included me.
Since I wasn’t at school and was not involved in the dice game, I did not view this as fair. I still don’t.
Perhaps Prof had a reason for doing this. So I went home mulling things over on the way, I vowed not to go back to school.
I got a job at a gas station washing cars. I had not told mom. Around middle of the third week, I guess by then she had been informed. I looked up one day and there was mom. All she said was, “I want you to go back to school.” Despite my vow not to go back, the next day I was back in school.
Prof was a good listener. He gave good stern advice when solicited. He was also the math teacher known for assigning copious amounts of home work.
During one of his assignments, I encountered a problem that kept me up for the better part of the night. Math was not my thing. I had to work hard at it.
The next morning, before class, I conferred with our class mathematician, Henry Mitchell. He indicated having the same issue.
The problem was, our answer did not concur with the answer in the back of the book. We enlisted Prof to work the problem.
He came up with the answer depicted in the back of the book. We insisted the answer was only half of the problem.
Just as I was beginning to think Henry and I were wrong, Prof sent for an upperclassman. The fellow left after Prof told him something. About 15 minutes later Nathaniel Moore (aka Nay) showed up. Nay had been Prof’s prized math student and was a math major in college.
Nay came to the same conclusion as Henry and I. He worked the problem to conclusion. I was so elated. I failed to ask if there may have been others with the same conclusion.
I was more interested if our counterparts across the tracks had encounter a similar issue and what happened. Perhaps another teacher would not have gone that far and dismissed us citing the back of the book answer.
Prof had an old 49 Chevy. It was used for school and community business. I had a driver’s license at
16. I would often be sent to the post office to get the school mail and to the RISD office to drop off the school receipts.
I drove the Scouts to Camp and outside meetings. The perk for me was I didn’t have to pay anything and I was in charge. Did I mention I was the driver?
We had assembly about once a week or sooner if warranted.
He would relate to us upcoming events and any changes in curriculum of school and community.
In general an assembly would only last about half an hour.
Prof had a little something he repeated often. I don’t know if he made it up himself or got it from Martin Luther, the protestant reformer of the 1500’s.
As I remember (or not) It went something like this, I will do the best I can, with what I have, regardless of where I am.
I have tried to live up to that little saying whenever I can. It is a part of Prof that sticks with me.
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