Pearl's first class

I've been intrigued by this photograph for some time. Obviously, this is Pearl Cofield's first class, but where did she teach? That's been the question since I came across the photo of my grandmother a few years ago. Pearl Cofield received a teacher's certificate from Blue Mountain College in 1928, and the State of Mississippi issued her a license that was valid for three years. But where did she teach? I thought I would find the answer at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History when I searched the microfilm holdings at their very nice facility in Jackson, but nothing turned up there. Then, yesterday at the Itawamba County Library, I found a compilation of Itawamba County schoolteachers prepared by Wendall Brown, and there was my answer. For the 1928-1929 school year, Pearl Cofield was one of eleven teachers who taught school at Tremont. Her sister, Pauline Cofield, was listed as teaching at Kirkville that same year.

Since Pearl's name was not listed as teaching the following school year, I assume that she only taught that one year. She married my grandfather, Luke Robinson, on December 27, 1929, and shortly thereafter the State of Mississippi changed its licensure requirements to require additional coursework which Pearl never completed.

So now we know. Pearl is standing to the right of her students in front of the school building at Tremont.