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Morris School for boys. Closed now but once very active on Morris School Road in Searcy AR.

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Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

I don't believe we have talked about Morris School for boys.  It was a Catholic school for boys who were boarded there.  It was located on Morris School Road and had nice buildings and lots of land.  It was probably about 6 miles from town.

The thing that I remember the most about it was the presence of the boys on Saturday afternoon in downtown Searcy.  They were almost like an original "gang."  My kids would see the boys and immediately recognize them as being from the school.  Young girls, my daughter included, looked them over very carefully and may have formed a distant crush on some of them.

There have been some post cards on ebay and I've got a few here to show you. First the campus.

Morris School Searcy AR campus

The infirmary

Morris School Searcy Ar infirmary

Inside

Morris School Searcy AR inside

Morris School Searcy AR library

And that was the library.  I hope the Sleuths will remember more about this school.  These pictures look really old so it may have existed for a long time.  And the boys do look pretty handsome, don't they?

Comments (106)
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Anonymous
Tony Strickland

I graduated in 1962.Played Football coached by Bro.Cyprian and Bro. Dave.
Visited Bro. Cyprian at Mount Alverno, after I got out of the Army in 1966.
Some of the classmates were Dale Rose, Charles Hickey,Jack Bowers, also will never forget Bro. Bosco,who I called in 1973, when I moved back to NJ.Hope someone reads this and and responds.Lots of good memories.

Dec 18, 2018 03:20 PM
#86
Anonymous
Charles Foster

Morris School has a Facebook presence that's quite active.

Dec 18, 2018 03:34 PM
#87
Anonymous
Betty Mason Martin

I recently visited Morris School--just drove thru--and was pleased to see children playing outside. Apparently, a church is now using it for mission purposes. Also visited the school admin. ofc. & the high school & was able to get copies of pictures of my parents from old yearbooks.

Dec 18, 2018 03:48 PM
#88
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Tony, sounds like good memories to me.

Charles, there are quite a few folks who find this blog too.

Betty, yes, it was bought by a church and I am glad they let you visit the offices.

 

Dec 18, 2018 05:59 PM
Anonymous
Ed Sunberg

My grandfather and his two brothers were raised in a Catholic orphanage in Cincinnati around 1900. One of his brothers, Frank Kistner, became Brother Vincent. He worked at the Morris home in Searcy until at least 1952. I would like to know more about him, and what he did there.

May 19, 2019 04:05 PM
#90
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Ed Sunberg, thanks for your comment.  Be sure to read all the comments and perhaps he will be mentioned.  Morris School blog has attracted a lot of attention and comments.

May 19, 2019 05:50 PM
Anonymous
Jaime Herrea

https://activerain.com/blogsview/3508548/morris-school-for-boys---closed-now-but-once-very-active-on-morris-school-road-in-searcy-ar-

May 29, 2019 09:51 AM
#92
Anonymous
Jaime Herrera Pinto

I attended Morris School in 1984/1985, the school used to have a group of around 30 Latin students in order to complete an English as a Second Language program.Good memories come to me when I hear the name of the school, The Brothers of the Poor of St. Francis made a good work maintaining the school as long as they could.

May 29, 2019 10:00 AM
#93
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Jaime, it is good that you have happy memories regarding Morris School.  The blogs that I have done about the school have had lots of responses so be sure to read all the comments on each blog.  You may be able to reconnect with an old friend.  Thanks for your comment.

May 30, 2019 04:52 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Jayden, you are SO right.  Kids are not the same now.  They go by a different set of rules, have vastly different modes of enjoyment and learning, and I am praying for them to turn our world around.....to the better!

Jun 04, 2019 05:42 PM
Anonymous
JOSE MANUEL GOMEZ HINOJOSA

I am Manuel Gomez from San Luis Potosi, MX, I attended Morris School in the yerar 1985/86, 34 years ago, It was a huge expirience being there, I remembered Bro. William and Bro. Thomas Moore, I attended the program English as a Second language (ESL). This weekend there was a reunion at Morris I could not assist, but many people send pictures and it seems that the time at Morris never pass.

Jun 23, 2019 10:40 AM
#97
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Jose, it is good to hear from you and know that you have good feelings about the school.  I am so glad that I did a few blogs about the school because the blogs have been far-reaching and brought back memories to so many people.  Thanks for the comment.

Jun 24, 2019 04:58 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Here's a comment from another student.

 

Barbara, I was just sitting at my computer this afternoon, and out of the blue, Morris School popped into my head. I thought, I'm going to Google it and catch up. Silly thought after neglecting it for nearly 65 years, except in my memories and the stories I have told about my short times there. When I landed on your blog and saw "closed now but once very active," a veil of sadness came over me. Good Lord, where does time go? It seems like yesterday.

My dad dropped me off at Morris School September 1950, just going on 13 and into 81th grade. My mon, dad and 6 kids were trying to run a farm in Malvern, AR, which went bust. mom stayed on the farm with 4 of the kids while Dad was headed back to Chicago to look for work and a new home. I was unimaginably homesick for the first 2 or 3 months. Once I broke out of that, Morris School became the most exciting and adventurous time of my life to that point (perhaps a tie with our farm in Malvern). Unfortunately I don't remember my schoolmates by name, only their faces and our adventures together. However, I do remember several of the Brothers, well: Bro Cyprian Hill, superintendent,smart man & never a cross word; Bro Dominic Kopp, cook 7 dorm proctor & good friend; Bro Vincent, laundry, infirmary, pharmacist, taught me to sew my name on clothing; Bro Ferninand, managed the vegetable farm; Bro Conrad, disciplinarian, tough job; Bro Pendergast, history teacher, always had our attention & in stitches; and Bro ... how could I forget his name, managed the dairy farm and hay fields.

I spent so much time there and loved every minute of it. His name will come in the next day or two. I left there June 1951. After I finished high school in the Chicago area in 1955, I returned to Morris School to work the farms for three months -- another wonderful experience. Following that I had to think about college and working for money for college.

Thank you so much, Barbara , for you blog on Morris and bringing back memories of a wonderful time in my life.

Paul Caron

Jul 16, 2019 05:05 AM
Anonymous
Charles Foster

Paul Caron, if you go on Facebook you can join the Morris School for Boys group, which has quite a few members, and has conducted two reunions at Morris.We'd be happy to have you join us.

Jul 16, 2019 03:58 PM
#100
Anonymous
Kevin Kubitschek

I read Paul Caron's story with interest. I agree with his assessments of the Brothers named. To fill in a few blanks, Brother Gabriel ran the farm and the dairy. Brother Pendergast I think, is Brother Pancratius, who taught, and in later years, tended the lawn, flowers and shrubs. I found the Brothers, as a whole, to be hardworking, considerate and kind. Having said that, they were human, had tempers, and their patience tried over and over. Through the years, I've read these different posts, and they're largely positive--there were boys who were picked on, weren't popular and shunted aside, and either didn't fit in or didn't want to fit in. I wish it weren't so, but this is an imperfect world, with imperfect people. As I age and reflect on my life, my 5 years at Morris certainly helped shape me as an individual. My memories of the Brothers, the boys, and my time there are overwhelmingly positive, with a few clunkers.

Jul 17, 2019 04:14 AM
#101
Anonymous
Mike Swedenberg

Hi Kevin, You and I attended Morris at the same time and often hung out together. There is a facebook page dedicated to the school titled Morris School for Boys https://www.facebook.com/groups/83703661182/ Bro William Carriere is an active member. Please join us and share your memories.

Jul 18, 2019 04:07 AM
#102
Anonymous
Mark Spies

My years at Morris 1968-1971 were the best in my life. I learned to study and live with others without your parents. Only twice was I disciplined and it was my fault . Made friendships that still exits to this day. I was so sad when I heard the school had closed. The Brothers were my family and will always remember what they taught me.. Mustang forever....

Oct 14, 2019 03:34 PM
#103
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Mark Spies, thanks for those nice words about Morris School.  This blog has been viewed by so many former students and almost all the comments have been good.  I think it has also helped some students renew old friendships.

Oct 15, 2019 04:48 AM
Anonymous
Michael L Buckley

I was there 85-87? Brother James was the principal. My dorm Brother was Brother Willialms. I loved that school and visited once or twice after leaving. I remember going on the hikes and having a wonderful time. I played on the Basketball team at the time and won the Conference championship. I remember playing the Rosebud basketball team and thinking "dang the big". Such great memories. :)

Aug 27, 2020 03:20 PM
#105
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Michael, thanks for the comment and I am so glad your memories are good ones!  As I have said before, most of the comments have been about happy memories.

Aug 28, 2020 05:09 AM
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