Who were Local Officials in '81?

Who were Local Officials in '81?

Who were local officials, back in 1981? Well, James Todd was the mayor and James Worley was the city manager. Commissioners were Mike Brewer, Mrs. Constance Lawson, Monty Joe Lovell, and William Strong. Russell Lane was chief of police and William Lane was fire chief. On the county level, Harold Kirby was the County Judge/ Executive, while the members of the fiscal court (magistrates) were Ewell Cobb, Edward Chenault, Farris Parks, and Charlie Todd. Nolan Winkler was the high sheriff. Cobb was the only Republican in county government that year. Harry Moberly, Jr. was the state representative; Robert Martin was state senator. Madison County was in the Fifth Congressional District at that time and was represented in Washington by Republican Harold Rogers. Our senators were two Democrats Wendell Ford and Walter Huddleston. Moberly, Rogers, and Ford are still in their offices 10 years later; we now have a Republican state senator and U.S. senator. In education, Harold Webb was superintendent of the city schools, while Dudley Hendricks was principal at both Bellevue and Mayfield elementary schools and James Fleenor was principal at Madison High. Russell Roberts was superintendent of county schools. There was only one high school Madison Central, J.B. Moore, principal. Douglas Roberts headed up the Clark Moores Middle school; William Hendren the Red Foley Middle school. Elementary school principals were Wayne Bowling (Daniel Boone), Paul Baker (Kingston), Edgar Adams (Kirksville), Frank Nassida (Kit Carson), Charles Combs (Silver Creek), Robert Azbill (Waco), and Douglas Jackson (White Hall). Of course there were also schools at Berea, plus Model and St. Mark's. Today Madison is gone and there is a new school, Madison Southern. These then were our officials back in 1981.

Dr. Fred Engle

1/4/1992

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