F. T. Appleby: A Biography

 

Flavius Thompson Appleby 

April 2, 1875 - December 20, 1932

Flavius Thompson Appleby was born in an era when it was considered socially desirable to give sons classical names, usually Greek or Roman. Many recipients of these names later preferred to use only first and middle initials, and we may assume F. T. Appleby, the namesake of a Roman emperor, was one of these.

Appleby’s family history is recorded in the History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, Volume 3 by Thomas McAdory Owen and Marie Bankhead Owen. The following is a brief excerpt:

“(Appleby was the) son of Samuel Argyle and Rebeckah (Ewing) Appleby, the former a native of Verona, Marshall County, Tenn., who lived at Lewisburgh and was a farmer and stock breeder; grandson of Samuel Bell and Emma Jane (Ewing) Appleby of Verona, Tenn. and of Lyle A. and Rebeckah (Leiper) Ewing, who lived at Farmington, Tenn. His great-grandfather, John Appleby, came with two brothers from Appleby, Westmoreland County, England, to South Carolina soon after the Revolution, and from there moved to Tennessee. The brothers went one to Pennsylvania, and the other to Georgia. His great-grandfather, John Leiper, was the founder of the Leiper's Mill community in Tennessee, and one of the founders of the old Presbyterian Church Bethberel. Mr. Appleby attended the country schools near Lewisburgh, Tenn.: was graduated from the University of Tennessee, B.S. 1901; took graduate work in Columbia University, New York and spent three summers at Winona Lake summer school, Indiana. He began teaching in a district school in Tennessee; then in a village school in the same state; became teacher of mathematics in Elmwood seminary for young ladies, Farmington, Miss.; was elected president of that school and held the position for four years; came to Alabama as superintendent of Tuscumbia city schools, 1906-1910; served as president of LaFayette College; was elected superintendent of city schools at Florence, 1919.”

While living in Campbellsville, Kentucky, Appleby married Mary Grider (Mayme) Mourning in December 1902. The couple had one son born in January 1904. By August 1906, Mayme had passed away at the age of 25, leaving Appleby with a young child to raise. He then moved to Northwest Alabama where he met Ella Henry Johnson of Tuscumbia. They married in January 1909; their union lasted until Flavius’ death in December 1932. He was also survived by his son James Mourning Appleby who died in 1977.

F. T. Appleby taught school until 1917, at which time he was elected the superintendent of Florence City Schools. He remained in that position until his death. Once installed in the office, Appleby set about to raise the academic achievements of the school system. The year 1917 also marked the opening of Coffee High School on Jackson Highway (now Hermitage Drive); by 1920, it had become the first locally accredited high school in the area under the educator’s guidance.

Four years after Appleby’s death, the city built Florence Junior High adjacent to Coffee High School. In 1951, a new Coffee High School building opened a few blocks away from the original, and the former high school was renamed F. T. Appleby Elementary School after the beloved late superintendent.

F. T. Appleby Elementary and Florence Junior High sat side by side on Hermitage Drive for ten years until 1961 when the Henry Grady Richards Elementary School opened on Riverview Drive. At that time the entire complex became F. T. Appleby Junior High School. The two buildings, joined by a breezeway, remained in service until 1980 when they were replaced by Rufus G. Hibbett Sr. Middle School.

In honor of F. T. Appleby, the newly constructed city street leading to Hibbett Middle School was named Appleby Boulevard. Sadly, the Appleby complex on Hermitage Drive was damaged by several fires over the years and was eventually completely razed.

Flavius Thompson Appleby and his wife Ella Johnson Appleby are buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Tuscumbia, Alabama. You may learn more about the Appleby/Johnson families at Find-A-Grave.

Bette Favor Terry holds a BA in history from UAH.