The more things change, the more they stay the same. Walking the halls of Morningside Elementary on Tuesday, Richard Franco felt the same excitement he had more than 50 years ago.
“I learned so much in fourth through seventh grade here,” said Franco, who matriculated from Morningside in 1951 and graduated from Grady High in 1956. “The world opened up to me.”
He thrived in math and science classes, and Morningside teachers fostered Franco’s growth. “I remember turning in a science project and Mrs. Calloway said to me, ‘if you keep this up, you can bee a great doctor.’”
Now a neurologist at Northside Hospital, Franco joined other alums as well as former teachers who shared their stories during a living history lesson sponsored by the school PTA in honor of the 80th day of the school’s 80th anniversary. Student interviews with the alums will be part of the Morningside History Project, established 12 years ago to preserve the school’s rich history.
Read more about the fun and festivities here.