Historic scholarship comes to a close
LOUSIE CROOM SCHOLARSHIP – The last scholarship from the Louise Croom Scholarship fund was awarded by Rev. Daniel Wynne (left) to six 2023 graduates headed to college in the fall. Those participants are (from second left) Brandon Meadows, Shelby Fly, Mariah Smith, Avondray Hamilton, Addie West accepting the scholarship for her granddaughter, Shania Vinson, and Alana Seals.
by ARIEL McRAE | Associate Editor
amcrae@hchronicle.net
An end of an era happened Friday, July 28 at the Humboldt Senior Center as six students heading to college in the fall received the last scholarships from the Louise Croom scholarship fund.
Louise Croom was a prominent figure in the Humboldt community with an expansive career in education. Sadly, after more than 30 years of the active scholarship fund, the committee decided to end the financial contribution to Humboldt students with its last six recipients of the class of 2023. Rev. Daniel Wynne, a representative of the scholarship committee, met with the students at the Humboldt Senior Citizen center to award them their scholarships. The scholarships totaled in the amount of $2,900. Receiving the last scholarships of the prestigious, long held tradition were Avondray Hamilton, Mariah Smith, Shelly Fly, Shania Vinson, Brandon Meadows and Alana Seals.
Croom was a member of the class of 1937 and went on to receive her degree from Lane College. In 1941, after teaching two years at the segregated school in Bradford, Tenn., Croom went on to become a teacher at the Stigall School in Humboldt. She taught both elementary grade levels and high school. After the integration of schools, she was moved to Humboldt High School where she taught English. It was her belief that every child should learn correct grammar and know how to recite at least one poem. She later returned to college to receive her Master’s Degree in Science and Education.
Along with her education, Croom was a devout social club member. She was in the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the American Legion of Humboldt, the Outlook club, the Witts Club for teenagers and president of the Ladies Auxiliary post. She also received a plaque from the NAACP and her sorority for her educational service. She was even a Den Mother for the Cub Scouts, winning a first place trophy in the West Tennessee Strawberry Festival. She was a board member at the Strawberry Festival Museum as well.
Croom was a regular member of the Morning Star Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school until 2010. She headed vacation Bible
The late Louise Croom
school, taught children’s choir and was a member of the General Missionary Society. She was a woman who loved taking on responsibilities in all areas of her life.
This love of being responsible and seeing action taking spurned her to help create the Stigall Alumni Scholarship and its subsequent committee. The goal was to financially help Humboldt students seeking to enter into a college career. She served as president on the committee for over 30 years. Her motto in life was “Oh no, we won’t quit.” She was heard on numerous occasions telling people, “Don’t quit, for when things go wrong and your road is uphill, rest if you must, but don’t quit.” For her service and her commendable attitude, the scholarship was renamed the “Louise Croom Scholarship.”
The scholarship program may have ended but Louise Croom and her legacy will live on in the hearts of all those who have received scholarships and she will remain a cherished figure of Humboldt history.
