Playboy Centerfold

My mother taught school for 37 years before retiring in 1972. She loved being a school teacher. She was 30 years old before she married. Born in 1913, she was one of a few women who even attended college. More remarkably, she also obtained her Master's in education...parceled out...but finally got enough credits to hold a Master's. She attended Emory University and the University of Georgia to get that piece of parchment.

She first started teaching elementary school. I think in those very early days of teaching, one just obtained a teaching certificate and could teach any grade. She then went on to teach American Government in high school. As we all know, government is a required course for graduation. It used to be taught in the 12th grade. Now it's considered Civics and is taught in the 9th.

Her entire career was spent in Rockdale County, Georgia. She began her teaching career in 1935. One funny story happened early in her high school career. If you know your Georgia history, school used to only be in session 8 months of the year - not 9. As you may know, it was based around the agricultural summer season where most children were needed at home on their parents' farms. Rockdale County is 25+ miles outside of Atlanta, and was very rural. The name Rockdale County came from all the exposed rock in the county. This rock, or granite, was part of world's largest mass of exposed granite known as Stone Mountain...in the next county over.

One day, one of her students just jumped from an open window in her classroom to go home and work on his farm. Just jumped 2 stories. Gone! In the middle of her class discussion. Poof!

Mother was adored by her students. She taught for so long and with such loving enthusiasm, that her students started calling her "Mother Archer." They even inserted her name in the school fight song. Today, that song would be politically incorrect. **see below

So, with loving respect, the Senior Class of 1969 decided to play a little hoax. Mother used those maps that, if you grew up in the 50's or 60's, remember that they pulled down. She used them almost daily in her world government discussions. This class must have had some pranksters who thought it funny to pull one over Mrs. Archer. While she was on hall duty, a couple of boys from 5th period taped a Playboy Centerfold on an elongated world map and then rolled it back up in it's cover. They planned to ask a question in class that would involve her pulling down THAT PARTICULAR MAP to answer the question they posed.

What they hadn't counted on was 3rd period. Someone in 3rd period innocently asked a question that caused my mother to pull down the map with the nude model plastered in the middle, and with her quickness, she tore off the poster BEFORE 3rd period even knew what happened. Quietly and discreetly.

Now...since 3rd period didn't know about the centerfold, there was no way that the event spread around the school. Fourth period passed. Nothing eventful. But then, that's where 5th period showed up and those funny guys, who just KNEW they were going to GET Mrs. Archer, asked some question that was supposed to bring down the map (and I sure they thought bring down
the house in laughter) actually backfired on them, because without a doubt, they were the perpetrators that placed the centerfold.

I don't think they got into too much trouble. Really.

** Rockdale County High School's Fight Song (approximately 1967 - 1975 - even AFTER she retired, her name was still being used...they finally figured out she retired.)

Think the Notre Dame Fight Song while reading:

Beer, beer for 'ole Rockdale High,
You bring the whiskey, I'll bring the rye,
Send Mrs. Archer out for gin,
Don't let a soul but a ________(Senior, Junior, Sophomore, Freshman) in,

We never stagger, we never fall,
We sober up on wood alchohol,
When we yell, we yell like hell,
for the glory of Rockdale High.