From the June 1, 1961 edition of The Forest-Blade:
KERSEY WINS STATE F.F.A. FORESTRY HOME PROJECT TITLE
Tommy Kersey, Swainsboro High FFA Member, poses beside the Tree Farm sign located on his prize-winning Forestry Home Project. Shown with him are Bruce Sahlman, Conservative Forester, Union Bag-Camp Paper Corporation; J.F. Nicholson, Area Teacher, Georgia Dept. of Agricultural Education; and W.A. Avery, Swainsboro High FFA advisor. Tommy was a Senior who managed the family farm consisting of 450 forested acres and placed first in the FFA Forestry Home Project Contest sponsored by Union Bag-Camp Paper Corporation in corporation with the Georgia Dept. of Agricultural Education.
MISS MCLEOD TOOK TOP GRADUATE HONORS
A total of 16 honor graduates for 1961 were announced for SHS by Principal W.C. Fordham. The list was headed by Miss Frances McLeod, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.D. McLeod, as valedictorian, and John R. Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Thompson, was salutatorian. Miss McLeod maintained an average grade of 95.71 during the first three years of high school and the first five six-week periods of her senior year – the period on which the honor graduates were selected.
