Haywood Bass, a 1947 graduate of Winnfield High School, told a small gathering at First Presbyterian
Church, Winnfield, that he’d been blessed not only by the Lord but through support by a half dozen individuals and corporations that allowed Bass Electronics in Baton Rouge to thrive. The money came in and he observed that “money is only good for what you can buy with it. I had the opportunity to help humanity.” He chose, in part, to invest in his hometown through donations of sound systems to WSHS, to the Winnfield Civic Center, to the Presbyterian Church and to anonymous scholarships through the years. The goal of the scholarships, explained Carolyn Phillips, is to offer the college experience to students who might not otherwise have that opportunity. Some have gone all the way to receive their degrees. Others have simply “enjoyed the taste of college life.”
The most recent recipient, Austin Stevenson, was at the June 24 presentation where county agent Donny Moon described the young man’s keen interest in agriculture through his involvement in 4-H and FFA. He went all the way to receive his BS degree in Agriculture from Southern Arkansas University at Magnolia, with plans to become an Ag instructor. Of that goal, Moon observed that Stevenson “can be relied on. He got involved. He learned the skills. Now he’s ready to give back to the people of this state, through the classroom. He will make a difference.”
It was Danny Keyes who opened the presentation with a talk on the Huey P. Long Trade School. The Technical College. Vo-Tech. Technical Community College. “The name continued to change,” he said, “but the goal continues to be the same: teaching students a trade. It really doesn’t matter if you’re a doctor through higher education or a carpenter through the technical system. You’ve got a trade and you trade your skills for income.”
The story of the June 24 presentation was that of a hometown individual who was able to trade his skills into a highly successful business. This, in turn, allowed him to reinvest in young people back home, giving them an opportunity for success of their own.
