MacArthur Junior High School in Beaumont, in 1947-1948, was my first school loyalty. I cannot recall the school colors (I think they were red and blue) but I played trombone in the band and orchestra. The band was directed by Mr. Louis F. Stumpf and Ms. Edna Brooks directed the orchestra. Also the school chorus was led by Mr. Joseph Truncale. We were known as the MacArthur Eagles and we were proud.

I entered South Park High School located in Beaumont in 1949 and graduated in 1953. During those four years, I was a South Park Greenie with unsurpassed loyalty. Our school colors were green and white. All Greenies experienced the fierce rivalry between South Park and the Beaumont High School Royal Purples. Their colors were purple and white.

I had many friends who attended Beaumont High, French High, and several who attended Hebert High School. One of my Hebert High acquaintances was Jerry Levias, who went on to S.M.U. and later played professional football. Run your favorite search engine for “Jerry Levias” for additional fascinating information on this unique individual.

After high school, I enrolled in Abilene (TX) Christian College. I transitioned from being a Greenie to being a Wildcat. And my school colors changed from green and white to purple and white. This fell into the category of being ironic.

Easily you can see that my loyalty in college had to adjust to the purple and white colors after having been a foe to those colors in high school. I made that adjustment to purple and white although my Greenie Spirit green and white was very much alive and well within my heart and soul.

Now fast forward to my son completing his undergraduate degree at Lamar University, in music composition and my wife completing her master’s degree in school administration. Since my son and wife attended Lamar and since my hometown is Beaumont, I’ve always had a bit of Cardinal blood in my veins. However I have no T-shirt or baseball cap from Lamar.

Later, my son enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin to work on his master’s degree in music composition. I became a loyal Longhorn fan and we had a lot of orange and white around the house.

Then my daughter married and her husband enrolled at Texas A&M, to work on his masters in genetics. So I became a loyal Aggie. Whew! Are you getting the drift?

Also, I worked on my master’s degree in biblical studies at Eastern New Mexico State University, Portales, NM. Even though I was a Greyhound for a couple of years, I have no T-shirt to show.

All of those years passed and in 2009, my wife and I moved to Benton, Arkansas, near Little Rock, to be near our grandchildren. My daughter, who lives in Bryant, Arkansas, about five miles from Benton, presented me with an Arkansas Razorback T-shirt. Then she enrolled at The University of Arkansas to pursue her master’s in professional writing. It dawned on me that I was destined to become a Hog.

Now, at age 75, I can tell you about school loyalties. It goes like this: I am part Eagle, part Wildcat, part Longhorn, part Aggie, part Cardinal, part Greyhound, and someday, part Razorback. I say, “Part Razorback” because I am still working on that one. Can you imagine what it must be like for a Texas Longhorn and a Texas Aggie to convert over to being an Arkansas Hog?

But there is no loyalty that can hold a torch to my loyalty for South Park High School and the Greenie Spirit. My blood runs green and white. I am proud to be a Greenie.

Greenie fight never dies and Greenie Spirit lives on…

Winston Hamby

winhamby@gmail.com