Happy birthday today to Professor E.O. Coffman, who was born on this day (December 6) in 1882.

Professor Coffman served the Lawrence County Schools System for an astonishing 52 years, including 38 years as the principal of Lawrence County High School. Lawrenceburg’s middle school, E O Coffman Middle School, is named in his honor.

But Professor Coffman didn’t just work at LCHS, he was also heavily involved in the fight to create it.

Not only was he one of the school’s first teachers, and one of its longest-serving principals, but he also was present at most–if not all–of the organizational meetings which resulted in the school’s creation.

However, despite his many years of dedication to LCHS and education in general, Coffman’s true passion was for the Gospel. He was baptized in 1900 and began preaching at local churches of Christ in 1909. Professor Coffman held Gospel Meetings throughout Lawrence County and also in Lauderdale County, Alabama.

Many of the students who were educated under his tenure in the Lawrence County School System remember Professor Coffman as a strict disciplinarian with no tolerance for misbehavior or anything which he saw as a distraction from academics. In fact, in the early days of LCHS, Coffman had it published in the local newspaper that he would personally deal with students who were seen loitering around the Public Square in Lawrenceburg or attending movies at the Princess Theater after school was dismissed for the day.

Do you have any memories of E.O. Coffman?