The Hooper Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tennessee, is the home of Tennessee Tech basketball and the main offices for the university's athletic program. This is the scene at the arena on Monday, March 19, 2007 as students from Jere Whitson Elementary School nearby began a week of classes here. The elementary school was destroyed by fire on Saturday morning, March 17, 2007.
The scene inside the Eblen Center on Monday morning, March 19, 2007 as students from the burned Jere Whitson Elementary School make the transition and begin a week of classes here. Starting the week of March 26th, the students will begin a split day of classes in another nearby elementary school.
All pictures courtesy of WTVF-TV Nashville, Tenn.
Students from the fire-ravaged Jere Whitson Elementary School made the transition Monday morning after a fire destroyed their school Saturday morning.
The faculty of the school, and nearly 400 students moved to the campus of nearby Tennessee Tech University for a week of classes. Most classes are being held in the Hooper Eblen Center, an arena that holds the main offices for the university's athletics program, and is better known as the home arena for Tennessee Tech men's and women's basketball.
The transition seemed to go well under the circumstances, and aid poured in from all across the community. Local churches, radio stations, businesses, individuals, and others took up school supplies and other items for the people of Jere Whitson. Tennessee Tech is lending the facilities to the school for this week, and is taking up donations of school supplies. Chartwells, the managers of the university's food services, has set up a lounge area inside the Eblen Center for teachers and faculty of the school.
Starting next week, the Jere Whitson staff and students will begin a split day with students and staff from the nearby Sycamore Elementary. Sycamore students will study from 7 AM until 12 noon, while the students of Jere Whitson will study from noon until 5 PM. This will be the setup for the foreseeable future.
The investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire. So far, it is believed the blaze was accidental. A widely believed reason is that of faulty wiring in the older wing of the building, which was built in the 1950s. That was the section of the building where the fire apparently started, and it suffered the greatest damage.
The staff of the school likely have suffered the worst loss. Many teachers had personal book collections and other items inside which were destroyed. On a brighter note, many were glad that the school's American flag, and photographs of Mr. and Mrs. Jere Whitson were salvaged from the school. Mr. Whitson was an important early leader of the Cookeville community during the late 1800s and the early 1900s. He was the principle founder of Tennessee Tech and donated the land for Jere Whitson Elementary School during the 1920s.
For more on this story, visit the links below.
Herald-Citizen - Cookeville, Tenn.
Jere Whitson makes transition
Meeting Thursday for Whitson, Sycamore parents
WTVF-TV Nashville, Tenn.
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