1892 Biography - Miss M. B. McCalmont

Miss M. B. McCalmont, of Jackson, La., is the accomplished principal of the Millwood Female institute, which was founded at Jackson in 1866 and chartered in 1870. Miss McCalmont, the founder of this institute, was born in Pennsylvania, and came to Louisiana in 1850 as a teacher, and followed this vocation in this state and in Mississippi so capably that she was solicited by Rev. James A. Godfrey of the Mississippi conference, and Rev. A. G. Miller of the Louisiana conference (all of whom are now deceased), as well as Dr. Abel T. Norwood, of East Feliciana parish, to establish this institute, which has met with the most flattering success from the start. The school is non-sectarian, but Christian in all its work, and a high moral standard is maintained among the attendants. The school buildings are of modern construction, are well ventilated, and are located on an elevation sloping in every direction and surrounded with groves of beautiful native trees. Miss McCalmont, herself a most accomplished teacher, has called to her aid a competent corps of assistants, to wit: Miss M. M. Smith, of Kentucky, who gives instruction in mathematics and Latin; Miss Carra Fishburn, of Louisiana, who is auxiliary teacher of mathematics; Miss Viona Phillips of Tennessee, teacher of elocution and art; Miss Virginia Mayo of Ohio has charge of the primary department and also gives instruction in penmanship; Miss Emily Lee of Pennsylvania is instrumental and vocal music teacher, and B. M. Drake of Louisiana is professor of Greek. The board of trustees is constituted as follows: Prof. G. H. Wiley of Jackson, president; Dr. E. C. McKowan, Jackson; H. B. Barrow, West Feliciana; Dr. S. T. Jones, Jackson; H. L. Pond, Jackson; Dr. Joseph S. Jones, Jackson; Allen J. Hawsey, Clinton; Dr. S. L. Singletary, Wilson; P. A. Dicks, Natchez; L. W. Carradine, Fayette; J. M. Porter, Jackson; James Kilbourne, Bayou Sara; W. B. London, Port Hudson, and J. W. McQueen, Bayou Sara. The examining committee are Hon. P. D. Brame, Louis Levy and Prof. W. P. Norsworthy, and the visiting committee are Prof. McGruder Sullivan and Rev. C. McDonald. The school has ever been prosperous and progressive, its most successful session closing May, 1891. Miss McCalmont was trained in her native state by a private tutor, and by nature was acquisitive of knowledge, and so became an insatiate reader, supplementing her early tuition by assiduous study and self-culture, thus preparing herself for the responsible position she at present fills. Her sister, Mrs. Patti Miller, wife of the Rev. A G. Miller, came to Louisiana in 1848 with her husband, who had accepted a position in Centenary college, where he taught until the breaking out of the Civil war. She was a lady who became well known all over the state as a pious and devoted Christian and as a worker in the Sunday school, being credited with great influence over young people, among whom she accomplished a vast amount of good. Especially with the pupils of Centenary college was she a favorite while her husband was professor of that institution, and her death from yellow fever in 1855 was a sad blow to her innumerable friends. This dreaded scourge was brought to the place for the first time by a stranger from Points Coupee parish, and happily this was also its last appearance here. Rev. A. G. Miller survived his consort until 1889, when he, too, took his departure from earth. Their children are three in number, and their name is being perpetuated in that of the institute over which Miss McCalmont presides, it being compounded of the first syllable of Miller and the last syllable of Norwood, both families bearing these names having been very prominent in the parish at that day. The former have now all departed except one, C. C. Miller, now a professor in Centenary college. The Norwoods, however, remain, and are recognized as among the first families of the parish.

Contributed 2021 Nov 04 by Mike Miller, from Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Louisiana, published in 1892, volume 2, page 217.