Ivan Leschber’s long-sleeve green shirt

OUR TOWN

I’m sure many of you remember Ivan Leschber, T. H. Johnson Elementary School’s first principal.

Before that, he was the principal of Twelfth Street School, which was next to the old football field on Davis Street.

What you may not know is that Principal Leschber and the school’s namesake, Mr. T. H. Johnson, had known each other for years before the school was built, and it all started with a not-so-positive encounter involving a long-sleeve green shirt, a flying textbook and an open secondfloor window.

The school year was 1950-51, and young Ivan was sitting in chemistry class on the second floor, next to an open window that overlooked one of the entrances to the school.

This was long before schools were air conditioned, so it was common to see classroom windows open during warm weather.

It was this future principal’s senior year. He was a yell leader, a basketball player and a member of the art club.

He was voted Class Favorite and Carnival King, and he was known by the nickname “Toodles.”

As Mr. Leschber told the story of his awkward introduction to the district’s top leader, he began by saying, “I got to know Mr. Johnson on not-too-good of terms when I was a senior in high school. I was in class, sitting next to the window on the east side, enjoying listening to Mrs. Wilson teach, and my knuckleheaded friend next to me decided he would take my textbook and throw it out the window. Not being of too sound of mind, I took his textbook and threw it out the window. It so happened that I was wearing a long-sleeve green shirt.”

It also so happened that Superintendent T. H. Johnson was walking up the sidewalk at the exact same time the second textbook went flying out the window, propelled by an arm in a long green sleeve. At that time, central administration consisted of just two people, the superintendent and his secretary.

They were located in the high school office, along with the principal and his secretary.

The principal that year was Glenn Lowe, and his secretary was Janell Kunz (Rohlack).

Mr. Johnson’s secretary was Laverne Heine (Eulenfeld).

The native Taylorite and popular 1951 graduate continued the story.

“About five minutes later the secretary appeared at the door and told Mrs. Wilson, ‘I want to see the guy in the long-sleeve green shirt.’ I was shocked. I went down to the office and stood in front of his desk and said, ‘Yes, sir.’

He said, ‘Why did you throw that textbook out of the window on the second floor?’

I said, ‘The guy next to me threw mine out first.’ He said, ‘That’s not an excuse.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir. I realize that now.’” Having addressed the problem, the superintendent sent young Ivan back to class to resume his science lesson. Little did either of them know at the time that the young book thrower in the long-green sleeve would become the first principal of the school named in honor of the superintendent who had disciplined him some 30-plus years earlier.

I have found that some of the best stories are those discovered unexpectedly while researching a different topic.

That’s how I came across this fun story about two local educators that years later I was privileged to know.

I was producing the video documentary, “Win is Our Slogan, The Story of Thomas Heskill (TH) Johnson.”

Mr. Johnson was no longer with us to tell his story, so I invited his former students, colleagues and friends to appear on camera and tell his tale for him.

I invited the former THJ principal to participate because of his association with Mr. Johnson during the building, naming and opening of T. H. Johnson Elementary in 1983. I remembered the former coach, teacher and superintendent spoke at the dedication, held the giant scissors at the ribbon cutting and had been a frequent visitor at the school.

Most of the interviews for this video project were recorded in the Duck Room Museum, with the storytellers sitting at Mr. Johnson’s small superintendent’s desk that greets visitors at the entrance. I still remember the day Ivan came into the Duck Room and sat at Mr.

Johnson’s desk. This was likely the same desk where he faced the superintendent after being summoned to his office for throwing that book out the window years earlier.

After clipping the mic onto his shirt, and adjusting the lights, I started the interview with the simple prompt, “Tell us about T. H. Johnson.”

That’s how I found out he had been a student when Mr.

Johnson was superintendent, and that an incident had occurred involving a flying textbook and long-sleeve green shirt. Thanks to that interview, and this “Our Town” column, now you know the story, too.

After 40 years in the Taylor Independent School District, 43 years total, Mr. Johnson retired to his family farm in Plum. He continued to drive back to Taylor well into his 90s to visit his many friends here.

He passed away in 2000 at the age of 99 and is buried in the Plum Grove Cemetery. A Duck is engraved on his headstone.

Mr. Leschber left us on Oct. 15, 2023, at age 90. He passed away at 7:34 a.m., exactly seven weeks to the minute after his beloved wife Barbara, also a much-loved Taylor educator, passed.

I will always be grateful to Mr. Leschber for allowing me to complete two of my three student teaching assignments at THJ Elementary, and then for hiring me as a first year-teacher to teach fifth grade science. I joined the THJ school family in 1985, the school’s third year.

In 1988-89, I also completed my administrative internship there to become a principal.

My best memory of Mr.

T. H. Johnson is from one of his visits to Taylor when he gave me a bouquet of peacock feathers from his farm in Plum. It was my 30th birthday. I still have those feathers. The THJ documentary was a huge project that took about three years to complete. I mostly worked on these video projects on my own time, and I am so glad I didn’t let other demands cause delays in recording these interviews because several of the individuals appearing in this video are no longer with us, including familiar names such as Naomi Pasemann, Carolyn Jackson, Mr. Johnson’s daughter Dorothy Elliott, Phil Pierce and Ivan Leschber.

Thankfully, we recorded their stories while they were still here to share them.

To watch the former THJ principal and these other Duck legends tell their stories about T. H. Johnson, look for the video, “Win Is Our Slogan: The Story of Thomas Heskill (TH) Johnson” on the Taylor ISD YouTube Channel.

Then, join me here next week for another Our Town story from Taylor. Until then, make it a great week.

To learn more about Taylor ISD history, visit the Duck Room Museum in the old Northside Elementary School, 1004 Dellinger St. The duck is the official mascot of Taylor High School.

Crow is a longtime Taylor resident and retired from the Taylor Independent School District after 40 years of service. For a topic or suggestion, reach out to Crow via [email protected].