Oil City school has had numerous principals over the years, but in truth there is only one Oil City principal. In a career spanning 40 years, Mr. Bozeman served first as teacher and coach; and then as principal of the high school and later junior high until his retirement in the late 1960s.
The son of William Pitt and Celesta Eliza Franklin Bozeman, "Bill" was born 18-Jan-1903 in Belmont (Sabine Parish), Louisiana. Per his obituary, he began his career at Oil City upon graduating from Centenary College in 1928..
Shown here as a senior at Centenary.
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| W. F. Bozeman (1948) |
The son of William Pitt and Celesta Eliza Franklin Bozeman, "Bill" was born 18-Jan-1903 in Belmont (Sabine Parish), Louisiana. Per his obituary, he began his career at Oil City upon graduating from Centenary College in 1928..
Shown here as a senior at Centenary.
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| William Franklin Bozeman Bachelor of Arts 1928 |
Mr. Bozeman was a member of the 1927 Centenary football team that went undefeated while beating Southwestern Conference teams Southern Methodist, Baylor, Rice, and Texas Christian; as well as Louisville. This was during the heyday of Centenary football.
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| W. F. Bozeman Centenary Football 1927 |
He became principal upon the departure of predecessor Roy Evans, who left to become assistant principal at C. E. Byrd High School in Shreveport.
The following picture from a March 1939 Educators conference held at Louisiana State Normal College shows Mr. Bozeman and five other North Caddo area high school principals.
W. F. Bozeman (Oil City), 3rd Row, 5th from left
J. W. Freeman (Hosston) , Back Row, 3rd from left
C. L. Mackey (Vivian), Front Row, 3rd from left
G. M. Middleton (Ida), Front Row, 7th from left
J. T. Ratliff (Belcher), 2nd Row, 5th from left
Lloyd E. Walker (Mooringsport), Front Row, 4th from left
Of note, prior to becoming principal at Mooringsport, Mr. Walker had also once been principal and football coach at Oil City.
Below is a biographical profile found in a Bozeman family history:
William Franklin (Bozeman) was a twin and the only living boy. A finer specimen of a man I have never seen. The other twin was born dead. It almost broke his parents hearts to give up that little darling baby. They wanted it to live so badly. They had never had any boys. As a rule most Bozeman families have as many or more boys than girls.
William is called "Bill". When he was growing up everyone knew him as "Willie." Most Bozemans have a habit of nicknaming their children. He is a tall, large, fine looking man with a pleasing personality. I can truly say one of the finest men I ever knew. He is always the same wherever and whenever you meet him. If he ever gets out of sorts, no one knows it (unlike the Bozemans.) He had a hard struggle and a determination in his younger life to get an education.
Working his way to help defray expenses, I once heard him remark that his father always urged him, "Son get an education WHATEVER YOU DO." He was about 14 when his father was killed while plowing in their field. Bill was near by. He attended public School at Belmont, Louisiana and later Pleasant Hill High School. From there he went to Stonewall, Louisiana and lived in the home of a couple that let him milk cows for his room and board; also he was janitor of the school to help defray expenses. Such a determination, I have never known, finally he entered and finished Byrd High School of Shreveport, Louisiana. He won a scholarship to Louisiana State University in the field of Agriculture but not caring to enter that school, he did not accept it. This was while he attended Centenary College. He finished there and while there his answers to questions and the questions that he could ask stumped some of the college professors.
His dear mother received several letters from different men of higher learning telling her of her son's brilliant mind. He is now principal of Oil City, Louisiana High School. He has been there for a number of years, and just how well he is liked there speaks for itself. He has a lovely family. He is a Methodist and a Christian. He married Marguerite Courtney, a school teacher and to them were born two children: 1. Marguerite, born September 5, 1930 and 2. Billie Vie, born July 22,1942.
(1) Marguerite, is 5' 6" weighs about 120. She has beautiful hair and pretty eyes. She is said to be a "carbon copy" of her father. She was honor student in High School. She graduated from Northwestern State College in Natchitoches, Louisiana in June, 1951. At the present she is in California with her Aunt Victoria.
(2) Billie Vic is in school at her hometown, Oil City, Louisiana. I would say she resembles the Franklins more than the Bozemans. She is a very pretty and sweet little girl.
Source: Sketches of the Bozeman Family by Loraine Bozeman Walker (1956)
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| William F. Bozeman (1946) |
Below is a biographical profile found in a Bozeman family history:
William Franklin (Bozeman) was a twin and the only living boy. A finer specimen of a man I have never seen. The other twin was born dead. It almost broke his parents hearts to give up that little darling baby. They wanted it to live so badly. They had never had any boys. As a rule most Bozeman families have as many or more boys than girls.
William is called "Bill". When he was growing up everyone knew him as "Willie." Most Bozemans have a habit of nicknaming their children. He is a tall, large, fine looking man with a pleasing personality. I can truly say one of the finest men I ever knew. He is always the same wherever and whenever you meet him. If he ever gets out of sorts, no one knows it (unlike the Bozemans.) He had a hard struggle and a determination in his younger life to get an education.
Working his way to help defray expenses, I once heard him remark that his father always urged him, "Son get an education WHATEVER YOU DO." He was about 14 when his father was killed while plowing in their field. Bill was near by. He attended public School at Belmont, Louisiana and later Pleasant Hill High School. From there he went to Stonewall, Louisiana and lived in the home of a couple that let him milk cows for his room and board; also he was janitor of the school to help defray expenses. Such a determination, I have never known, finally he entered and finished Byrd High School of Shreveport, Louisiana. He won a scholarship to Louisiana State University in the field of Agriculture but not caring to enter that school, he did not accept it. This was while he attended Centenary College. He finished there and while there his answers to questions and the questions that he could ask stumped some of the college professors.
His dear mother received several letters from different men of higher learning telling her of her son's brilliant mind. He is now principal of Oil City, Louisiana High School. He has been there for a number of years, and just how well he is liked there speaks for itself. He has a lovely family. He is a Methodist and a Christian. He married Marguerite Courtney, a school teacher and to them were born two children: 1. Marguerite, born September 5, 1930 and 2. Billie Vie, born July 22,1942.
(1) Marguerite, is 5' 6" weighs about 120. She has beautiful hair and pretty eyes. She is said to be a "carbon copy" of her father. She was honor student in High School. She graduated from Northwestern State College in Natchitoches, Louisiana in June, 1951. At the present she is in California with her Aunt Victoria.
(2) Billie Vic is in school at her hometown, Oil City, Louisiana. I would say she resembles the Franklins more than the Bozemans. She is a very pretty and sweet little girl.
Source: Sketches of the Bozeman Family by Loraine Bozeman Walker (1956)
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| William F. Bozeman (1965) |
History of Oil City, La. School 1910-1955, by Maggie Smith Warren and Willa McCord (1977)
After the death of his first wife, Marguerite Courtney (1905-1968), herself a teacher; he married another long-tenured Oil City school teacher Lillie Mae Averre Stone (1907-1985).
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| Marguerite Courtney Bozeman |
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| Lillie Mae Averre Stone Bozeman |
Upon his death on 09-Jan-1994, the Caddo Parish School Board issued the following proclamation:
Agenda Item No. 20
Resolution - William Franklin Bozeman (Former Principal at Oil City Elementary. The board approved a resolution recognizing services to the children of Caddo Parish by the late Mr. William Franklin Bozeman, former principal at Oil City Elementary School. Mr. Byerley read the resolution aloud.
R E S 0 L U T I 0 N
In Honor of the life of
MR. WILLIAM FRANKLIN BOZEMAN
WHEREAS, the late William Franklin Bozeman served the children of Caddo Parish for forty years, and
WHEREAS, he directly touched the lives of students as a classroom teacher and coach; and
WHEREAS, he moved up the education ladder to become principal at Oil City School; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bozeman was a respected and recognized educator who gave unselfishly to serve
students in Caddo Parish,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the members of the Caddo Parish School Board express sympathy to his daughters, Mrs. Marquerite Cherry and Mrs. Billie Wilcox; and the entire
Bozeman Family.
January 19, 1994
Caddo Parish School Board Meeting Minutes, 19-Jan-1994
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