Duncan Stephens:
CLASS OF 1969
Fair Park High SchoolClass of 1969
Shreveport, LA
Louisiana State UniversityClass of 1976
Shreveport, LA
Midway Middle SchoolClass of 1966
Shreveport, LA
Jewella Elementary SchoolClass of 1963
Shreveport, LA
Lakeshore Baptist Kindergarten SchoolClass of 1957
Shreveport, LA
Duncan's Story
Life
Born in good old Shreveport at what is now Willis-Knighton Hospital/Medical Center on Greenwood Road (Hwy 80). Lived on Claiborne Street for 21 years, until our family relocated to Houston. I walked or rode my bicycle to school the whole 12 years, because we lived so close to those schools: Jewella Elementary, Midway JHS (aka Shawshank), and Fair Park. Graduated from LSU and moved to Houston, and now I commute 35 miles each way to work, but really enjoy the job, and where we live as well.
I'm married and have 4 wonderful kids, 2 boys and 2 girls.
I remember Fair Park as a great school and a fun place to be most of the time. I guess we lived in pretty conservative times back then! I can remember a ton of folks from those days at FPHS, and all of my teachers.
School
I can honestly say that I can remember every single one of my public school teachers, for better or worse. The best? A close call between Martin Nutt and Beth Johnson. Mr. Nutt taught American History at FPHS, and was a great teacher. He was professional, but very good-natured, and never lost his temper. We could use about 10MM Mr. NuttâÂÂs these days.
Beth Johnson taught Junior English at FPHS, and helped me see that English would be my best subject, all the way through college. I owe my BA degree to her inspiration. I still have my copy of "Thirty Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary", which was required reading in Ms. Johnson's class.
College
I began my college "career" at LSU in Shreveport, where I learned that I wasn't an engineer (good news for the people whose lives were spared by not traveling on bridges I might have designed), but that I could pass my English classes, even make the Honor Roll. I went down to Baton Rouge in the fall of 1972, and lived on campus. My grades improved significantly, and I witnessed some incredible football at Tiger Stadium, including the phenomenal one-second victory over Ole Miss in 1972 (if you were there, you'll remember it). If you haven't been there (Tiger Stadium on game day), I can't really des...Expand for more
cribe it, but it's reputation is genuine as a college football legend. I had a great time in BR and studied under some truly gifted professors.
Workplace
Right after graduation from high school, I went to work at the Burger Chef (down the highway from FP), at a whopping 90 cents an hour. Who said a high school diploma isn't worth anything? A few years later, I wrote a modest short story about my summer job at Burger Chef, and won an actual award for the thing. Everyone who read it said it had to have been made up, but it was all true, and very funny as well, mainly due to the people who worked there with me. (A special THANKS to Ms. Beth Johnson and Ms. Evelyn Hightower, whom I had for English III and English IV at ole FPHS). After that, I worked several summers (between going to school - LSU) for a gas pipeline company and made good money. I worked down in south Louisiana in 1970 and 1972 and came to really appreciate the "other" Louisiana.
When I graduated from LSU, I went to work full-time for an energy company in Shreveport, then was transferred to Houston, where I've lived ever since. I've been with 5 different energy/gas pipeline companies altogether (Houston is packed with them, of course), and I've made good friends at all of them. My present job satisfies me much more than any of the previous ones. I work with a wide range of professionals and feel a genuine sense of accomplishment every day.
General
I think I must have been one of the geekiest characters at FPHS. I look at my senior picture and wonder just WHO that guy was anyway. I'm glad that I shed most of my uptightness along the way, and learned about what's really important.
The one person from my past who I'd most like to see again is Shirley Reaves, because I want to say to her what I should have said to her in 1969, but was way too shy.
My four children have shown me every day why it's so very important to live life with wide open arms and to not worry about what someone else might think -- chances are, they're not looking at you anyway!
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