About Inductee

E. F. DuBose grew up in rural Pike County. From his earliest days he loved nature and digging in the dirt. His early schooling was in a one-room school on the family farm and at age 16 he enrolled at Troy State Normal School. He received an appointment to teach Manual Training and Agriculture at Etowah County High School in 1920. Mr. Joe Bradley, Sr., agent of Merrimac Manufacturing Company in Huntsville, while waiting for a train connection in Attala, walked past Etowah County High School and greatly admired the beautiful garden he saw there. He wanted the young man who originated that garden for his own school and in 1921, E. F. Dubose was installed as Manual Training and Agriculture teacher of Joe Bradley School, which had only eight grades. In 1923 he became the principal and would remain in that position until 1963. He convinced blue collar parents of the need to add 9th through 12th grade to their children's school. While many schools in the state closed during the Depression, Dubose fought to keep Joe Bradley open and accredited. He charged minimal tuition and held fund-raisers like movies in the auditorium. During the years that DuBose was employed by the company, he was not only the principal of the school but he was the company's social worker. He conceived the idea of making the Big Spring available in the summer as a swimming area. By having everyone who came to swim first bring out a few "turns" of moss, an area of the spring was soon an attractive swimming pool which he supervised each afternoon during the summer. Under his supervision, the gymnasium became a skating rink. Special skates that would not harm the gym floor were used. For 30 years he supervised Boy and Girl Scout troops and went to camp with them every summer. In 1963, DuBose left Joe Bradley for Ridgecrest Elementary, where he retired in 1970. E. F. DuBose lived a long life by his own simple rules: "Work hard, and don't look for shortcuts. Help others and pray often." He passed this philosophy on to thousands of students over nearly 50 years as a teacher and principal.