School board votes to rename Gleason ag shop
Edgar Floyd
Story by Senior Investigative Reporter Shannon Taylor
On Nov. 1, the school board voted unanimously to name Gleason school’s ag shop after Edgar Floyd. It will now be called: Edgar Floyd Ag Shop.
Gleason school, Gleason FFA Alumni and the Gleason Alumni Association wrote a letter detailing the reasons why they wanted their ag shop named after Floyd. In the letter, it stated Floyd was the vocational agriculture teacher at Gleason High School from July 1958 until his retirement in June 1996. Originally from McMinnville, he graduated from McMinnville High School in 1954 and then attended the University of Tennessee, earning his degree in education with an agriculture education specialty. He then moved on to obtain his master’s degree in education at UTM in 1978.
In 1958, Floyd made Gleason his home, where he accepted his first teaching position, which spanned 37 years, beginning and ending his career in the same building. The football locker room and concession area are standing where Floyd’s ag shop stood.
Floyd loved his community and the school, making Gleason his permanent home along with his wife, Peggy and two daughters, Charlotte Floyd Addison and Sandra Floyd Walker, who are both Gleason alumni.
Floyd was both the ag teacher and FFA supervisor and served as vice president of the Tennessee Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association in 1975. During his tenure, the Gleason FFA program earned many honors, including district and state awards. In 1977, his state dairy judging team finished first in Tennessee, and were selected to attend the national competition, where they finished 29th in the country. Floyd also had three state vice presidents of the West TN FFA and three of his students went on to win the American Farmer Award.
Floyd was also instrumental in forming an organized girls’ and boys’ junior high basketball program in 1963. During the first five years, he coached both the girls’ and boys’ teams. The first boys’ team he coached placed second in Weakley County and his second team completed the season undefeated. In his sixth season, he only coached the girls’ team until 1977. During his tenure, several girls’ junior high championships were won.
Floyd’s heart and passion was for students entering his classroom more than any award or accomplishment, and Gleason and FFA alumni share fond memories of him. Because of Floyd’s career-long dedication, the Gleason school, Gleason FFA Alumni and the Gleason Alumni Association decided to pursue naming their ag shop after him in their request to the school board.
Gleason School principal Lee Lawrence said Floyd hasn’t been told yet and they wanted to surprise him personally and let him enjoy the news with close friends and family, which is why he was not in attendance. However, Lawrence said they might have an event night to honor Floyd and are thinking of Nov. 17 as the tentative date.
The board also approved the textbook adoption committees for math in elementary, middle and high school. Frazier said the board would have to approve the list of committees, stating, “We tried to get a wide array of teachers and involve as many schools as possible in different grade levels and they’ll be the ones presenting a recommendation for the board to accept moving forward. We are required by law to do this.”
The next school board meeting will be held Thursday, Dec. 1, at 5 p.m. at Greenfield school.
