Pillow Academy
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The origins of Pillow Academy
A group came to our Grandmother ( Gran ) in the early 1960’s and asked if she would be interested in giving land for a private school. She agreed to give approximately 65 acres.
This was a start for all that we see there today ! So many
great families and super administrations and faculties over all these years .Pillow Academy began in 1965 .
My father , R L Pillow Sr. once told me that he thought the school would last for 20 to 25 years. Dad was wrong there.
Our Grandmother’s name was Nell Durden Pillow. Born 3/23/1887 and passed on to Jesus 9/13/1975 . She was one sweet saint.
Here’s to the Class of 73 and wishing you all a Great 50th Reunion .
Bob Pillow, Jr. Class of 1975
Hardeman Hall
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Hardeman Hall houses our middle and high school classrooms. Hardeman Hall was named after Steele and Bob Hardeman for their unselfish devotion and generosity to Pillow Academy. The planting of the trees in front of the circle at Hardeman Hall were overseen by Sethelle Lucas, the first female elected Pillow Academy Board member. Hardeman Hall houses 12 middle school classrooms, 13 high school classrooms, a teacher workroom and lounge, administrative offices and the Scott Science lab. The Scott Science lab is a state of the art science lab that was installed in 2016 for chemistry, biology and middle school science lab work.
Scott Science Lab
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The Scott Science lab is a state of the art science lab that was installed in 2016 for chemistry, biology and middle school science lab work.
Craig Performing
Arts Center
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Mary Norman Craig Brown made the initial gift to Pillow Academy to start the construction of the Craig Performing Arts Center. The building was name after her father WIlliam Loraine Criag, who was born in 1888 and died in 1984 at the age of 96. The family has agreed to maintain the building.
The Craig Performing Arts Center was started in the fall of 2002 and completed in the spring of 2004. It has a capacity of 640 and is used for play performances and school assemblies.
Johnson Hall Elementary School
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Johnson Hall was named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Harper Johnson. The Floyd Melton Law Firm helped Pillow Academy receive an $800,000 gift from Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. Steele and Bob Hardeman had pledged a million dollar matching gift to the John Lucas IV Teaching for Excellence Endowment. The Johnson’s (with the help and advisement of Floyd Melton, Jr. and Floyd III) gave $800,000 to the JLIV Teaching Fund to be matched by the Hardemans. The Board of directors honored the Johnson gift by naming the new part of the building after them.
Scott Multi-Purpose Building
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The SCOTT MULTI-PURPOSE BUILDING completed our Strong Foundation, Future Leaders capital campaign. In 2016, the Solon Scott, Jr. family set up a tuition assistance fund, the Scott Family Trust, which aids students with up to one-third of their tuition. The original gift of $4,000,000 helps approximately 60 students each year and the fund is valued around 6 million to date.
In honor of his commitment to Pillow Academy and our community, we honored Solon Scott, Jr. by naming our new multi-purpose building the Scott Multi-purpose building. This building, completed in 2019, was designed for flexibility to create an indoor space with multi-purpose uses for every student in grades 4K-12. Our elementary school uses this facility each day for P.E. This building allowed us to add girls volleyball to our extracurricular offerings. It is also used as a practice gym for basketball, an archery facility, pep rallies and school events.
Chazzy Moor Field
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History of Chazzy Moor field
Chazzy Moor tragically died in an automobile accident in July of 1995, leaving behind his father, mother, brothers and the remainder of family and friends.
In 2011, the Moor family, consisting of Chazzy Moor’s mother, Janie and his brothers, Richard, John and Jody Moor, donated the land on which Chazzy Moor Soccer field sits. The soccer field was named in memoriam to Charles H. Moor, Jr., aka “Chazzy Moor”. After graduating from Pillow Academy in the class of 1975, Chazzy furthered his education at Mississippi State University. He received a bachelors of science, majoring in Ag Econ, class of 1979. After college, Chazzy returned home to farm with his father, Charles H. Moor, Sr. Chazzy was known as a very progressive farmer, convincing his father to develop their land with land forming and adding furrow irrigation, this was before irrigation became an accepted practice in the Mississippi Delta. He also convinced Mr. Moor to many equipment upgrades, a new farm shop and new equipment shed. Chazzy believed in owning land, he brought multiple land deals to his father’s attention, three of which were finalized and the family still holds the land today.
Bill Davis Field
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The Pony Express
January 14, 2020
Mr. Davis’s legacy lives on at Pillow Academy. “Mr. Bill was dedicated to Pillow Academy” recalled Coach Durwin Carpenter. Mrs. Kathy Clark, Pillow math teacher and graduate of the Class of 1972, witnessed first hand Mr. Davis’s passion for the school and its students. “If he thought a student, teacher, or coach was not being treated right, he fought for and stood behind them. He was a special man. He was a great leader; he was always present in every aspect of the school. You could always depend on him to get everything done and leave no stone unturned. He was very proud of his faculty, his students, and his family.”
Mrs. Millie Vemer, another Pillow math teacher and graduate of the Class of 1985, also had the privilege to attend Pillow Academy as a student and teacher under Mr. Davis. “His relationships with his students were genuine. He respected all no matter who they were. He loved student success and admired those who had to work extra hard to achieve it.” Mr. Davis’s deep love and affection for his students was unquestionable.
Mr. Davis wanted to see greatness in Pillow Academy. Pillow science teacher Mrs. Marrietta Branch noted, “He wanted to see a school where teachers and students developed and retained a love for this institution.” However, his vision for the school reached far beyond academics. Added Ms. Vemer, “He wanted students to leave Pillow Academy not only with knowledge from books, but also with a love of God and country. He wanted students to be better people, better citizens.”
If you ask former students and co-workers what it means to be a Mustang, you will find a recurring theme in their answers. “Love, pride, and passion for the school” is consistently repeated. “You are loyal no matter what. Your Pillow pride ALWAYS shows, said Mrs. Clark. Mrs. Vemer agrees, “Being a Mustang means trying your best because you have pride in your school. A true Mustang has a sense of belonging and continues to be a positive influence beyond Pillow.” These tenets were instilled by Mr. Davis throughout his time at Pillow Academy.
“His presence at Pillow Academy, to those who knew him, is still deeply felt,” said Mrs. Vemer. That presence, his legacy, is carried out by the former co-workers and students of Mr. Davis. These administrators and teachers continue to strive for the level of excellence that embodied Mr. Davis’s vision of Pillow Academy. They encourage the same passion and Mustang pride that Mr. Davis instilled during his time at Pillow.
I never had the opportunity to meet Mr. Davis, but his legacy and spirit should inspire all of us. Dependability, respect, and Mustang pride are just a few of the characteristics that we can exhibit in order to fulfill his vision for our school.
May we never forget his service to the school, and most importantly, his service to our country. Pillow Academy is blessed to have had a man like Mr. Bill Davis play such an important role in this school’s history.
MR BILL DAVIS
31 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
