You’re reading “Echoes in Time,” a weekly newsletter by the Independent Herald that focuses on stories of years gone by in order to paint a portrait of Scott County and its people. “Echoes in Time” is one of six weekly newsletters published by the IH. You can adjust your subscription settings to include as many or as few of these newsletters as you want. If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider doing so. It’s free!
Today’s newsletter is sponsored by the Scott County Chamber of Commerce. Since 1954, the Scott County Chamber of Commerce has advocated for a strong community by supporting stronger infrastructure and leadership.
Remembering Scott County’s public education pioneer, Ovia Cross
Ovia Cross was a man of many firsts.
He was Scott County’s first school superintendent to be popularly elected by the people of the county. He was also the first (and, to date, the only) person to serve as superintendent of schools on two separate occasions.
But his impact on education in Scott County extended beyond those notable achievements. He also organized the first four-year high school in Scott County, and coached the county’s first high school basketball team.
Born in 1889, Ovia Cross was the son of Rev. Harrison Maynard Cross and Cordelia Adkins. His paternal grandfather was Caswell Cross, whose Buffalo farm was raided by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. That same day, his great-uncle, Larkin Cross, was murdered in the Buffalo area. He was a second cousin to Bailey Cross, who served as Scott County School Superintendent in the 1970s. He was part of the Cross family that lived on Jellico Creek east of Winfield.
Cross graduated from Huntsville High School, then attended Maryville College and East Tennessee State Normal, which is now East Tennessee State University.
After college, Cross married Barbara Evelyn Terry (1897-1959). Their children were Ira Lee Cross and William Maynard Cross.
Back home after college, Cross landed a job teaching in the Oneida Special School District. It was there that he helped organize the first basketball team in Scott County’s history.
In 1924, Cross was elected superintendent of schools, at the age of 35. He wasn’t the county’s first school superintendent; seventeen different men had served as school superintendent before him. However, each of those men had been appointed by the Scott County Quarterly Court — a precursor to what we know as Scott County Commission today. In 1924, a state law change allowed the voters of each county to elect their school superintendent.
The term in those days was just two years, and Cross was succeeded in 1926 by O.E. Jeffers. He ran for election again in 1928 and won, becoming the only person in Scott County’s history to serve as school superintendent on two separate occasions. This time, he served until 1930, when he was replaced by O. Earl Byrd.
Cross is credited with organizing the first three four-year high schools in Scott County: Huntsville, Norma, and Robbins. All three continued to be used until 1971, when Scott High School was built and the county consolidated its high school classes.
Following his second stint as school superintendent, Cross returned to the classroom, and spent 28 years in the Oneida Special School District before retiring in 1960.
Cross died on March 20, 1980, at Scott County Hospital. He was 91. He was buried at Litton Cemetery in Oneida.
Echoes in Time is published each Tuesday by the Independent Herald.
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Our Newsletters:
• Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
• Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
• Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
• Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
• Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
• Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)