[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ill (AKA Mo)  Johnson, Hays CISD superintendent for umpteen years, once noted that of the 16 graduates in his 1947 Buda High School class, 11 graduated from college.  That’s an astounding 69%, and it happened before a college education was touted as the sure way to a make more  money.   

The reason was largely the influence of a single teacher, or so said her students. Young, dedicated Jimmy Porter was determined to introduce them to a world beyond their tiny, rural...