Most everyone likes to see his or her name in print. Mr. Sherman, the former owner of the Oxford Leader, made many students at Oxford High School very happy by publishing, each semester and free of charge, 13 editions of the Cat’s Meow, the student newspaper. As a former English teacher there, one of my most vivid memories was working with my students, Mr. Sherman, and his newspaper staff.

Many students like to get out of attending school, too. Because of Mr. Sherman, journalism students at Oxford High School spent an entire school day each semester laying out the pictures and copy. The fun they had, however, was not taking a “skip day,” but editing their copy, working with the computers, and developing their photographs in the Oxford Leader’s darkroom, along with professional assistance from the Leader’s staff.

The 1,200 editions of the Cat’s Meow the Leader delivered to the high school never ended up on the floors or in the wastepaper baskets at Oxford High. Students thoroughly enjoyed seeing their stories published. Others enjoyed seeing their school activities highlighted in the paper. Several of my former students pursued careers in journalism after high school. I am confident that Mr. Sherman’s generosity and kindness were a part of that.

Mary L. Gwinn