In recognition of his contributions as an early and lifetime supporter of the athletic programs in Fannin County schools, Travis Guthrie has been elected as a member of the 2019 class of the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame.
Mr. Guthrie was born in Fannin County, Georgia on May 6, 1914. He was the second of four children born to Oscar and Bertha Ammons Guthrie. He attended schools in Mineral Bluff and Morganton and graduated from Fannin County High School in Morganton in 1932. He was a starting guard for the Fannin County High School basketball team.
Following his high school graduation, Travis attended Young Harris College and graduated with a two-year degree in 1934. While at Young Harris he was a starter for the varsity basketball team and played intramural football.
Travis Guthrie began a 35 year career in the education system of Fannin County in the autumn of 1934 when he was appointed to the position of principal at Epworth Elementary School. He continued his career as a teacher, coach and principal at Mineral Bluff Junior High School, Fannin County High School in Morganton and Epworth High School and Elementary School until August, 1945. He was the coach of the boys basketball team at Mineral Bluff Junior High School that won the first official basketball tournament in the history of the county in early 1936 over the high school teams of Morganton, Blue Ridge and Epworth. His 1941-42 girls team at Fannin County High School in Morganton lost only one regular season and captured the championships in the Fannin County Tournament, the Bi-State Tournament and the Northern Division of the 9th District Tournament.
Travis married Lucy Carlton, a Ducktown, Tennessee native, in 1940. Following their marriage, both Travis and Lucy continued their teaching careers in Fannin County. Travis continued his personal education and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Piedmont College in 1940.
In August, 1945, Travis was appointed Fannin County School Superintendent to complete the term of his father Oscar, who died in office on August 13, 1945. He was elected County School Superintendent in 1948 in a county-wide election. After he completed his first term, the county changed the selection process from an election to appointment by the County Board of Education. Travis was reappointed County School Superintendent for four more terms and served in that capacity until his retirement in December, 1968, having served the county for 23 years. Throughout his career as School Superintendent, Travis was ably supported by his wife, Lucy, who served as his Administrative Assistant.
When Travis assumed the Superintendent position, there were 42 schools, many of the one or two room variety, in Fannin County. During his career, he was the overseer of a constant program of expansion of facilities and consolidation of units and, upon his retirement, the number of schools had been reduced to eleven, two high schools, eight elementary schools and one school for African American students.
The consolidation and modernization of education in Fannin County during Mr. Guthrie’s career as Superintendent had a lasting impact on athletics in the county. The first competitive football teams in Fannin County were established at East and West Fannin High Schools as a result of the consolidation program of 1955-56. These programs required facilities, equipment and personnel and Travis Guthrie was the architect of the efforts to implement these endeavors.
Among the major achievements in the arenas of athletics that were accomplished under Mr. Guthrie aegis were the construction of the spectator bleachers and lighting at the West Fannin field and a major $921,000 construction project in 1958-59. The project resulted in the addition of modern physical education buildings at East and West Fannin High Schools that included a gymnasium, class rooms. band rooms and dressing rooms. The project also included the construction of elementary school buildings at Dial and Mineral Bluff and physical education buildings/gymnasiums at Caldwell Elementary, Blue Ridge Elementary and Mobile Elementary Schools.
Travis Guthrie served Fannin County as School Superintendent during a period of unprecedented challenges for educators and academic administrators in America. He was required to anticipate the needs of future years in order for the School Board to plan accordingly, plan for the consolidation of certain schools into larger units, face a teacher shortage in highly qualified personnel, plan extra-curricular activities, expand curricula to meet changing needs and direct a steady rise in scholastic standards to meet increasing requirements of colleges and universities, while cooperating with the School Board, students, parents and faculty members as the administrative head of the school system. He met and conquered these challenges in exemplary fashion.
Travis Guthrie completed his last term as School Superintendent in December, 1968. He and Lucy continued to work the next 18 months at the request of the new Superintendent and Board of Education to ensure a smooth transition. In retirement, Travis and Lucy Guthrie continued their support of athletic programs attending football and basketball games and other school and church activities.
Travis Guthrie passed away on July 27, 1989. Despite his myriad of professional accomplishments, perhaps his greatest legacy, and that of Lucy Guthrie, is the offspring that they produced for the next generation. Travis and Lucy had four sons, Leon, Carlton, Robert and Jerry. All of these men enjoyed outstanding athletic careers. Leon, Carlton and Robert are individual members of the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame and Jerry was a member of the 1963-64 West Fannin basketball team that will be inducted in the class of 2019.
