September 13, 1948

Christine School, 264 Third Street, Memphis, Tennessee, early 1950

 Elvis started attending to (in 1920 built as Market Street School) the Christine School on 264 Third Street. The school was re-named for a beloved teacher-principal and was closed and demolished in 1964.   A few months later, in February 1949, Vernon found full-time employment at the United Paint Company. It was back-breaking work, loading and unloading cases of paint, but Vernon was determined to keep it to prove he could support his family. Shortly thereafter he applied for public housing assistance.   No history of education in Memphis would be complete without a reference to the old Market Street School (Christine School). In 1870, a lot was purchased at the north west corner of Market Street and Third Street and the first "real school" in Memphis was erected at a cost of $80,000. The 3-store brick building opened in 1872. On the first floor were 4 classrooms for the elementary grades. Part of the second floor was used for the secondary grades. The third floor was for lecture halls and exhibition space. The basement was for the 4 furnaces and storage. From the opening date, the teachers and principals of this historic school read like a Who's Who of Memphis education. 

  In 1877, the newly created Memphis High School, consisting of the combined Male High School and Female High School, joined the high school section of the Market Street School and moved to the top floor of the Market Street School building. During this same year, the Market Street School name was changed to Smith School in honor of the first principal. The Memphis High School would stay at this location until 1892. Because there were now two schools with different names, in the same building at Market and Third, and because the newspapers frequently referred to both schools as "The High School" or "The Market Street School", it's really difficult to sort out the complete, early history of either school.

 To add to this confusion, at one time there were 4 other schools on Market Street - also referred to as "The Market Street School". In addition, even though the Smith School was the new name for Market Street School in 1877, the Memphis directories continued to list it as Market Street School until 1883. Additional confusion resulted even from the graduates of Memphis High School at this time. Because their school is located in the Market Street building, they often listed their high school (Memphis High School) as "The Market Street School". During the period 1877-92, the two names were almost interchangeable. By 1884 the Memphis High School had grown so rapidly that more space was desperately needed. To accommodate them, the Smith School on the lower floors moved across the street to the north east corner of Market and Third. When the Memphis High School moved to new quarters in 1892 (and was renamed Leath High School), the Smith School moved back to their old Market Street School building. In 1920 the Market Street School (now Smith School) name was changed a second time to Christine School for a beloved teacher-principal. Throughout all these name changes, newspapers and others continued to refer to the school as "the old Market Street School". The school was closed and demolished in 1964.  

NOVEMBER 8, 1948 MONDAY   Elvis Presley switched from Christine School to Humes High School, located at 659 North Mananas Street, Memphis, Tennessee, a combination junior and senior High School. His first year at Humes, he is present 165 days, absent fifteen, and never tardy. He receives an A in language; B's in spelling, history, and phys ed; and C's in arithmetic, music, and science. Elvis Presley attended Humes High School until he graduated in June 3, 1953. Many students and teachers remember Elvis Presley strolling through the halls at Humes lugging his guitar

John Klompenhouwer Collection