Document: Biographical information about Rufus Elvin Payne

INFORMATION ABOUT RUFUS ELVIN PAYNE

FAMILY LIFE

Rufus E. Payne was born April 13, 1892 in Greeenland Florida. He attended elementary school at Greenland, now a part of consolidated Jacksonville, continued his education at the Florida Baptist Academy, then located in Jacksonville, now known as Florida Memorial University of Miami, Florida. Later, he completed Graduate Study and finished at the top of his class from Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia.

He served two years in the Army during World War 1 from where he was Honorably Discharged and after a brief stay in New York City, he returned to Jacksonville.

ADULT LIFE

Rufus E. Payne became a teacher at Stanton High School of Jacksonville, where he taught Geometry and other math courses. He served as Assistant Principal at Stanton High School. He later was promoted to Principal of Franklin Street Elementary School, now known as Matthew W. Gilbert School. Franklin Street opened in 1926 and Rufus E. Payne was named first Principal. After two years as Principal there, he was appointed the first Supervisor of Negro Education in Duval County. He died very suddenly, after one year in this position, on June 24, 1929. Rufus E. Payne died at age thirty-seven.

Being an active member of Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, he taught Sunday School for several years, and , at the time of his death, was General Superintendent of the Sunday School Department. He held membership in the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Duval County Teachers Assocoation, NAACP, and other civic organizations.

His wife, Seleta Juanita Payne, was a member of Rufus' first faculty at Franklin Street School. She taught at several elementary schools of Duval County until her retirement in 1959.

Two daughters, Sibyl Payne Butler and Grace Payne West were also educators in Duval County - Jacksonville, Florida. Both became secondary school Administrators and retired after thirty years of employment in the Duval County School System.

Professor Payne was widely know and respected in Jacksonville for his deep and sincere interest in education for Negro youth. He dedicated his adult life working with and for them. Much of his personal time was given to providing worthwhile recreational opportunities for students during after- school hours. He served as a

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football coach and often used personal funds to get his teams to and from games. At that time, no money was provided by the county or state for physical education nor athletics. Also, he worked as a Scout Master with Boy Scouts of America.

Shortly after his death, June 24 1929, citizens of the Eastside attempted to have the name Franklin Street School changed to Rufus E. Payne. It was felt that since he was the first principal there and had worked so hard in that community, where also he had lived for many years, it would be appropriate to name the school for him. This idea did not materialize. However, there were those who remembered him. Their continued efforts resulted in the re-naming of School #163. located on Hema Road. This plant was re-named in 1964 to be known as the Rufus E. Payne Elementary School.

The legacy of Rufus E. Payne will be long remembered and cherished for the contributions which he made to the City of Jacksonville, in his brief life span of only thirty-seven years (37).