Nellie Hartsfield

Emmie Hays, a senior and member of the Oracle staff, had charge of a contest, open to all students, to select a name for the football team. The winner of the contest was Nellie Hartsfield, a member of the Second Academic Class and native of the DeAnn area in Hempstead County.

In her only year at H.C., 1908-09, Nellie Hartsfield worked in the dining hall to help defray her expenses at school. She was assigned to wait on the tables reserved for the football team. At the end of two weeks, because of the custom to rotate workers, she was scheduled for a change in work assignment to wait on other tables.

Coach Jimmy Haygood and the players requested Mrs. Nancy John, stewardess, to let Nellie be the waitress for their table for the remainder of the school year because she was a conscientious worker who set the table properly. Mrs. John granted their request, so Nellie served the football players' table the rest of the year.

Upon the announcement of the name-the-team contest toward the last of September, the football boys and Coach Haygood requested Nellie Hartsfield to submit the name Red Jackets because that was what they wished to be called. Thus, with the entry Red Jackets, Nellie won the contest and a season ticket to the games that fall. Did she use the ticket? At age 88, Nellie Hartsfield Alfrey smiled and laughed: "Of course I did!".