Short’s story turns into long, legendary education career

Former La Plata principal still going

Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008

Click here to enlarge this photo Submitted photo Jose Ringgold, left, David Ballard, Cecil Short and Keith Short at a ceremony honoring Cecil Short at the 75th Grand Conclave of Omega Psi Phi. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

‘‘This place brings back some beautiful memories,” Short said.

Short made history when he was named principal of Lackey High School in 1970. Not only did he become the youngest principal in the state at age 26, he said he became the first African-American principal of a desegregated school in Maryland.

Short was born in McConchie, near Welcome, 69 years ago. After he got out of the Army in February 1963, Short started to substitute teach in St. Mary’s County.

‘‘I remember meeting Jessie Starkey for lunch at the Corner Drug store in La Plata,” Short said. ‘‘He told me to come on back to Charles County, because I was a native son. I worked as an assistant principal [at Lackey] for half a year, and then I became principal.

Short remembers his first few days at the school.

‘‘I took my secretary, Helen O’Neil into the office and closed the door,” Short said. ‘‘She had just graduated from high school, and I was only 26. I remember telling her we needed to help each other out, because the both of us were just green as grass.”

Short remembers his years as a principal fondly.

‘‘Charles County has the best parents in America,” Short said.

‘‘It was a great experience to be the principal,” Short added Even today, when I go out, I get hugs from my former students and parents.”

Some people would have thought what Short had accomplished in the Charles County school system would have been enough for one person in one lifetime. Not Short.

In 1996, he became the president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. In the position of president, Short traveled to 17 countries, including England, France, Zimbabwe, Mexico and the Canary Islands.

‘‘The indigenous people in Australia were so impressed to see a man of color in my position,” Short said. ‘‘I felt that I helped to inspire them.”

Short enjoyed his chance to see the world.

‘‘I enjoyed an unlimited expense account and first-class treatment,” Short said.

‘‘The nice thing about seeing the world was I never went to a place where I felt I had to bow my head and say Charles County needs to make a lot of improvements. Charles County has a lot to be proud of. The top students in Charles County could go head-to-head in any academic arena in the world. ”

Even after all the world traveling, Short still had a few different things he wanted to try. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, Short began working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

‘‘My church started collecting fund for the victims of Katrina,” Short said.

‘‘We raised $25,000. I realized the people in New Orleans needed a helping hand, so I decided that I was going to do this.”

Short has been to every major disaster since then.

‘‘With Dolly coming in soon, I guess the next place I will go is south Texas,” Short said.

Short has met a lot of famous people in his career.

‘‘I met Hillary Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Colin Powell,” he said. ‘‘I met Barack Obama, and heard him say he thought he was too young for the job he wanted to do. I felt I could share my experiences as a young man with him.”

Among the many honors Short has received are the National Educator Award from the Milken Family Foundation in 1993 and the Distinguished Educational Leadership Award from the Washington Post in 1987.

Short also has a portrait of himself displayed in the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center at the University of Maryland College Park.

‘‘I have had a really tremendous life,” Short said. ‘‘My neighbors in Charles County have really given me the inspiration to succeed. I am proud to say I am from Charles County.”

Short remembers when he was principal at La Plata High School, every day he would get on the public address system and speak, and end his comments with, ‘‘Make a good day.”

‘‘I was walking through Atlanta airport, and I heard someone say, ‘Make a good day,’” Short said. ‘‘I asked the guy if he was from Charles County. He was one of my students from La Plata High School.”

David Rice, Latin teacher at Maurice J. McDonough High School, spoke of Short in a printed list of testimonials Short provided.

‘‘Cecil Short does not just lead institutions in this country; he is an institution, and one that we can be proud of,” he said.