Master and jack-of-all-trades
BY SUZANNE LOUDAMY Staff writer

MARSHALL NEILL

Marshall Neill is a very familiar name in Whitehouse ISD. He is one who could be considered a real "jack-of-all-trades." From bus driver to superintendent of schools, he's done it all.

Neill grew up right down the road, just north of the Whitehouse ISD line on Bascom. "Grandmother Neill grew up in Whitehouse, but I started out a Chapel Hill boy," Neill said.

His formative schooling took place in Chapel Hill followed by two years at Tyler Junior College. Neill received his bachelor's degree in agricultural education from Sam Houston State University.

Cooper, Texas was his first assignment as a teacher. It was 1963 and Neill was fresh out of school. Maybe it was just not the right place or the right time, but after only two years as a teacher, Neill chose to leave teaching.

He moved back to Tyler and sold fertilizer for three years. Guess that job was not as productive as he thought it would be either, so it was back to the classroom.

In 1968 Neill was hired to teach Science and drive a bus in Whitehouse. During those early days as a bus driver, Neill went in one day to talk to then superintendent Harold Higgins about the bus routes. He thought someone needed to look at how the routes were set up and thought they could be improved.

The next thing Neill knew, he was being called into the principal's office. No one likes being called to the principal's office, not even a teacher. The word had come down through his principal that Neill was being appointed to the position of director of transportation. Yes, he would still teach his classes and drive a bus.

"My schedule was adjusted so that I could be available during first period to handle any bus problems and then I taught the rest of the day," Neill said. "I got into administration through the back door."

After the retirement of Mr. Higgins, Neill took on the title of director of special services. That covered everything from buses to food service. Getting the idea that this administration thing was going to continue to develop, Neill returned to college and received his masters from East Texas State University, his mid-management certification from U.T. Tyler and his superintendent's certification from Stephen F. Austin.

Neill was named superintendent of schools for WISD in 1987. He served in that position until his retirement in 1997.

Neill was ready for leisure time with his wife Janet. They hoped their retirement together would be as much fun as their early days together. Their meeting was something right out of a romance novel.

"We met at my brother Kendall's wedding. I was his best man and Janet was her maid of honor," Neill said. "We met that day for the first time." Seems to have worked out very well.

The Neills enjoy their time together, traveling the countryside in their RV. They have explored every corner of the country starting with the northwest to British Columbia, to the northeast in New York, as well as the southwest to California and the southeast to Florida.

All of their travel is not just for fun. At least two trips a year include hard work. They travel with a group called the Nomads. This is a group of traveling workers for the United Methodist Church.

"We are headed to Louisiana for three weeks this spring," Neill said. "This town was one hit by the hurricane and still needs help."

In between the retirements, Neill has had a couple of interim positions. In 1999 he served as interim superintendent for Van ISD and in 2001 as principal and athletic director for Troup High School. Then in 2004 he came back to WISD where he took on the position of Career and Technology Director at Whitehouse High School.

"Dennis Miller called and asked me to fill in and train someone," Neill said. "That was three years ago and I'm still here." That will soon be taken care of. Leah Stanley will be taking on the position at the close of this semester.

With the position at WHS, Neill has had some unique and interesting situations. Not only has he worked with teachers who he taught, he now has a teacher who is the child of a student he once taught. He said the most unusual was while Chris Moran was principal at the high school. Chris was one of his former students. "I was working for a former student," Neill said.

With Mrs. Stanley taking over the career and technology job at the end of this semester, Neill says he's retiring one more time. "We'll keep busy traveling and visiting kids and grandkids. We are up to six grandkids now."

About the future of WISD Neill said, "I think we'll continue to grow and continue to enjoy the reputation as a good school district. I'm glad I was able to be a part of it all."

When the WISD credits role you'll see the name of Marshall Neill by many of those parts played. Standing ovation to you, Mr. Neill, for being one of the rocks upon which this school district and this town was built.