Kate Pennington Rochelle

 

 

Kate Pennington Rochelle began her basketball career at Nankipoo High School where she was chosen to West Tennessee Tournament All-Star team in 1930. In the fall, she entered Freed-Hardeman on a work-scholarship. For her exploits on the court, she was named a Mississippi Valley Conference All-Star guard. An active student who played in all college sports and participated in school affairs, she was elected Best All-Around Student in 1933.

 

After transferring from FHC, she attended Memphis State University for her baccalaureate degree. She played on a independent Memphis team while a student at MSU. Their opponents included teams from Oklahoma, Louisiana, Colorado and Illinois.

She returned to Nankipoo in1935 to begin her coaching career. She was also a member of an independent team at Dyersburg. When consolidation came, she continued coaching at Halls Elementary School and later the high school. In 1941, following her marriage to Jack Rochelle, she taught math and coached at Ripley. She continued teaching at various locations in West Tennessee until her retirement in 1973-after a career of 35 years.

One of her former students, Floyd H. Crain, said, "She helped mold the lives of her students and promoted within them a love of God and country."

Today she lives in Ripley where one of her pleasures is walking down the street and hearing former students - now doctors, lawyers, farmers, housewives and businessmen- yell "Hi, Miss Kate!"