When Old-Timers gather at the Stuart Heritage Museum, I have been amused when several of the men address Jim Navitsky, former Superintendent of Martin County Schools, “Coach.”
In 1964, Jim and Geri Navitsky, a teacher and a nurse with two children, decided to move from the frigid Pennsylvania to Florida. Geri’s parents, Alfred and Elizabeth Kaufman had retired to Rio where they purchased the Seahorse Lodge. This introduced the Navitskys to the wonders and warmth of Martin County.
Superintendent of Schools, Tom Crook, offered Jim Navitsky a teaching job at Stuart Middle School. Since Jim’s passion was coaching, he accepted the job of physical education teacher which included coaching the middle school football team. He enjoyed working with the middle school principal, Joe McCoy, who had previously coached the Martin County High School basketball team.
After two years at Stuart Middle School, Jim was appointed head coach for Martin County High School. He was in heaven. Under his leadership, Martin County High School was Sun Coast Conference Champion and Jim was selected High School Football Coach of the Year.
Martin County Schools were still segregated in 1964 with both Martin County High School, on Kanner Highway, and what was first called Carver Gardens Junior-Senior High, opening in the New Monrovia section of Port Salerno.
When the new school for Blacks was built in Port Salerno in 1964, it was first called Carver Gardens Junior-Senior High School but the name was changed Murray Junior-Senior High, honoring a family of educators including two who had served as principal of the much beloved Stuart Training School.
Murray Junior-Senior High School was running pretty smoothly but the Martin County school system was faced with the nation’s deadline for full integration. The so called “freedom of choice” that made it possible for a few brave students to attend white schools was not fulfilling requirements. When Ernest Edward, principal of Black school resigned because of poor health, Walter Oden became interim principal.
THIS IS WHEN THE “UNLIKELY SERIES OF EVENTS” CAME INTO PLAY.
Rather than Walter Oden, Jim Navitsky was selected to be principal of Murray Junior-Senior High School in the fall of 1967. It was a way to begin full integration but Navitsky was reluctant to give up coaching.
The Murray students were not pleased. To demonstrate their displeasure, they flew the school’s American flag upside down and boycotted classes.
They even made up words to a song to be sung to the tune of “Mercy, Mercy” by Cannonball Adderley:
We want Mr. Oden for our principal!
We want Mr. Oden for our principal!
Not Navitsky, No, No!
Not Navitsky, No, No!
Not Navitsky, No
We want Oden.
For there is no man like Oden
Who will treat us like he should.
We want Oden!
A youngers was singing the ditty as he bagged groceries when Jim and his wife, Geri, were checking out of the local A & P.
Jim asked Geri, “Do you suppose he knew who we were?
UNANTICIPATED VACANCY
Then, seemingly out of the blue, Tom Crook, Superintendent of Schools, resigned to take a Federal job and Jim Navitsky became his replacement.
THIS IS THE BACK STORY:
Although he had never attended a school board meeting, the few local Republicans, two of whom were on the school board, recommended Republican Governor Claude Kirk appoint Jim Navitsky Martin County Superintendent of School.s
Jim Navitsky had experience teaching in a large predominately Black high school in Philadelphia and was so new in town that he had no ties to the local Democrats who had ruled politics ever since the founding of Martin County. Things were changing. The Republicans thought Jim was savvy enough and had charisma that who make him a good candidate in future elections.
The Republicans were right. Jim Navitsky served as Superintendent of Schools for 21 years.
Jim Navitsky was an excellent superintendent who led the school system through integration and a teachers’ strike without serious disruptions. It was an important job but he smiles and says “Coaching the Martin County Tigers football team was the most fun.”
The photographs of Coach Navitsky and Superintendent of Schools Navitsky were taken from the 1977 and 1978 Martin County Highschool yearbooks available at the Stuart Heritage Museum Stuart Heritage Museum
The photographs of the Murray Junior-Senior High School building and faculty are available on http://Martin Digital History