Schools

He was his school's mascot, mentor - and principal

By STEPHANIE HAYES, Times Staff Writer
Published August 15, 2007

TAMPA - He was a giant of a man.

James Gatlin worked out, and when he wore short sleeves, his big arms showed. Students would gaze up at their principal in the hallway.

He had spirit. He was principal of Chamberlain High in North Tampa for 10 years and at pep rallies, he'd don a big headdress and dance around as the mascot, Chief Oom Pah-Pah.

"He got everybody excited and riled up," said Gennie Swenson, who graduated from Chamberlain in 1991. "That was the highlight."

He was the life of the party. At homecoming dances, he'd get out on the floor and show his moves. Teachers teased that he danced like an old guy.

He made a mean barbecue. Each year, he'd throw a big party for his senior class and handle all the cooking.

He was witty, and had favorite sayings: You can chase a raccoon, but you still have to catch it; You can't make a dog hunt.

He'd set you straight. If you skipped school and he caught you, you'd get in serious trouble, students said.

He held out hope. In 1989, he noticed that many black males at Chamberlain weren't graduating. He started a mentor program and took students on tours of universities.

He believed in individual success. If students weren't cut out for college, he would help them find gainful jobs.

"There were two types of life he was preparing them for - survival or success," said Henry Washington, Gatlin's friend and an area director for Hillsborough schools.

He had humble beginnings. Gatlin grew up in a West Tampa public housing complex. He attended Middleton High, a historically black school that closed in 1971 under a federal desegregation order.

He caught the eye of girls. "He was a big man. A nice man. A gentleman," said his wife, Evelyn, who met him when she was a teenager. "A person who seemed to really care about people. He took time to tell you what you didn't know."

He was accomplished. He served as an area director for Hillsborough County schools, and as principal at two alternative schools. In 2005, he returned to his alma mater, Middleton, which reopened in 2002. Now, he was principal.

He was proud.

"I think it was like being able to go back home," said his friend, School Board member Doretha Edgecomb. "I think it was like saying, yes, you can go back and do some of the things that were left undone."

James Gatlin, who had been ill with diabetes, died Tuesday. He was 68.

Stephanie Hayes can be reached at shayes@sptimes.com or 727 893-8857.

Biography

James Gatlin

Born: July 26, 1939.

Died: Aug. 14, 2007.

Survivors: Wife Evelyn; sons James III, Marcus and Brent.

[Last modified August 15, 2007, 00:13:02]