Late educator honored by school district, family, friends

The family of the late B.J. Larsen gathered in front of the court dedication plaque. From left: Blake Larsen, Brian Larsen, Cathy Larsen, Bart Larsen, Meredith Larsen, and Julian Larsen. Staff photo by George Anderson [Click to enlarge]

The Senath-Hornersville School District immortalized a former educator on Friday evening as they officially dedicated the middle school gymnasium to the late B.J. Larsen III.

The event was attended by a gymnasium full of Larsen's former students and co-workers, as well as his wife, Cathy, and his sons Blake, Brian, and Bart, who brought his wife Meredith, and their son Julian.

Larsen, who began his career in education at Manila, Ark., came to Senath-Hornersville in 1972, along with his wife Cathy.

For the next 23 years, Larsen would be a teacher, a coach, a principal, and a friend to the students, staff, and parents that he came into contact with.

Chad Morgan, the current Senath-Hornersville Middle School (SHMS) principal, opened the event by welcoming everyone to the ceremony.

"For those of you who attended SHMS during the years of 1972 to 1995, one of the first people you think of, if not the first person you think of, is Mr. Larsen," Morgan said.

"Mr. Larsen was an educator who made a lasting impression on the lives of 'his kids,'" Morgan continued. "And that's just it. Mrs. Larsen told me that [Mr. Larsen] always thought of the kids in his building as 'his own.'"

Morgan then asked anyone who had ever had Larsen as a coach, principal, teacher, or co-worker to stand, which was approximately 90 percent of those in attendance.

"As you can see from the people that are here tonight, Mr. Larsen meant a lot of things to a lot of people. Mr. Larsen still means a lot of thing to a lot of people," Morgan said.

"We are honored to have Mr. Larsen's name on the court and to have a plaque on the gym wall where he coached for so many years and made a difference in the lives of the students he had," Morgan said. "Mr. Larsen's family will now unveil the plaque that reads, B.J. Larsen Court -- Teacher, Coach, Principal, Friend -- 29 Years in Education -- 1967 -1996."

Morgan, who is the person responsible for the dedication, first presented the idea to the school board late in the 2007-2008 school year and said he had no objections against the idea.

"The people that I spoke with were for it. When I spoke to the board, I told them that I wanted to do it, pending Mrs. Larsen's approval. After they approved it, I spoke with Mrs. Larsen and she said she thought Mr. Larsen would be honored by the idea," Morgan said.

When asked why he decided to dedicate the court to Larsen, Morgan said, "I was here when Mr. Larsen was principal. He was also my basketball coach and I looked up to him as a coach and respected him as a principal. After you leave school you have people who you think of and he's one of those people you think fondly of.

"Given his career here and the things he did, coaching the 5th and 6th-grade basketball teams and even some volleyball, I thought it would be a nice tribute to have his name on the court.

"There are a lot of people that Mr. Larsen touched and it means a lot to us to have his name on our floor from this point on. We're just excited that his name will be associated with our school forever," Morgan continued.

Cathy Larsen responded to the dedication by saying, "The family was moved and touched and know [Mr. Larsen] would be very honored."

Larsen's legacy will now live forever among others whom have had dedications in their honor including the Hornbeck Auditorium and Dub Ford Field.