Black History Month 2026 Educators Professor L. C. and wife Viola Eiland

Professor L. C. Eiland, Sr., often referred to as ‘Prof’ by his parents, students, friends, and colleagues, was a native of Louisville, MS. He dedicated his entire life to serving and enhancing Winston County from an educational perspective.  He gave back to the community by encouraging students to succeed academically and advocated for them to have better physical school conditions.  

He was a graduate of Alcorn State University which is a 4 year public historically Black land-grant institution founded in 1871 in Lorman, MS. ‘Prof’ commenced his service in Winston County as a Vocational Agriculture teacher in Noxapater, MS.  He served there from 1935 until 1944.  He also worked closely with the farmers in Noxapater in improving the yield of crops per acre and in the overall management of their farms.

On July 1, 1944, ‘Prof’ assumed the position as principal of the Winston County Training School (WCTS) in Louisville, which included grades 1 – 12.  It later became the Louisville Negro High School;  the Louisville Colored High School; first mentioned in school board minutes to Camile Street High School in 1966; to Louisville Junior High in 1970; to Louisville Middle School in late 70s; on October 18, 1988 - Louisville Middle School was renamed L. C. Eiland Middle School in honor of Professor L. C. Eiland. Motion made by Mr. Charles Holmes and passed with a unanimous vote by School Board Members.

While WCTS was recognized as the flagship school in the county for minorities, ‘Prof’ soon realized that the teacher/student ratio was inadequate, and requested additional classroom space.  This request produced overwhelming community support, and within a few years, the wood framed WCTS was annexed by a brick classroom building with additional faculty, and an improved curriculum comparable with other schools in the Big 8 Conference.  Following the integration of schools in Louisville, Camile became the current Eiland Middle School.  ‘Prof’ realized that schools and churches in the community provided the nucleus for education and advancement of black students in Winston County. To this end, he meticulously recruited outstanding teachers to Louisville to educate and to provide leadership for the students and community. He believed that better schools made better communities.  He also encouraged selected college graduates to return home to serve as teachers, coaches, and role models for young black students of Winston County.  His goal was to increase the retention and graduation rates in both secondary and higher education for Winston County students.

Professor Eiland was also active in many educational and civic organizations.  These included the County, District and State Teachers Organizations where he served in several official capacities over the years. He was a Deacon and Choir member at Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, a member of the Masonic Lodge, and Elk, and administrator in the Mississippi Big 8 Conference.

He was an unselfish educator and community leader.  He gave of himself for his students, and his community.  His leadership and many personal sacrifices have contributed to the successes of Trojan Alumni of many generations.

Professor Eiland was married to Viola Eiland, the Home Economics Teacher.  They had three children: Lonnie C., Jr., Amel ‘Joe Frank’, and Joyce Eiland.

(Information and dates of Prof’s school career and school history weretaken from the Louisville Municipal School Board Minutes with assistance from Harry D. Kemp)

Taken from the 1963 Year Book, Professor wrote:

A new chapter has been added to the Louisville Colored High School because of the growing interest in the field of secondary education.  In its growth the school interpreted comprehensively to include all the units of secondary education.  The Louisville Colored High School is dedicated to the type of scholarship that acquaints one with the great opportunities that exist and calls for practical application and adaptation to the times.

The future of our civilization faces grave problems. But this is not new.  As far back as history goes, this has always been true.  In remote antiquity when the only surviving records are buried in the clay and sand, and through all the intervening years, man has always been confronted with some problem that seem to defy solution.  The Louisville School must bring to light in this new chapter that the advances of this century have opened up countless paths for boys and girls to follow toward goals of success and usefulness.