Mr. Cordell Hull – Whitesides Elementary School

It was a very sad day at Whitesides Elementary in Layton when Mr. Hull announced that due to health reasons, he needed to retire. Mr. Hull taught my son in 3rd grade. He taught all the 3rd graders how to play the ukulele and they learned their times tables along with English rules to the words of the songs that he made up. He also taught the children how to play chess and you would find the children in his classroom at lunch playing chess with him in the middle of them.

He drove daily from Coalville to Layton, and it was not uncommon to see him at the school well after 5:00 or 6:00 at night. He had previously retired from the Weber School District but loved teaching and was most willing to teach at a Title I school. The children truly felt of his love and concern.

I remember walking into his class one day when he was up on a desk showing the children about the solar system with the planets that he had hung from the ceiling. He taught the students great truths with the thoughts of the week, and at the end of the year – the students were able to quote each week’s saying along with reciting a poem or a story they had memorized. I also remember a new teacher at the school that he helped that has been a fantastic teacher also.

I am sure that there are a lot of tears flowing from the administration, to his fellow teachers, students and parents this night. We were all honored to have him as part of our childrens’ lives!!!

–Barbara Bair