IV. Education, Housing and Population

[Editor’s note: This page was researched and prepared by the late Don Beck. His contributions to this site are immeasurable, and we miss him.]

This department covered a wide range of activities, including child care, counseling, and education. Tom Grubbs was the headmaster of the primary school; Dick Tropp was head of the High School. Ava Cobb Brown coordinated the counseling activities. Child Care was handled by a group. Assembled from lists and records found in the FBI documents, the jobs and workers listed in the Education, Housing & Population department are in this pdf file:

Education, Housing & Population Department Jobs and Personnel Listing

Education The teachers put together an educational program that covered pre-school through adult education. It was designed in such a way to allow Peoples Temple to receive accreditation from the Guyanese school system, so that the children did not have to attend Guyanese schools. In addition, the Jonestown medical department worked with a nursing school at Port Kaituma. Elementary and Secondary classes were held on a daily basis. High school students worked part-time with a project in Jonestown, to make education and work more relevant and related to life experience: studying, working, planning, communicating about ongoing projects. Assembled from lists and records found in the FBI documents, children of Elementary, Junior High and High School ages are listed in this pdf file:

Elementary and Secondary Students

Toddler & Pre-School programs were part of the Child Care program. Assembled from lists and records found in the FBI documents, the Infants and Toddlers are listed in these pdf files:

Infants
Toddlers & PreSchool

Educational records recovered are most complete for Elementary and Junior High. Records of staff working at high school level are fewer and appear by comparison incomplete. As more information emerges, this chart will be updated.

Elementary, Jr High, High School

Office & Support

Secretary

Inez Wagner, Bea Orsot

General Library

Teresa King

Socialism Library

Debbie Jensen (Schroeder)
High School

Supervisor

Dick Tropp, Carolyn Layton

Teachers

Jann Gurvich
Don Jackson Marie Lawrence
Carolyn Layton
Chris Lund (Rozynko)
Shirley Robinson
Edith Roller
Harriet Sarah Tropp
James Turner
Elementary & Junior High 62 girls, 73 boys

Headmaster

Tom Grubbs

Co-Admin. 

Clara Johnson

Master Tchr

Clara Johnson

Resource Tchr

Pat Gunnett

Teachers

Rebecca Beikman
Dorothy Brewer
Rosie Burgines
Betty Fitch
Willie Grady
Tom Grubbs
Pat Grunnett
Jann Gurvich
Liane Harris
Don Jackson
Debbie Jensen (Schroeder)
Clara Johnson
Naomi Johnson
Shawntiki Johnson
Verna Johnson
Stephanie Jones
Daisy Lee
Carolyn Looman
Christine Lucientes
Yvette Muldrow
Cardell Neal
Darlene Newman
Rhonda Page
Pauline Simon
Carol Stahl
Marlene Tarver (Wheeler)
Peter Wotherspoon

In Training

Tommy Beikman, Ellen Klingman, Jeff Carey

Elementary, Jr High, High School Teachers by Subjects

Lang Arts

Dorothy Brewer
Rosie Burgines
Betty Fitch
Willie Grady
Pat Grunnett
Jann Gurvich
Don Jackson
Naomi Johnson
Verna Johnson
Stephanie Jones
Christine Lucientes
Cardell Neal
Darlene Newman
Edith Roller
Deborah Schroeder
Pauline Simon
Marlene Tarver (Wheeler)
Peter Wotherspoon

English

Daisy Lee, Edith Roller

Handwriting

Christine Lucientes

Writing

Rebecca Beikman

Creative Writing

Rhonda Page

Reading

Rebecca Beikman Pat Grunnett Yvette Muldrow

Phonics

Yvette Muldrow

Perceptual Skills

Marlene Tarver (Wheeler)

Social Studies

Dorothy Brewer
Rosie Burgines
Jeff Carey
Pat Grunnett
Jann Gurvich
Verna Johnson
Darlene Newman

Black History

Betty Fitch
Jann Gurvich
Don Jackson Cardell Neal

Socialism

Don Jackson Cardell Neal Debbie Schroeder

Math

Dorothy Brewer Rosie Burgines
Betty Fitch
Willie Grady
Pat Grunnett
Jann Gurvich
Don Jackson
Naomi Johnson
Verna Johnson
Stephanie Jones
Daisy Lee
Chris Lucientes
Cardell Neal
Darlene Newman
Rhonda Page
Debbie Schroeder
Pauline Simon
Marlene Wheeler
Peter Wotherspoon

Spanish

Don Jackson Peter Wotherspoon

PE

Willie Grady Martha Klingman

Undesignated

Margaret Davis
Nena Downs
Carolyn Looman
Margueritte Romano (Bippy Davis) Mary Wotherspoon

Adult Education

Socialist Enlightenment Classes Socialism Classes + Political Enlightenment Classes became Socialist Enlightenment Classes

Supervisor

Carolyn Layton Dick Tropp Harriet Sarah Tropp

Co-Chairs

Political Enlightenment Classes:
Rob Christian, Debbie Jensen (Schroeder), Mike Touchette

Teachers

Carol Allende*
Lucioes Bryant
Jack Barron
Dorothy Buckley
Rebecca Beikman
Vernetta Christian
Robert Christian
Joicy Clark
Darrell Devers
James “Reb” Edwards
Connie Fitch
Becky Flowers
Pauline Groot
Jann Gurvich
Liane Harris
Marthea Hicks
Lee Ingram
Don Jackson
Debbie Jensen (Schroeder)
Naomi Johnson
Laura Johnston
Chris Jones*
Johnny Jones (Brown)
Ava Jones (Brown)
Teresa King
Rosa Keaton
Tommie Keaton
Tish Leroy
Carolyn Looman
Russell Moton
Cardell Neal
Darlene Newman
Lois Ponts
Jim Pugh
Bob Rankin
Edith Roller
Pauline Simon
Clevyee Sneed
Harriet Sarah Tropp
Dick Tropp
Barbara Walker
* Which woman named “Carol” assumed “Allende” as a last name – and which person named Chris assumed “Jones” – is not known as yet. Several people in Jonestown took on new last names of people they admired.
Literacy Classes (Adults)

Teachers

Jann Gurvich
Carolyn Looman
Don Jackson
Lois Ponts
Edith Roller
Barbara Walker

Roller Journal entries Jan 78-Aug 78. 

Adult Ed classes were set up for literacy needs of the seniors who wanted them, covering socialism, geography, and news topics. Socialism classes were held every week to ensure that people knew more about socialism. Weekly Political Enlightenment classes were set up as well.

• Jonestown Community Elementary & Junior High School Staff
• 
Jonestown Community School: Primary Report, July 7, 1978
• Elementary Schedule of classes & Class list, November 16, 1978
•  Primary and Pre-School goals
• Socialist Enlightenment Classes
• Socialist Enlightenment teachers, July 4, 1978

Women’s Revolutionary Socialist Movement (WRSM) Instituted to raise women’s self-awareness, this program focused on overcoming the perceived subservient roles of women in of US culture, especially in dating patterns and interactions between teenage girls and boys.

Women’s Revolutionary Socialist Movement (WRSM)

Administration

Supervisor

Marcie Jones

Assistant

Ava Jones (Brown)

Secretary

Zuretti Langston

Steering

Kay Nelson
Jocelyn Carter
Debbie Jensen (Schroeder)
Jann Gurvich
Teresa King
Yvette Jones
Sandi Jones (Cobb)
Janice Johnson
Shanda James (Oliver)
Shirley Smith
Teri Buford
Paula Adams
Read notes of last meeting, plan agenda for future meetings, discuss progress and problems.

Classes

Teachers From this breakdown, we can see ages for school levels were: and Elementary (5 yrs-9 yrs) & Junior High (10 yrs-13yrs). Whether High School went from 14 yrs to 17yrs or 18 yrs is not known.

Elementary 5 yrsJunior High 13 yrs

5yr-9yr: Jocelyn Carter
Shanda James (Oliver)
Pat Grunnett
10yr-13yr: MaryLou Clancy (notetaker to Zuretti)
Debbie Jensen (Schroeder)
Pat Grunnett
Shawntiki Johnson
Content: Self Respect, News, Education, Creativity, Socialist Concepts, Place in Revolution, Hygiene, Conduct

High School 14 yrsYoung Adult 19 yrs

Diane (Deanna) Wilkinson
Jann Gurvich
Rennie Kice
Shirley Smith (notetaker to Zuretti) Andrea Walker
Content: Education, Self respect, Socialist concepts, Loyalty, News, Women’s place in the Revolution, hygiene, child care

Adults 20-49 yrs

20-30yr: Ruby Carroll Debbie Jensen (Schroeder) 31-49yr: Loretta Wilkinson (Cordell) (notetaker to Zuretti) Bea Orsot
Content: Education, Child care, Loyalty, Socialist Concepts, News, Women’s Place in the Revolution

50 and Over

Amanda Fair
Alice Inghram
Kay Nelson
Edith Roller (notetaker to Zuretti)
Content: News, Community Activities, Place in the Revolution

• Diagram of Topics & Teachers
• Organizational Chart & Class Topics, July 7, 1978

Edith Roller recorded six meetings of the WRSM, and her entries offer a sense of the purpose of the meetings. Led by Marceline Jones and Ava Cobb Brown, the meetings usually included at least a drop-in visit from Jim Jones. Corresponding meetings were held with the community’s males as well, to teach them about the vital place of women in the socialist movement.

Entry dates to read in Roller Journals about WRSM

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Aug

Tues 11

Mon 1

Wed 7

Tues 18

Wed 10

Wed 26

Counseling Counselor Groups: Understanding the need to resolve individuals’ emotional and psychological problems that arose in Jonestown, the leadership established four counseling teams and one “special counseling” group to be on call to handle them. The counseling procedure began in a person’s cottage or dorm as appropriate. The next step was to bring the individual before a counseling group. If necessary, the issues would be raised on the floor during public sessions of Rally meetings.

Counselling Groups

Administrator

Ava Jones (Brown)

Secretary

Andrea Walker

Scheduling

Kay Nelson
Regular Teams Thursday 7:30 pm – 7-8 out of group required for sessions. Notes to be taken by an * person.

Team A

Selika Bordenave
Corlis Boutte (Conley)
Anita Devers
Tim Jones Day (Tupper)
Rob Gieg
Eartis Jeffery
Erin Leroy
Beverly Livingston
Sebastian McMurry
Russell Moton
Yvette Muldrow
Kay Nelson
Maud Perkins*
Pauline Scott
Michelle Touchette
Mary Tschetter
Inez Wagner*

Team B

Jerry (Geraldine) Bailey
Jocelyn Carter
Ed Crenshaw
Darrell Devers
Farene Douglas
Irene Edwards
Amanda Fair
Alice Inghram
Laura Johnston*
Naomi Johnson
Lew Jones
Valerie Jones*
Jim Pugh
Shirley Smith
Andrea Walker
(Martin)
Jan Wilsey
Lisa Wright

Team C

Claudia Bouquet
Avis Breidenbach
Rosie Burgines*
Bertha Cook
James “Reb” Edwards
Marshall Farris
Rhonda Fortson
Mattie Gibson
John Harris
Judy Ijames*
Jimmy Jones, Jr.
Terry Jones (Carter)
Ruby Johnson
Beverly Mitchell
Luna Morrel (Buckley)
Darlene Ramey
Tina Turner (Bogue)

Team D

Luella Brown Ruby Carroll
Gloria Carter
MaryLou Clancey
Joicy Clark
Magnolia Harris
Lee Ingram
Don Jackson
Shawntiki Johnson*
Johnny Jones (Brown), Jr.
Sandi Jones (Cobb)
Tommie Keaton
Rennie Kice*
Evelyn Leroy
Versie Perkins
Joyce Touchette
Tony Walker
Christine Young
Special Team – Emergency, on call as needed

Supervisor

Kay Nelson

Asst Supervisor

Christine Young (Cobb)

Members

Jack Beam
Ruby Carroll
Judy Ijames
Lee Ingram
Laura Johnston
Maria Katsaris
Rennie Kice
Karen Layton
Kay Nelson

 

• Counseling Groups, Guidelines & Special Counseling Notes – Oct 7, 1978
• Counseling Notes (from July & August 1978 )

Child Care Child care was divided into two levels: infants and toddlers. Dorm 3 was set up for the infants.

• Babies born in Guyana – No passports yet
• Pre-School Program list of students

• Pre-School Program Organization Chart

Infants born in Guyana – no passports

Birthdate Place Name Parents [Adoptive Parents]
10-Aug-77 G’Town, Guyana Malcolm Rodriguez (Carter) Tim & Gloria (Rodriguez) Carter
29-Oct-77 JT Kamilah (Camella) Griffith Gloria Griffith
1-Dec-77 Berbice, Guyana § Travis Lang (Jelani Wilkerson) Ann Bunbry [Deanna Wilksinson-Adoptive]
9-Jan-78 ? § Montese Cobb [Darlene Ramey-Adoptive]
20-Jan-78 MRidge, Guyana § Shovani Walker [Andrea Walker-Adoptive]
4-Feb-78 JT LaShea Wilhite Cheryl Wilhite
14-Feb-78 JT § Monyelle Jones Eve D. [Sandy Jones Cobb-Adoptive]
14-Feb-78 JT § Marchelle Jones Eve D. [Ava Jones Brown- Adoptive]
7-Mar-78 GT Nawahskoki Rosa Gloria Rosa [Shonda James- Adoptive]
12-Mar-78 JT Takiyah McMurry Eileen McCann
13-Mar-78 JT Zateese Simon Melanie Simon
18-Mar-78 JT Ju’Quice Turner Tiny Solomon
11-Apr-78 JT Shaunte Marshall Shirley Mitchell
30-Apr-78 JT Cuyana Minor Cassandra Minor
7-May-78 JT Jonathon Jackson Kathy Jackson
7-Jun-78 JT Martin Luther Smith Ollie Marie Smith
9-Jul-78 JT Ebony Duncan Regina Duncan
10-Sep-78 JT Charles Henderson Pat Bowman

§ Appear to be infants adopted from Guyanese parents – but unconfirmed.

Pre-School Program (2 yr to 5 yr)

Administrators

Ava Jones (Brown), Paulette Jackson

Supervisors

Diane Lundquist, Irra Johnson

Consultant

Pat Grunnett

Food Service

Mary Ford

Nurse Practitioner

Sharon Cobb

Sanitation

Ronnie Berryman

Teacher

Children (36)

Ruby Bright
(5 toddlers)

Randy Carroll
Johannah Davis
Ishi Fortson
YaVonne Stanley
Lisa (Alizzia) Winston

Gail Chaikin
(4 toddlers)

Becky Barrett
Will Gallie
Jay (J. Warren) Parks Crystal Simon

Patty Houston
(6 toddlers)

Monique Bacon
Angela Connesero
Kimo Jones (Prokes)
Camille Tom
Neal Touchette (Welcome)
Jakari Wilson

Diane Marshall
(6 toddlers)

Dante Carroll
Dawnyelle Fitch
Tiffany Garcia
Mark Gosney
Michael McCann Raymond McKnight

Gloria Walker
(6 toddlers)

Mikey Carroll
Richard Jackson
Deshon Johnson
Lonnie Newman
Detric Walker
Janila Wilhite

Diane Smith
(6 toddlers)

Yolanda Berkley (Souder)
Jamie Cordell (Jameel Lawrence)
Michael Felton
April Klingman
Tad Jensen (Schroeder)
Rori McCann

Zuretta Langston
(3 toddlers)

Jason Gieg Danny McCann Clarence Moore (Arterberry)

JoAnn Johnson

(no students assigned – but listed as a teacher)

– Don Beck