FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Former students honored their teachers from a half-century ago this week with the planting of trees that will live for generations to come.

A blackgum tree was planted Thursday in honor of James Lipscomb, who taught math and was assistant principal in Fairhope from 1945-1984, said Clarence Bishop, class of 1951. Several members of that class paid for the ceremonial planting of trees for two other teachers that day, he said.

In all, 10 teachers were honored Thursday and in an earlier ceremony in February.

“We have planted more than 80 trees,” said Public Works Director and City Horticulturist Jennifer Fidler, whose office organized the program to plant 100 “long-lived” trees to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of Fairhope as a municipality in 1908. Each of the trees are expected to live more than 100 years. “I don’t guess any of us will still be around, but the trees should be.”

Fidler said there is still time to contact her office and have a tree dedicated in honor of a deserving person. Each tree will have a commemorative designation, she said.

The teachers who were honored Thursday (with the tree planted in their honor) follows: Olive Arctander (sweet olive); Mildred Beck (swamp-chestnut oak); Frank Cobb (turkey oak); Randall Hammer (pignut hickory); Larkin Harris (shagbark hickory); Edith Lawson (tree not mentioned in publicity materials). The teachers honored on Feb. 15: Mary Nelle Avary (swamp-chestnut oak); Earl Hilyer (sand live oak); and George Merlini (sand live oak).

Both Hilyer and Merlini attended Thursday’s ceremony.

“I was really honored and never expected anything like it,” Merlini said, who taught English and Spanish before taking administrative positions with the school system. “It was a great time a teacher,” Merlini said of his 1949-59 teaching stint. “The students were so respectful and well-behaved. It was a pleasure working with them.”

For more information about the Fairhope Centennial Tree Program, contact Jennifer Fidler at 928-8003 or Tom Ellis at 990-6049. A donation of $50 will sponsor one tree.