Wilson Mirror, 27 June 1894.
——
graduation
Wilson Colored High School awards its first diplomas.
“For the first time in the history of Wilson students of the colored high school will be awarded diplomas ….”
Wilson Daily Times, 23 May 1924.
——
Graduation season.
Congratulations to this latest round of Wilson County graduates! May you go on to success in your chosen path.
Besties Lillie Dixon Woods and Rederick C. Henderson, Darden High School Class of 1952.
Photo courtesy of Lillie D. Woods.
Florence M. Bynum, Williamson High ’44.
Wilson Daily Times, 12 April 2018.
——
- Florence Marie Bynum
In the 1930 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: farmer Robert Bynum, 49; wife Charlotte, 30; and children William Henry, 15, Alice, 13, Ernest, 11, Irene, 10, Earlie, 9, Florence, 5, Rovenia, 3, James Robert, 2, and Samuel Leroy, 1.
In the 1940 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: widow Charlotte Bynum, 44; children Florence, 15, C. Rovenal, 13, James R., 12, and Sam L., 11; stepchildren Ernest, 20, Irene, 19, and Early, 18.
Rocky Mount Telegram, 24 October 2007.
Barnes graduates from Johnson C. Smith.
Charlotte Observer, 12 April 1921.
Boisey O. Barnes delivered an oration on “Dissatisfaction, the Cause of Progress” at the ceremony for his graduation from Johnson C. Smith’s high school division.
The sixth anniversary of the Wilson Graded School.
This amazing document is the program for the sixth commencement exercises of the Wilson Colored Graded School, which took place May 21-23, 1889. The ceremonies took place in Odd Fellows Hall — the apparent predecessor to the three-story brick Odd Fellows Building Samuel H. Vick built in 1894. (Was it on East Nash Street, too?)
Teachers Susie Harrison and Lucy Robinson led exercises for the first, second, and third grade students; Braswell R. Winstead for the fourth and fifth graders; and Principal S.H. Vick, the sixth and seventh graders. J.P. Murphey, W.H. Vick, J.E. Hocutt, R.D. Dew, and J.H. Edwards served as ushers.
The main feature was the sixth and grade exercises. On May 23, Presbyterian minister H.H. Boone of Tarboro delivered the Annual Oration between performances of “Come Again With Singing” and “Soldier’s Chorus.” Sixth grade students Ella Johnson, J.E. Hocutt, Sarah Barnes, Turner Williamson, Howard Edwards, Sarah L. Rountree, Amanda Battle, Ida Rountree, and Augustus S. Clark declaimed, sang, or orated, as did seventh graders J.P. Murphrey, Celia Hill, Adelia Battle, Sarah T. Rountree, Charlotte Jordan, W.H. Vick, Annie M. Washington, and W.H. Clark.
Howard Law degree conferred.
Fresh off his successful decades-long campaign to strip African-Americans of basic rights in his home state of North Carolina, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels delivered the commencement speech at Howard University’s 1916 graduation. No doubt without irony, Daniels spoke of “progress made by the colored race.”
Who received his juris doctor degree that day? Glenn S. McBrayer, who passed the North Carolina bar the following spring and hung his attorney shingle in Wilson around 1920. He hit the ground running, hosting the first annual convention of the Negro State Bar Association and getting elected that organization’s corresponding secretary in December 1921. McBrayer practiced in Wilson through 1929.
…
The Washington Herald, 8 June 1916.
Darden ’49 celebrates!
Darden High School’s Class of 1949 celebrated its 50th anniversary with a jam-packed program staged at Tom Woodard‘s Center east of Wilson. I found this program among my late father’s papers and, to my astonishment, I am listed on the program under “Discussions.” I can assure you, had I actually been invited, I’d have been there, and it pains me that I was an apparent no-show for what sounds like an epic event. It’s nice to know, though, that as far back as 1999 I was considered to have something to say worth hearing about Wilson’s African-American history.
Tucked into the night’s agenda was this priceless copy of the 1949 commencement program.
Father Robert J. Johnson gave the invocation; Charles E. Howell delivered the class address; Saint Augustine’s College president Dr. Harold L. Trigg was the featured speaker; and Gloria Haskins performed “Morning” (a poem?)
We’ve met some members of this class before, including Jacobia L. Bullock, Ray J. Dancy, Earl L. Zachary, Lorena Davis, Minnie Doris Ellis, Marie Everett, Levolyre Farmer (who’s still representing!), Elroy Jones, and Margaret Reid,
And look at these prizes and awards — all (except the first three) sponsored by African-American organizations and individuals. (Beauticians Local No. 12? I need to look into that.)
High school graduation exercises, 1937.
Wilson Daily Times, 5 June 1937.
Darden High School Class of 1950.
Wilson Daily Times, 9 June 1950.
The Class of 1950 included Alice Cooper, Lorraine Woodard, Katoria Dew, Doris Hyman, Bessie McCowan, Bernice Purdie, Mildred Darden, Mildred Harris, Jannie Stokes, Mae Berta Hargrove, Ethel Anderson, Elizabeth Dew, Geraldine Williams, Irene Pender, Hilda Battle, Elise Moore, Alice Foster, Marie Warren, Mildred Cobb, Hildegarde Melton, Esther Williams, Margaret Barnes, Edna Gray Mitchell, Jessie L. Reeves, Vivian Hill, Rosetta Parker, Georgia McNeil, Alfonza Watson, Willia Dean Edwards, Ruby Ward, Gloria Haskins, Laverda May, Gerlean Farmer, Georgia Moore, James Pender, Clyde Speight, Paul Bryant, Theodore Jackson, William E. Carter, Lonnie Barnes, Altheneus Dew, Joseph Knight, Queen Sauls, James Dew, Rudolph Boykin, Eddie Hilliard, Leander McKeithan, Milton Barnes, Robert Dixon, Roosevelt Wright, Joseph Gay, Marvin Weaver, John Cotton, Clarence McPhail, Woody Farmer, Joe Howard, Leonard Barnes, Thomas Stokes, James Delaney, Offie Clark, Jesse McPhail, John Cotton, Willie Carr, and Lee Williams.