The program for the graduation exercises of Darden High School’s Class of 1944 was reprinted in a Wilson Daily Times supplement “Darden Alumni: Sustaining the Vision,” 28 February 2007. Until 1943, Darden had offered only eleven grades. The Class of ’44 thus was a first.
I was astonished to realize that this article memorializes the first commencement exercises at the Independent School — here called by its full and official name, the Wilson Normal and Industrial Institute. As chronicled here and here and here, a coalition of African-American parents and religious and civic leaders founded the Independent School (also known as the Industrial School) in the wake of an assault on a black teacher by the white school superintendent.
I have not been able to identify Judge William Harrison of Chicago, who delivered to the new school’s graduates a remarkably unprogressive message that seemingly flew in the face of the stand for civil rights the community had resolutely made just a year earlier. The Times reporter made no mention of the school’s genesis, preferring to focus at length on Harrison’s message of admiration for the white man’s guidance and fine example.
Wilson Daily Times, 31 May 1919.
Lizzie Darden commemorating her high school graduation with Roderick Taylor (standing), her brother Camillus L. Darden (seated), and a friend (seated in Picture-Taking George W. Barnes‘ chair), circa 1903.
Photograph courtesy of N.J. and C. Darden, Spoonbread and Strawberry Wine (1978).
In 1928, Wilson Colored High School was led by principal William H.A. Howard and teachers F. Meredith (math), J.E. Amos (home economics), J.F. Anderson (science), C.F. Hunt (English), and B.M. Davis (history and French).
As was their principal, the Colored High School’s teachers seem to have been short-term Wilson residents:
Photograph courtesy of Darden Alumni Center, Wilson.
From the Darden Alumni Center, a graduation photo of the 1944 class:
From the Darden Alumni Center:
First row: Elizabeth C. Edwards (1929-??, daughter of Rosa L. Edwards); Lenore McCoy; Annie Doris Battle; Merline Hussey Brooks; Trumiller Beatrice Wimberly; Henrietta Hines McIntosh (1927-??, daughter of Charlie and Eva Hines); Doris Vivian Smith; Pauline Lorine Coley Ellis (1928-??, daughter of Alonzo and Pauline McQueen Coley); Christine Margaret Snow.
Second row: James Douglass George (1926-??, son of Walter D. and Eunice George); Helen Grey Woodard Travis (1931-1999, John and Emilie Woodard); Doris Simms; Jean Orlmiller Gilchrist (daughter of Cannon and Ruth Norfleet Gilchrist); Mamie Ruth Ellis (1930-??, Oscar and Mamie Bynum Ellis); Daisy Hilda Winstead Hinnant Brooks (1928-1979, daughter of Sam and Mattie Pope Winstead); Mary Magdalene Knight Lathan (1930-2012), daughter of Johnnie and Gertrude Thomas Knight); Grace Emily Hodges Dunlap (1930-2008, daughter of Nathaniel and Bessie Sutton Hodges); Mary Frances Diggs Hargis (1930-1971, daughter of Edgar and Mary Grant Diggs); Agnes Marie Hoskins (1929-??, daughter of Lonnie and Gertrude Simms Hoskins); Ozie Lee Pender Hobbs (1928-2010, daughter of Albert and Mary Pender); Winford Lee Morgan (1931-2000, son of James and Addie Fisher Morgan).
Third row: Charles Seville Plater (1929, son of Simon T. and Ruth Jones Plater); Commillus Woodard (1928-1994, son of James and Geneva Powell Woodard); Charles Edward Hines (1929-??, son of Wesley and Lucy Ellis Hines); Freddy Blue (1927-??, son of Joe and Lula McNeal Blue); Willie Jones; James Melvin Barnes; William Taft Williams Jr.; Annie Miller Stokes (1930-??, daughter of James and Viola Reese Stokes).
Fourth row: Edwin Dawson; Wade Nicholas Lassiter (1928-??, son of Jesse C. and Lessie Dew Lassiter); Edward Kerphew Harris (1930-2007, son of Benjamin and Pauline Artis Harris); James Henry Spivey (1930-??, son of Henry and Mary Clarks Spivey); Beatrice Wendella McNeil Hines (1928-2007, daughter of Matthew and Ola Belle Jiggette McNeil); Jesse Adam Henderson (1929-2003, son of Hattie M. Henderson Ricks and Roderick Taylor Sr.); Ralph Cornell Gay (1928-1992, son of Albert and Annie Bell Jacobs Gay); James Nicholson Jr.; Leotis Reid (1926-2011, son of Oscar and Nora Artis Reid); Richard Lee Barnes; Walter Harold Canady; Nathaniel Webster Mewborn.
Darden High School’s Class of 1948 was the first to produce a yearbook. Here’s the senior section:
Another Darden Alumni Center gem — the Class of 1940:
First row: Mildred Artis; Millicent Monroe Harvey; Larnetta Pauline Howell Braxton (1922-1997, daughter of Harry and Annie Thompson Howell); Vanilla Powell Beane (1919, daughter of James and Martha Hagans Powell); Gertrude Ennis Whitehead (1924-1992, daughter of John H. and Victoria Ennis Whitehead); Bertie Romaine Hagans (1924-??, daughter of Oscar and Bertie Ward Hagans); Lillian Verrill Black (1922-??, daughter of Grover and Martha Melvin Black); Ruby Jane Lassiter (1923-1943, daughter of Jesse C. and Lessie Dew Lassiter); Hattie Lee Dixon Nimo; Johnnie Mae Everette; Colonius Junius Best (1919-2007, son of Junius and Mary Smith Best); Weldon Williams; Louis Delaney (son of George and Maria Richburg Delaney); Magdelene McNair.
Second row: William Potts; Willie Jones; Elizabeth Pauleze Coley (1923-??, David H. and Eva Speight Coley); Beatrice Chambliss Gay (1920-??, daughter of John and Bertha Chambliss); Mary Etta Coley Frink (1920-1995, daughter of Alonzo and Pauline McQueen Coley); Sarah Toney; Minnie Beatrice Battle Lassiter Williams (1919-2006, daughter of Norman and Ellen Lucas Battle); Magdelene Hargrove; Charles Elva Kittrell (1918-1990, son of Solomon and Lettie Roberts Kittrell); John D. Murphy (1921-1960, Raymond and Eula Floyd Murphy); Frances Lela Bowens Hansome (1923-2007, Jacob C. and Flossie Cobbs Bowens); Mary C. Barnes Moore; Harold Elmer Gay (1920-1979, son of Albert and Annie Bell Jacobs Gay); Donald Gordon Tabron (1922-2007, son of T. Henry and Mattie Smith Tabron).
Third row: Willia B. Jones Turner (1923-2018), daughter of Wesley and Martha Taylor Jones); Ella Godette; Marion Vernon Jones (1919-1975, son of Wesley and Martha Taylor Jones); William Allen Sheridan (1921-1984, son of Robert H. and Fannie McCollum Sheridan); Jerry Lee Cooke Jr. (1924-1963, son of Jerry and Clara Godette Cooke); Clarence Edward Woodard (1925-1968); Quentin Alston Farmer (1921-1975); John Henry Mincey (1919-1982, son of Benjamin and Mattie Barnes Mincey); Levi Simmons (son of Junius and Clara Simmons).
More from the walls of the Darden Alumni Center, a graduation photo of the C.H. Darden High School Class of 1945:
The photograph is not labeled, but below is a list of members of the class:
This photograph of Wilson Colored High School’s Class of 1937 also hangs in the hallway of the Darden Alumni Center.
A label listing the students’ names has been augmented where possible with birth and death dates and parents’ names, below.
Photograph courtesy of Darden Alumni Center, Wilson.
The Class of 1938 was the first to graduate from the newly rechristened Charles H. Darden High School. Camillus L. Darden, after donating books to stock the school library, won the right to rename Wilson Colored High School after his father.
A label listing the students’ names has been augmented where possible with birth and death dates and parents’ names, below.
First row: Kester Congress Mitchell (1919-??, Kester R. and Martha Taylor Miller); William Aaron Best (1921-??, Aaron and Estell Best); Clarence Herman Best (1918-1994, Clarence and Best); Milton Jasper King (1920-??); Walter M. McMillon (1919-1994, Tommie and Willie McMillon); Herbert Vendrick Whitehead (1920-2007, Henry and Victoria Ennis Whitehead); James F. Coley.
Second row: Ida Doretha Parks Hinnant (1917-2007, John and Emmeline Bobbitt Parks); Lillian Boykin Kent (1917-2006, William and Sarah Williamson Boykin); Helen Elveta Reid Worsley (1921-1981, Willie C. and Mary Galley Reid); unknown; Carlotta Bernice Gerald; Clyde Joan Dickerson Faison (1921-1997, Fred and Almeter Edmundson Dickerson); Bessie Mae Joyner Redden (Eddie L. and Annie Joyner); Doris P. Freeman James (1920-2003), Julius and Pattie Hagans Freeman); Yvonne Taylor; Edna Gray Taylor Desvigne (1921-2011, Roderick and Mary John Pender Taylor; Doretha Hunter Farmer (1912-1992, Will and Mary Whitehead Hunter); Annie Elizabeth Cooke Dickens (1921-??, Jerry L. and Clara Godette Cooke); Annie Frances Crawford (1921-??, Clarence and Maggie Barnes Crawford); unknown; Lusynthia Page Johnson Marshall (1922-??, Theodore R. and Rachel Bynum Johnson); Mary A. Barnes; unknown.
Third row: Katie Powell; Virginia Ann Mitchell Williams (1918-2002, George and Rose Lipscomb Mitchell); Sallie Baldwin Howard (1916, Marcellus Simms and Narcissa Baldwin); Mary Moore; Aurelia Janet Lucas Hagood (1920-1997, Henry and Mamie Battle Lucas; Mary Tena Melton (1920-1992, John and Cora Barnes Melton); Margaret Powell; Beulah Sutton Legrand (1915-1975, George and Henrietta Sutton); Lena Cherry Goodman (1920-1988, John and Mable Langley Cherry); Mary J. Barnes; Helen L. Potter; Estelle Ellis Coble Newsome (1919-1994, Oscar and Mamie Bynum Ellis); Cora Bynum Boney; Margaret Powell [one of these women is mislabeled; there was only one Margaret Powell in this class]; Nora Allen Jones Mitchell; Rosa Lee Hart (1920-1943, Grover and Mamie Taylor Hart); Addie Pearl Farmer Vailes (1917-??, John D. and Rosetta Simms Farmer).
Photograph courtesy of Darden Alumni Center, Wilson.
