Image engraved on a memorial that sits next to the marker commemorating Booker T. Washington school.
After a lengthy hiatus during which I finished another project, I returned to the Archives. The clock ticks as I open carefully the Historical Commission's file on the marker for Booker T. Washingon's school.
Brenda Jarrett began work toward installing the marker in 2003. Jarrett was born in Alabama, then moved to Wichita Falls for the Air Force. She attended the school from 1962 to 1968. In 1994, Jarrett founded the Youth Opportunities Center, was recognized by the Texas House of Representatives, and in 1995 was awarded the Golden Eagle Award by US Attorney Paul Coggins; then, in 2014, was named Wichitan of the Year.
Photograph by Torin Halsey of Brenda Jarrett during the celebration for Wichitan of the Year, published by the Times Record News, June 20th, 2006.
Jarrett in 2005 related the story about the marker:
Booker T. Washington High School Historical Marker
The Wichita County Historical Commission, Wichita County Archives, and the Booker T. Washington Alumni Association and Community Archives, Inc. seek to have the property bound on the north and south by Flood and Woods Streets, and on the east and west by Rosewood and Redwood Streets designated and marked as an Official Texas Historical Site.
The aforementioned parcel of real estate, located on the east side of Wichita Falls, is the location where the Negro children were educated in the segregated Wichita Falls Public School System from 1921 until the school district's compliance with federal legislation that required the integration of all of America's public school systems.
For many years, the location of both the Booker T. Washington High School and the Booker T. Washington Elementary School on Flood Street were the heart of the east side community. The many businesses and organizations were as "spokes" on wheels to which the Washington Schools were the central hub. Through the years the Booker T. Washington schools and many students have received recognition in academics, athletics, choir, band, and other areas.
***
The history of how the Booker T. Washington Schools evolved is rich and proud. The earliest reference to educating Negroes in the Wichita County Record book refers to "the election in 1886 of Cora Robinson, a Colored, to teach in the colored school." A fire destroyed all Wichita Falls school board records in 1894.
In 1895, a one-room school opened its doors at the intersection of what is now Miller Street and the MK&T railroad tracts. Mrs. A. L. Hedrick was the teacher from 1895-1896, and Mrs. M. E. Hunter was the teacher from 1896-1897. The school building was destroyed twice by fire. Subsequently, a one-room school building in the 300 block of Park Street, followed by a one-room school building in the 400 block of Sullivan Street, served as the Negro Schools. 1
Walter T. Downing was the principal of the Negro School from 1897-1907. He was paid a small salary and had poor equipment, however he did good work. 1
C. C. Trimble, a vital, well-educated and modest principal, administered the Negro School from 1907-1917. The school board bought a lot, and a two-room schoolhouse was built under his tenure. In 1910, when another local school was abandoned, half of that building was moved to the Negro School. In 1911, the Negro School was moved to the Lakewood addition. 1
1. Wichita Falls Independent School District, Negro Schools.
In 1921, Jim Marlow, a former mayor of Wichita Falls, stated that Negroes were "a minority group, but not a minority people." He went on to state that "they (Negroes) needed a place where they had self-respect, to develop their own institutions and their own homes." Mr. Marlow sold eight acres on the east side of Wichita Falls, where some Negroes had settled, to the Wichita Falls School Board for a new school building. the four blocks bound by Flood, Woods, Rosewood and Redwood Streets is where the school for Negroes students would be built. Mr. Marlow bought back the remaining acreage which soon thereafter became a business district. 1 2 4 5
H. D. Robinson's tenure as principal was 1917-1922. A three story brick building with eleven classrooms was built facing Flood Street, on the property bought from Mr. Marlow, and Booker T. Washington School formally opened on October 3, 1921. 1
When the new school began in September 1922, there were 220 pupils, eight teachers and the principal, A. E. Holland, who served as principal from 1922-1946. Under "Prof Holland's administration, Booker T. Washington became accredited high school, and later after improvement training for the staff, it became the third Negro high school in Texas to attain the coveted goal of "A School" status. During his tenure more classrooms, a cafeteria, a physical education building and a home economics building were built. Under his leadership, the Negro Community sponsored and built the first and only high school lighted football stadium for Negroes in Texas. 6
C. Emerson Jackson served as principal from 1946-1963. To meet the needs of an increasing school enrollment, a new Booker T. Washington Elementary School building was built on the Flood Street campus in 1951. Additionally, the main school building, office, library, the homemaking building and the cafeteria were all enlarged and renovated. A new spacious gymnasium was constructed in 1952 on the campus. 3
1. Wichita Falls Independent School District, op cit
2. C. Emerson and Gwendolyn Jackson, The History of the Negro, Wichita Falls, TX 1880-1982, page 210
3. Booker T. Washington 1969 Annual, The Leopard, page (number missing)
4. Wichita County Deeds Records, Vol. 130 Page 311
5. Wichita Daily Times, January 1952
6. Stayton, A Teaching Team
Booker T. Washington's mascot and title of the annual, The Leopard, image engraved on the memorial situated next to the marker.
The Booker T. Washington High School building, on the Flood Street campus, is where many educators taught thousands of students "of color" in Wichita Falls from 1921 until the high school relocated in 1963. Many graduates went on to become blue collar workers, military personnel, educators, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, politicians (some nationally known), and made many positive contributions to society.
It is our solemn and heartfelt declaration that an official Texas Historical Marker, memorializing our beloved school, Booker T. Washington, has been earned and shall be designated in recognition of the school's historical significance to the City of Wichita Falls and the State of Texas.
An appropriate placement for the marker would be in front of what is now the Booker T. Washington Alumni and Community Archives building, which was the school's cafeteria. This location, facing Flood Street, is where the main Booker T. Washington School building so proudly stood. The school board voted to raze that building in February, 1971.
Bibliography
1. Paper from the Wichita Falls Independent School District entitled, Negro Schools from the Wichita Falls Independent School District Public Information Office.
2. The History of the Negro, Wichita Falls, Texas 1880-1982; by C. Emerson and Gwendolyn Jackson.
3. A Booker T. Washington High School Annual, The Leopard.
4. Wichita County deed records, Vol 130, Page 311
5. Wichita Daily Times, January 31, 1952.
6. Paper, "A Teaching Team" by Edith Stayton from the Wichita County Archives
Booker T. Washington, the school as it stood until 1973.
Of interest, showing the trend toward more sensitive semantics, is the correspondence (Email from Wednesday, November 2, 2005, 11:22 AM) between Lita and Linda Henderson of the Texas Historical Commission in reference to the use of the term "Negro." The state commission's style is "to use African American in most cases, sometimes using 'black' where appropriate. The markers are written for the modern reader, so we use modern language." The state commission chose to employ African American on the grounds that it is the most common term.
Also of interest is the apparent transition from correspondence by post to the new electronic correspondence. In an email on Thursday, September 08, 2005, 4:23 PM, Henderson apologizes to Lita for her tardy reply and explains that they are trying to "figure out how to use email to streamline" their communications and "not lose things" in their inboxes. The email to which Linda is replying asks that the inscription on the marker include mention of "a very important person" that had been omitted:
"Mr. C. E. Jackson became principal from 1946-1963. Many accolades were afforded him during this tenure. The school district added an adjacent elementary building in 1951 and a gymnasium in 1952, all under the name 'Washington.'"
The email also asks that "African American" be replaced by "Negro" in the text of the marker. Hence the response by Henderson.
On Thursday, November 25, 2004 10:39 AM, Lita received an email from Dan Utley, Chief Historian at the Texas Historical Commission, that they had approved the marker. Dashing off his email "on the way to turkey and trimmings with friends and family," Mr. Utley writes that a formal notice will "go out soon, along with a payment form."
The marker text was thirty-fifth to be written by Henderson, as she stated in an email sent on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 10:35 AM, on top of the five months before she could resume work on it after the discovery of Lita's email.
The invitation to the unveiling.
Program for the ceremony.
Request for funds to pay for the marker and the unveiling.
The marker reads:
Site of
Booker T. Washington High School
Records indicate that by 1886, when Cora Robinson was chosen as a
teacher, Wichita County operated at least one school for African
American students in the Wichita Falls area, Other early teachers
included A. L. Hedrick and M. E. Hunter, and students attended classes
at different times in facilities on Mill, Park and Sullivan Streets.
Walter Downing and C. C. Trimble served as principals for many
years, but it was during the principalship of H. D. Robinson that a
three-story brick school building was constructed at this site. in
1921, former Wichita Falls mayor Jim Marlow sold eight acres in this
section of town to create a new African American business and
social center. The community chose this site for the Booker T.
Washington school, named for the noted educator and author. The
school became neighborhood focal point, and businesses developed
around it that further placed it at the center of Wichita Falls'
African American community. In 1922, A. E. Holland became the school's
principal. Her served until 1946, and under his leadership the school
became a class A accredited campus, and additional facilities,
including a cafeteria and lighted football field, were constructed.
The acclaimed C. E. Jackson served as principal from 1946 to 1963,
during which time the district added a gym and an adjacent
elementary school, also named for Washington.
The high school moved to a site on Harding Street in 1963, and the
district integrated in 1969, razing the former Washington High
School building in 1973. Since that time, the community has continued
using other buildings on the campus, including the cafeteria, which
now serves as a center for the school's proud alumni. (2005)
Marker and memorial.
Memorial next to the marker. In front, an engraving of the building; on either side, an engraving of the leopard.
"'Until This is a High School, I Won't Be Your Principal'"
Prior to 1922 the black community of Wichita Falls did not have a high
school. When A. E. Holland was asked to become the principal, he made
the above statement. In 1922 Booker T. Washington became a high
school when it enrolled 11th graders as members of the class of 1924.
The black community of Wichita Falls traces its educational heritage
back to 1886. Cora Robinson taught the Colored School for $30.00 a
month for the 1886-1887 school year. Fire destroyed all school records
from 1889-1894. Alice B. Heddric taught in a one-room school located
on Mill Street at the M.K.T. tracks for $40.00 a month from 1895 to 1898.
The records from 1898 to 1903 do not show any "colored school" teachers.
Queeny Hunter taught next during the 1903-1904 school year.
No teacher is recorded for the 1904-1905 term."
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