BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
Based on information obtained from the older residents of Mt. Pleasant it appears that the first Negro School building in the city was constructed on the West side of South O'Tyson in the 400 block in 1898. It was a large frame building, most of its material having been obtained from the old Central School-Lodge Hall on North Jefferson and 6th Street which was torn down to make way for a new building.
This first school building was destroyed by fire about 1913. Another school house soon replaced it and was used until some time soon after 1920, when it with most of the school records burned. After this the school carried on in lodge halls and a church until 1926 or 27.
Early in 1926 Mrs. Bessie Caldwell deeded a 9.6 acre block of land, at the South-East intersection of Riley and School Streets, to the Mt. Pleasant School District, for $966. This is now the Booker T. Washington School campus. During that year a one story brick school building of 9 class rooms, an office, study-hall, and a book store-room was constructed. The cost of building was $18,000, and equipment was $4,500. As soon as completed it was occupied by the school of 2 teachers and 50 pupils in high school, five teachers and 295 pupils in the elementary grades. The principal was W. D. Spigner for 1919-27. This placed Booker T. W. School on a par with the white schools.
Increased enrollment made it necessary to add 2 class rooms to the building in 1939, at a cost of $18,000. During August to September of 1947 a 3 room concrete tile building was constructed on the East side of the main building, costing $8,250. The Homemaking Cottage on the campus of the old high school on North Jefferson Street was moved to Booker T. Washington campus in July, 1948.
After the $300,000 bond issue was approved December 23, 1950, a one story brick high school building of 6 class rooms, an office, library, other facilities, and a gymnasium-auditorium-all one unit- was built East of the other school during 1951, costing $88,762 for building and about $4,000 for equipment. The old building became the Booker T. Washington Elementary School. There were at that time 6 teachers and 170 pupils in high school, 16 teachers and about 400 pupils in the elementary school.
In 1951 Cheney Riddle deeded 3.8 acres North-West of the intersection of 8th and Lawn Streets, to the Mt. Pleasant School District for $1,200, to be used for a school campus for Negroes in East Mt. Pleasant. The Panthers Chapel old school house was moved onto this lot and was named Sunrise Elementary School.
Contractor Grady Hunt was employed to construct a two-wing unit of 7 rooms, frame with slate siding, between the elementary and high school buildings, during the summer of 1955, costing $22,603 for building, and $4,236 for equipment.
At the present time there are 12 teachers and 193 pupils in high school, and 17 teachers and 371 pupils in the elementary school.
From 1916 to 1924 there were 27 graduates, 0 to 5 each year, and 10 in 1925 and 55 in 1958. A list of about 580 graduates will be given on later pages.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
Teachers and Dates Served
The following list is not complete, but the best possible since some records up to 1926 are not available, some lost in fire which destroyed the school building prior to that date. The dates are in the 1900s, hence 1915 to 1919 would be 15-19.
PRINCIPALS
NELSON, G. L. 15-19
SPIGNER, W. D. 19-27
JONES, H. R. 27-38
RUTHERFORD, T. C. 38-40
TICER, JOE 40-43
MILSAP, I. W. 43-59
TEACHERS
ADAIR, BONNIE 55-59
ALLEN, WILLIE MAE 51-52
ALLEN, ZENOBIA 42-43
BALLARD, JOE 48-59
BLACK, ELBERT 48-59
BLACK, VIVIAN 57-59
BOLDEN, THERESA 38-41
BRESHEAR, MILLIE 52-53
BROOKS, MARY JANE 54-59
BROWN, EVA MAE 25-27
BROWN, JOHNNIE 46-47
BURGESS, CATHERINE 51-59
BURTON, T. H. 36-39
CAMPBELL, LENA M. 50-53
CANNON, MRS. ? 28-29
CARTER, ANN K. 42-43
COOKERY, MINNIE 43-44
COOKERY, WILLIE N. 46-47
CORNELIUS, ROLLIN W. 57-59
CORPREW, FRANCES L. 19-29
45-48
CRINER, V. L. 43-45
DAVIS, JAKE E. 58-59
DeSHAY, MATTIE 45-48
DOUGLAS, ANNIE MAE 39-42
DROVE, MRS. 0. M. 44-45
EVANS, LELIA A. 44-48
FLOWERS, MRS. H. M. 25-31
FOWLER, C. V. 43-44
FRANCES, MRS. N. G. 42-44
GARRETT, ALLEN 47-48
GAY, C. S. 40-42
GEORGE, ELIZABETH 44-59
GRAVES, LEOLA V. 34-35
HARDMAN, JIMMIE 25-26
HARRIS, CORENNE 42-43
HASKIN, LEUNA 53-57
HERRON, ENA 36-39
HODGE, M. J. 21-22
HODGE, MAGGIE 25-43
HOLMES, RICHARD 51-52
HOLT, IRELYNE B. 50-51
HUNT, LOUVENIA 48-51
IRVING, E. A. 41-42
JOHNSON, A. D. 55-59
JOHNSON, F. M. 43-44
