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The Gainsboro History Project

Notable African American Educators

Making a Difference for Generations

There were many proactive teachers, principals, administrators, and school board members who were responsible for the achievements attained within the segregated school system. It is impossible to recognize everyone who championed excellence in education for African Americans. Some of the most notable educators include:

  • Lucy Addison (1861-1937) – Miss Addison came to Roanoke to teach at the First Ward Colored School and served, for a time, as its interim principal. She was principal of the Harrison School when it became the first Roanoke High School for Black students. Lucy Addison taught in Roanoke’s African American schools for forty years, providing a lasting influence on generations of students.
    A portrait of Lucy Addison, with a thick wool collared jacket and short hair
    Lucy Addison. Courtesy of Roanoke Public Libraries.
  • Richard Chubb – Having grown up in Gainsboro and attended local schools, Mr. Chubb served multiple roles as teacher, guidance counselor, coach, and principal at Hurt Park Elementary School and Harrison Elementary School. He also taught at Booker T. Washington Jr. High School and James Monroe Jr. High School.
  • Charles Day (1934-2015) – Dr. Day served as a teacher, counselor, coach, and principal for over 30 years in multiple Roanoke schools: Lucy Addison High School, Loudon Elementary School, Westside Elementary School, William Ruffner Middle School, and Patrick Henry High School. He served on the Roanoke City School Board for 12 years, including two years as chairman.
  • Doris Ennis – Mrs. Ennis had a distinguished career in education in Roanoke City for over 50 years. She served as teacher, principal, and interim superintendent 2004-05. Over her career, she taught at Booker T. Washington Jr. High School, Patrick Henry High School, William Fleming High School, William Ruffner Middle School, James Breckinridge Middle School, and Noel C. Taylor Learning Academy.
  • Mary Divers Hackley and William Hackley Sr. (1935-1997) – The Hackleys were both long-term educators in Roanoke schools for over 30 years. Mary Hackley was a classroom teacher, principal, and administrator (Director of Elementary Education for Roanoke City Schools). Bill Hackley served as a teacher and guidance counselor at Lucy Addison High School, Lee Junior High, and James Madison Junior High.
  • Mignon Chubb-Hale – Ms. Hale is a graduate of Lucy Addison High School, and taught for 23 years in Roanoke City Schools, including Wasena Elementary, Lincoln Terrace, and Lucy Addison Middle School. As a historian, she authored a lesson plan for her students, Outstanding Blacks in Roanoke Past and Present (1982-83).
    A color photo of Mignon wearing a light blue sheer top and large ball earrings
    Mignon Chubb-Hale. Courtesy of Roanoke Public Libraries.
  • Daniel W. Harth Sr. (1858-1930) – Reverend Daniel W. Harth Sr. served the Gainsboro community in many capacities. He was a minister at St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church, a practicing attorney, and principal at the First Ward Colored School (Shenandoah Avenue) and at  Gainsboro School (Second Ward Colored School).
  • Lucy Heller (1902-1989) – Mrs. Heller was a teacher at Gainsboro School. Most notably, she was the founder and director of the first kindergarten for African Americans in Roanoke, Heller Kindergarten.
    A large class poses for a picture
    Heller Kindergarten Class. Courtesy of Roanoke Public Libraries.
  • Sadie Lawson (1895-1986) – Miss Lawson was a teacher for over 40 years and served as principal at Lucy Addison High School from 1945-46. She was the sister of civil rights lawyer Belford Lawson Jr. The Lawson Vocational Building at William Fleming High School was named for her. She was one of Gainsboro’s first Girl Scout Troop leaders.
  • Eunice Poindexter (1914-2005) – Mrs. Poindexter was a teacher for over 40 years, teaching drama and music at Lucy Addison High School, Booker T. Washington Jr. High School, and James Breckinridge Jr. High School. She was the first female, African American Supervisor of Music for the school system.
  • William B. Robertson (1933-2021) – A native of Roanoke, graduate of Lucy Addison High School, and youth advocate, Bill Robertson served as a teacher at Lucy Addison High School and principal at Hurt Park Elementary. He was the first African American to serve as an aide to a Virginia governor, Linwood Holton. He later served under several presidents as director of the Peace Corps in Kenya and Seychelles. Bluefield State College renamed its library in his honor.

See Also

  1. Notable Graduates of Gainsboro Schools
  2. Neighborhood Schools Open Doors for African Americans

Sources

Bly, A. T. (2021, Apr. 26). Slave literacy and educaiton in Virginia. Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/slave-literacy-and-education-in-virginia/

Butchart, R. E. (2020, Dec. 7). Freedmen’s education in Virginia 1861-1870. Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/freedmens-education-in-virginia-1861-1870/

Davis, J. (2014, Feb. 3). Black Roanoke: Our story. City of Roanoke. https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1537/Black-Roanoke-Our-Story?bidId=

Dickens, T. (2019, Feb.) Harrison School. Roanoke Times Discover History and Heritage Magazine. Roanoke Times.

Johnson, R. R., Jr.  (2015). The Addisonians: The experiences of graduates of the classes of 1963-1970 of Lucy Addison High School, an all-Black high school in Roanoke, Virginia [Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Tech]. https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/72900/Johnson_RR_T_2015.pdf;sequence=1

Julienne, M. E. & Tarter, B. (2021, Dec. 13). Public school system in Virginia, establishment of the. Encyclopedia Virginia.

https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/public-school-system-in-virginia-establishment-of-the/

Kneebone, J. T. & Dictionary of Virginia Biography. (2021, Dec. 22). Lucy Addision, (1861-1937). Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/addison-lucy-1861-1937/

Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (2005). National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Gainsboro Historic District, 128-5762. https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/128-5762_GainsboroHD_2005_final_nomination.pdf

Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (1982). National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Harrison School, 128-0043. https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/128-0043_Harrison_School_1982_Final_Nomination.pdf

Warren, I. M. (1941) Our Colored People, Our Negro Population: Evolution of Public Education. Federal Writers’ Project.

Worrell, A. L. (1940). The Schools of Roanoke. Federal Writers’ Project.