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The Gainsboro History Project

Notable Graduates of Gainsboro Schools

The Impact of Gainsboro’s Schools

The schools in Gainsboro achieved exceptional success in educating young people and fostering leadership, due to excellent Black teachers and strong community support. Many graduates of Roanoke’s African American schools have made significant achievements locally and nationally.

There is a Wall of Fame Monument at Lucy Addison Middle School honoring the many graduates of Lucy Addison High School who made significant contributions to society.

A monument wall carved in stone with Lucy Addison's portrait in the middle, flanked by both versions of the Lucy Addison High School building. Below that, there are several images: one for art, the Addison logo and mascot, an american flag with pins, sports, and the school's Alma Mater
Wall of Fame Monument at Lucy Addison Middle School. Photo Credit: Roanoke Times.
  • Military Service: Lucy Addision High School graduated four students who became Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. LeRoi Williams, Eugene Williams, Ralph Claytor, and Theodore Wilson were pilots and members of the first African American squadrons to fly combat aircraft.
  • Civil Rights Law:  Roanoke schools influenced the early lives of several civil rights attorneys who made indelible marks on civil rights court cases in Virginia and the nation. These included Belford V. Lawson Jr., Oliver White Hill, Reuben Lawson, Clarence Dunnaville Jr., and Edward R. Dudley who practiced law in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
  • Sports: Coaches greatly influenced young athletes in Roanoke’s segregated schools. Fred Lawson became a teacher/coach and started the first basketball and football teams at Harrison High School. Tony Atlas became a professional wrestler and bodybuilder. Alfred Willis Holland played professional baseball with the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and the New York Yankees. Carnis Poindexter was a state and national tennis champion and coach at Lucy Addison High School.
  • Arts and Culture: Music and art programs in both elementary and high school fostered creative talents. William Dupree became a nationally recognized opera singer. William Grant Nabore (Neighbors) became a classical pianist. Other recognized jazz musicians include Don Pullen, Clyde Fats Wright,and Byron Morris. The play “Henry Street” was composed by artist and musician  Audrey Whitlock. Significant artists include Antoinette Hale and David Ramey. Bob Hale became an important photographer.

A study of Lucy Addison High School graduates from the classes of 1963-70 found that their segregated school experience included: a strong spiritual foundation, high expectations from school administrators and teachers, and parent and community support. It concluded “the encouragement that Black students received from Black teachers helped provide structure and consistency to the educational process.” – Robert R. Johnson, The Addisonians (2015), p. 2, 27.

See Also

  1. African American Attorneys
  2. Neighborhood Schools Open Doors for African Americans
  3. Booker T. Washington Trade School

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.