Huntington High School - Huntingtonian Yearbook (Newport News, VA)

Page 14 text:

LUTRELLE PALMER, scholar, educator, humani- tarian, served the Newport News community as principal of Huntington High School from 1919 to 1943. During his administration the ground-work for the present-day Huntington was laid. He was chosen by the Newport News School Board to fill a vacancy which had been created by the institu - tion of a new educational environment--the birth of a high school. His abiding faith in the propagation of the Christian ideal has won him a place in the hearts and minds of many citizens in this community. His picture, which hangs near that of Collis P. Huntington in the corridor of the school, will serve as a lasting reminder of a man who dedicated himself to the education of the community's future generation. PROFESSOR LUTRELLE PALMER PRE RACUIsiay,

Page 13 text:

The Present is the living sum total of the whole faked Thomas Carlyle The Huntington of today is the result of the composite efforts of its past inhabitants and their achievements. ‘Through the efforts of all who have passed through her portals, Hunting- ton has grown from a one-room school with a handful of stu- dents to its present size with a school population of over two thousand. Consisting of one small room which had been set aside in the John Marshall Elementary School, one of the first high schools in the city of Newport News started in 1919 and had an enrollment of fifty-two students. These students had come from all parts of the city to greet Miss Inez Sanders, a graduate of Wilberforce University (Central State) and the only teacher in the high school division. The first year was a difficult one, and six of the students dropped out. For those who remained, however, the first year was a fruitful and unforgettable one. Many changes and improvements came to the high school in its second year. A four-room frame building on 18th Street became the first structure known as Huntington High School. Later, four additional rooms were built to make a two story building. An increased enrollment necessitated a principal and additional teachers. Professor Lutrelle Palmer re- ceived the principalship and Miss Camille Young, Miss Mabel Thomas, and Miss Lora Bassett joined the Huntington family as instructors. Clubs were introduced that year; a girls' and boys' basket- ball team, a football team, and a debating team provided new and challenging forms of interest for the students.

Page 15 text:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FACULTY Miss L. G. Bassett, Miss Selma T, White, Mrs, Laura F. Allen (2nd ROW) Mrs. Estelle G. Phillips, Mrs. Hattie J. Fauntleroy, Miss Mary E, Patterson, Mrs. Martha E. Melvin. As the years passed the school and her popu - lation grew. The need for more facilities and a larger plant became evident. In reply to the demand, the city school board appropriated a new school which housed over seven hundred students and twenty rooms. ‘These included an auditorium, laboratories in the areas of chemistry and the domestic sciences, a library, a principal's office, a teachers' lounge, anda clinic. The site was one of the most beautiful landscapes in the State and consisted of seven and one-half acres, which also allowed for a playground and parking area. On January 28, 1924, the new building was completed, and the students and faculty moved into the new Huntington which was located on Marshall Avenue at 16th Street. Under the direction of Professor Palmer, the school, faculty, and student body continued to flourish with each passing year. Junior high school was incorporated into the high schoo] program. New subjects were added to the curriculum, and additional clubs, organiza- tions and sports were created to provide more outlets for the students. Among these were a debating team, a student council, a literary society, a science and radio club, and a math club. The band and chorus were organized and a newspaper and yearbook were published. Sport activities included football and basketball teams. Due to the expanding physical educa- tional program, an athletic field costing ap- proximately $20,000 was added. It was the only enclosed and equipped athletic park owned by