Month: September 2012

Mr. Robert W. Burke’s Unpublished Autobiography of Alexandria, Virginia

Mr. Robert W. Burke
1898 – 1980

A man with a 7th grade education leaves behind his autobiography to one person whom he knew would cherish it. Mr. Ronald Burke inherited his father’s unpublished autobiographical sketch about his Dad growing up in Alexandria. Mr. Robert W. Burke’s life story was based on his experiences in Alexandria, Virginia from 1900 – 1926, before he migrated to New York. His story is full of love for family, teachers, church, and community during segregation in Alexandria. This short abstract is a partial story of his autobiography about his life as an African American in Alexandria that spanned the first 26 years of the 20th-century.

Mr. Robert W. Burke was born May 30, 1898, to Robert and Lillian Webster Burke at 120 North West Street in Alexandria, Virginia. During the course of his childhood, his family lived at 1218 Princess Street, 324 North Payne Street; for a period-of-time, they lived outside the City of Alexandria, what is now Russell Road, and then they lived at 1310 Queen Street.

Robert started school when he was seven years old. He attended Snowden School for Boys on South Pitt Street, which was 3 miles from where he lived outside of the City. His cousin, Edith Curry came to live with his family for many years. His cousin and his sister attended Hallowell School for Girls, which was located on North Alfred Street, between Oronoco and Princess Streets.

Robert attended Snowden School until the 7th Grade. The school at that time only went to the 7th grade. When he attended school, the teachers were Richard Diggs, Patrick Lumpkins, Henry White, Rozier Lyles, and John F. Parker. Mr. Burke said he had fine teachers. He was at Snowden School at the time when Mr. John F. Parker was principal, and at the time when Mr. Parker’s health was failing. After he completed the seventh grade, he sought employment to work outdoors. Throughout his childhood, he suffered bad health. He thought working outdoors would improve his health. As a child, he worked at different places and on Saturdays, he worked at the barbershop and also carried ice. During summer vacation, he worked for the Fruit Growers Express.

After completing the 7th grade, he worked for a grocery company, the Quartermaster Department during War I, and then he went back to the Fruit Growers’ Express. When he left the Fruit Growers’ Express, he worked for the Banner Laundry located on Oronoco Street as a washer.

In 1918, he married Edith Russell and they had six children, Robert W. Burke, Jr., Lillian, Russell, Wendall, Roscoe, and Ronald.

In 1926, Robert left Alexandria, Virginia and moved his family to New York. He found a job with the Central Branch Y.W.C.A. He retired from that job as the Head Carpenter in 1965. His youngest child, Ronald was born in New York. During the summer, Robert and Edith sent Ronald to Alexandria to spend his summers with their families. The Burkes and Websters’ families were in Alexandria, Virginia decades before the civil War as freed people of color.

To this day, Mr. Ronald Burke has fond memories of his time he spent in Alexandria. Just like his Dad, he is keeping those memories alive for other generations to come. Mr. Robert W. Burke died in Manning, South Carolina on June 19, 1980. Mr. Ronald Burke is the only surviving child of Mr. Robert W. Burke. I give thanks to him for providing me a copy of his father’s unpublished autobiography.

Snowden School for Boys – Mr. Henry T. White’s Class of 1907 – 1908 in Alexandria, VA

Mr. Henry T. White’s Class year of 1907-1908 Snowden Boys School

Listed below are the students for the class year of 1907 – 1908 at Snowden Boys School. There were 46 students in Mr. Henry T. White‘s class. The students in that class included Robert W. Burke and his brother, Rosier Burke. They lived at 324 North Payne Street.

Teacher – Mr. Henry T. White

Anderson, John – 325 N. Fayette Street – age 14 – 2nd grade
Bailey, Jesse – 1311 Queen Street – age 9 – 2nd grade
Bailey, Thomas – 1311 Queen Street – age 8 – 1st grade
Beale, Moses – 615 N Henry Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Burke, Harry – 425 S Columbus Street – age 8 – 1st grade
Burke, Robert – 324 N Payne Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Burke, Roiser – 324 N Payne Street – age 8 – 2nd grade
Bryant, Frank – Princess & Royal Streets – age 8 – 2nd grade
Chisley, Charles – 904½ Pendleton Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Churchful, James – 209 N West Street – age 13 – 2nd grade
Coleman, William – 222 N Henry Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Colbert, William – 813 Gibbon Street – age 8 – 2nd grade
Davis, Rosier – 1011 Wolfe Street – age 11 – 2nd grade
Duckett, James – 438 S Columbus Street – age 11 – 2nd grade
Gaddis, Andrew – 305 N West Street – age 13 – 2nd grade
Gaskins, Andrew – 523 N Pitt Street – age 11 – 2nd grade
Ghant, Roscoe – 421 S Columbus Street – age 9 – 1st grade
Hackley, Russell – 1014 Wythe Street – age 8 – 2nd grade
Harris, John – 118 S Peyton Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Harris, Robert – 1010 N Washington Street – age 13 – 2nd grade
Henderson, Willis – Fawcett Court – age 11 – 1st grade
Holland, Thomas – 206 N Payne Street – age 9 – 2nd grade
Jackson, Richard – 434 N Fairfax Street – age 12 – 2nd grade
Jackson, William – 522 S Pitt Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Jones, Joseph – 118 Prince Street – age 11 – 1st grade
Jones, Lawrence – 1118 Princes Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Kyer, Clarence – 404 N Pitt Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Lane, Claude – 417 N Henry Street – age 10 – 1st grade
Lane, David – 417 N Henry Street – age 9 – 1st grade
Marlow, Henry – 608 S Pitt Street – age 13 – 1st grade
Marlow, Samuel – 608 S Pitt Street – age 11 – 1st grade
Marshall, D – 816 S Columbus Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Minor, Clarence – 422 S Columbus Street – age 12 – 2nd grade
Minor, Frank – 422 S Columbus Street – age 10 – 1st grade
Mitchell, Thomas – Fleischman Court – age 13 – 2nd grade
Napper, Albert – 615½ S Alfred Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Palmer, John – 527 S St. Asaph Street – age 8 – 2nd grade
Poindexter, Charles – 406 N Pitt Street – age 8 – 2nd grade
Smith, Robert – 636 S. Pitt Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Thompson, Robert – 1309 Queen Street – age 8 – 2nd grade
Triplett, William – 620 S Pitt Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Wair, Clinton – 418 N Pitt Street – age 9 – 2nd grade
Washington, Clarence – 208 N Payne Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
White, Russell – 511 N Henry Street – age 8 – 2nd grade
Williams, Rufus – 308 N Alfred Street – age 10 – 2nd grade
Wood, Alexandria – 619 N Henry Street – age 13 – 2nd grade

1949 Parker-Gray High School Teachers and Graduating Class

Note from Principal W. H. Pitts
1949 Note from Principal W.H. Pitts

The Parker-Gray High School year of 1948 – 1949 had one principal and twenty-six teachers.

William H. Pitts, Sr. – Principal
Mary Tunstall Adams – Social Studies
A.W. Adkins – English, Math
Susie E. Anderson – English, Science
Arthur W. Bracey – Shop
Janie R. Browne – Fourth
Edith W. Casey – English
Flora W. Chase – Commercial
Helen L. Day – Seventh Grade
Thelma M. Dorsey – First
Ellen Goods – Third, Fourth
Lauretta H. Hall – Art, Social Studies
Ferris Holland – Science
Earleen L. Hughes – Social Studies, English, French
Naomi C. Jackson – Second
Louis R. W. Johnson – Physical Education
Rubye S. Johnson – Physical Education
Louis Johnson – Physical Education
Dorothy P. Key – Librarian
Alma P. Murray – First, Second
Edward L. Patterson – Music
Bernice J. Perry – Eighth
Julia E. Pritchett – Seventh
Lucile Smith – Eight
Mabel Lee Smith – Mathematics
Ruby E. Smith – Home Economics
Geraldine Stevenson – Seventh
Elease N. Vaughn – Third

There were forty-four students in the Class of 1949.

Clinton Allen
Philip Bell
Dorothy Blackburn
Ivan Bourne
Emma Brown
Joseph Burlass
Ruby Baskerville Butler
Louis Carroll
Barbara Procter Daniels
Freddie Daniels
Lloyd Diggs
Audrey Washington Dove
Marietta Jackson Easley
Carlton Funn
Isaiah Gray
Winifred Roberts Grimes
Costella Morrison Hayes
Roland Hollins
Sarah Tory Huggins
Burrell Hyden
Delores Hyden
Calvin Jackson
Helen Jackson
Dorothy Jarrett
Ruth Johnson
Jean Lane
Eugene Major
Lyles McInnis
Mildred Mundell
Charles Nelson
Earleen Pritchett
Gloria Procter
Charles Rice
Morris Sibert
Gene Simon
Charles Stanton
Marion Smith Stanton
Donald Taylor
Ellen Thomas
George Thomas
Catherine Watterson Ward
Robert Waters
Nellie Woods
Maxine Zellers

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