Category: Parker-Gray School

1950 Parker-Gray High School Teachers and Graduating Class

Parker-Gray High School Class of 1950

The Parker-Gray High School year of 1949 – 1950 had one principal and twenty-six teachers.

William H. Pitts, Sr. – Principal
Mary Tunstall Adams – Sociology, Social Studies
A.W. Adkins – English, English/Math
Susie E. Anderson – 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, Second
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
Dorothy P. Key – Librarian
Alma P. Murray – First
Edward L. Patterson – Music
Bernice J. Perry – English, Guidance
Julia E. Pritchett – Seventh
Lucile Smith – Seventh
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.

Margaret Allen
Ida Barne
Leo Brooks
Elmer Bumbray
James Burlass
Juanita Butler
Betty Carter
Patricia Carter
Joyce Casey
Maydell Casey
Delores Colbert
Gloria Diggs
Walter Hargrow
Madgerine Hines
Richard Hollinger
Jean Jackson
Naomi Johnson
Bernice Jones
Rosa King
Stanley Kirton
Ruby Lewis
Vivian Lindsey
Barbara Loudon
Thomas Lovingood
Lucretia McGee
Hazel Miller
Wilbur Moore
Juette Porter
Lillian Pritchett
Robert Quander
Blanche Randall
Delores Reeves
Rufus Robinson
Moses Smith
Julia Stokes
Imogene Tabscott
Edward Talley
Gladys Thompson
Roscoe Tillery
Jean Triplett
Janet Wanzer
Geraldine Wilson
Clarice Williams
Ruby Worthy

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

1948 Parker-Gray High School Teachers and Graduating Class

1948 Alexandria, VA Teacher’s List

The Parker-Gray High School year of 1947 – 1948 had one principal and twenty-four teachers.

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

There was forty-three students in the Class of 1948.

Carmeen Powell Adams
Aaron Anderson
Claudine Evans Belk
Samuel Brice
Edward Bumbroy
Robert Burless
Katherine Lomax Daniels
Willie Daniels
Barbara Scott Diggs
Doris Jennings Duncan
Alma Horn Gayton
Margaret Shepherd Grimes
Theresa Bentley Hamilton
Carrir McCollugh Hanson
John Harris
Valeria Stanton Henderson
John Herring
Ralph Holland
Christine Howard
Neal Jackson
William Jackson
Herman Lewis
Joseph(us) Lovelace
Lula Martin
Shirley Miller
Francis McGee
Herbert McGreer
Kolan Newman
Jean Butler Patton
Louis Gaskins Pope
Nellie Brooks Quander
Janet Slaughter Revis
Herbert Spears
Suzanne Gaskins Stein
Phyllis Roy Tate
Clayton Thompson
Thomas Turner
Bernice William Vaughn
Clifton Wanzer
Lloyd Wanzer
Carton Willis
Georgia Hollinger Wilson
Henry Wilson

Mrs. Norma (Jennings) Turner’s Memories of Parker-Gray High School – Class of 1947

Left: Mrs. Norma (Jennings) Turner – Right: Mrs. Turner’s favorite teacher, Mrs. Flora Walden Chase

Mrs. Norma J. Turner was born in the District of Columbia but resided in Alexandria, VA. She spent her formative years with her grandparents, Jesse and Mattie (Hackley) Speakes at 429 North Patrick Street in Alexandria, VA. She is the oldest child of Alexander and Esther (Speakes) Jennings.

Mrs. Turner has many fond memories of Parker-Gray High School. The teachers were interested in one’s progress, and even gave one additional opportunities to excel if one desired to do so. Before Norma entered school, her grandmother asked the then first grade teacher, for some books, to teach her how to read. Miss Laura M. Dorsey gave Norma’s grandmother the books and Norma was taught how to read before she entered the first grade. Miss Dorsey was one of the most popular first grade teachers at Parker-Gray.

At 13, she returned home to her parents. After completing three grades at the Lyles-Crouch Elementary School (on the other end of town), she returned to Parker-Gray. During her high school years, her Mother became ill, and the family had to stay home one to three days a week. One of her favorite high school teachers was Mrs. Flora Walden Chase, who assisted Norma after school by allowing her to complete typing and shorthand assignments. Mrs. Chase was also instrumental in securing an after school job with Mr. Otto Tucker’s office. She typed letters and wrote letters for those who visited the office and for those unable to read or write, but were employed in Alexandria on construction jobs.

There were other favorite teachers in elementary school and in high school that she loved: Mrs. Earline Luckett Hughes (Homeroom), Mrs. Ellen Carter Goods, (3rd Grade) and Mrs. Julia Whiting Pritchett (4th Grade).

Between Parker-Gray and Lyles-Crouch Schools, Norma made great friends who were in her class: Lorraine Parker, Gwendolyn Russell, Jean Taylor and Alice Harris. After she graduated in 1947, Mrs. Turner attended Virginia State College for one year. She was employed in the Federal Government (1949) for the next 39 years.

Due honor is given to her parents, grandparents and her many dedicated teachers who reared her. She has fond memories of Parker-Gray High School. Her family and her many dedicated teachers made her accomplishments possible.