First Principal of Parker-Gray School

Mr. Henry T. White is on the right third roll.

Mr. Henry T. White was the first Principal of Parker-Gray School. His tenure as school principal was from 1920 – 1927. Then he stayed at Parker-Gray as a teacher from 1927 – 1934. The requirements had changed in Alexandria, Virginia for principals. Principals were required to have a Bachelor’s degree. Mr. White had a three-year teacher certificate from the Wayland Seminary in Washington, DC.

When Parker-Gray School first open in 1920, the school went from primary to eighth grade. Mr. White had a double role in Parker-Gray. He was the principal and he taught the seven and eight grades. His 1920-1921 students were:

Bell, Thomas age 13 – seventh grade
Bell, Margaret age 15 – eighth grade
Butler, Llewellyn age 13 – seventh grade
Byrd, Corrine age 13 – eighth grade
Carter, Ellen age 12 – seventh grade
Colbert, Ida age 15 – seventh grade
Contee, Elizabeth age 12 – seventh grade
Dixon, Rosena age 13 – seventh grade
Ellis, William age 13 – seventh grade
Gaddis, Rosier age 13 – seventh grade
Gaines, Anna age 15 – seventh grade
Gilliam, Ruth age 12 – seventh grade
Hill, Eva age 15 – seventh grade
Hopkins, Norris age 13 – seventh grade
Jones, Marie age 14 – seventh grade
Lewis, Gladys age 15 – eighth grade
Lucas, Charles age 12 – seventh grade
Lumpkins, Patrick H. Jr age 13 – eighth grade
Majors, Lucille age 15 – seventh grade
Martin, Willrowe age 15 – eighth grade
McGee, Edgar age 12 – seventh grade
Norton, Elbert age 15 – eighth grade
Parker, Nannie age 14 – seventh grade
Redd, James age 13 – seventh grade
Russell, Mildred age 14 – seventh grade
Shanklin, Samuel age 15 – seventh grade
Speaks, Esther age 12 – seventh grade
Stewart, Florence age 15 – eighth grade
Strange, Richard age 15 – seventh grade
Strange, Wallace age 12 – seventh grade
Turner, Ernest age 15 – seventh grade
Washington, Edmonia age 15 – seventh grade
White, Kathleen V age 13 – seventh grade
Whitmore, Eliza age 15 – seventh grade

You can read more about Mr. Henry T. White in the Alexandria Gazette newspaper dated July 29, 2020 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/072920/Alexandria.pdf.

The Lives of Lewis H. Bailey and Annie B. Rose

Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “The Lives of Lewis H. Bailey and Annie B. Rose: Former slave established churches; his daughter was devoted to her community – dated March 14, 2019.

Over thirty years ago, I met an elderly woman in early April of 1989 coming into the Alexandria Black History Museum in Alexandria, Virginia where I volunteered my genealogical expertise to patrons. I had just returned to the United States from Sierra Leone, West African in March of 1989 when I was blessed with meeting Mrs. Annie B. Rose. At that time, I did not know how powerful this meeting was until many years later.

Mrs. Annie B. Rose died in the same month that I met her but I believe we were brought together for a reason. It took me thirty years to figure it out, that her life story has been my life time preparation in researching families who ancestors were slaves. Mrs. Rose was the daughter of a former slave. Her life and her father’s life have inspired many people who knew them. For me, it was ordained by a higher being that I meet such a lady before she made her spiritual journey.

You can read my article, “The Lives of Lewis H. Bailey and Annie B. Rose in the Alexandria Gazette Packet on page 11 at

Click to access Alexandria.pdf

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