Williston Primary and Industrial School opened on Feb. 1, 1915.
Although Williston Senior High School was closed as a result of desegregation in 1968, the Williston Alumni Association is still an active presence in Wilmington. As it prepares for a reunion this week to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Williston, we asked alumni to share their memories of what they call call "the greatest school under the sun."
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I remember the Williston School Chorus. They sang at Winter Park School several times during the 1940's. We did so look forward to these special moments. The Williston Chorus always got a standing ovation. The singing and music, well it was beautiful.
-- Rosaline Rouse Barnes
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My name is Willie D. Cain. I presently reside in Fayetteville but own a second home on Carolina Beach. I am retired military serving 27 years in the US Army. I am also a retired Fayetteville Police Officer. My graduation class was in 1965 but I enlisted in the military in 1964.
I played varsity football under Coach Corbin, and took brick laying classes under Chief Haven. I also ran track and played in the band for one year.
Back in the days (1963-1964), Coach Corbin to me was a giant of a man, in size and personality. He had the very proper Bostonian sounding voice of intelligence that got your attention, rather than the usual loud bullying voice many coaches possessed. He believed in his players having character on and off the field , achieving in life, and obtaining an education.
Not only was he concerned about your academics, but your behavior in the classroom and it had better be positive. Coach Corbin was also a mentor to all of us and he possessed a means of bringing out unknown inner talents and skills from you. I remember trying out for wide receiver, and this man had me playing linebacker in practice. I was far from being happy about this and expressed this by my attitude. He caught on to this and had the star first-string wide receiver to key on me when going downfield, with me on my back or butt after every play.
This continued on thru practice and believe it or not me, the linebacker, was getting beat up, bullied, and embarrassed in front of the whole team. It got to the point that I wanted to cry, run off of the field and go hide somewhere.
Coach Corbin pulled me over for a few seconds for a talk, then sent me back on the field angry as hell and I became a Lawrence Taylor "Nightmare." I learned that I should not limit myself and could do anything I placed my mind on. I ended up being the second-string center, with coach naming me "Sugar Cain."
The end of the year I wanted to leave school for the military because my parents had separated. Coach and I talked and he wanted me to stay and graduate the next year but I decided different. I did enlist and the Coach gave a piece of paper, told me to read it away from his presence. It read; "If a task is once begun, never leave it till its done. Be the laborer big or small, do it well or not at all." Those words have always been with me and I have repeated them to others.
I retired as a Command Sergeant Major serving 27 years in the Army. I obtained an Associates, Bachelors, and Masters Of Public Administration in Criminal Justice Degree. I taught Criminal Justice for Fayetteville Technical Community College for 13 years and 6 years at Campbell University. In 2007 I retired from the Fayetteville Police Department and now enjoying my life with my "Wonderful and Beautiful Wife" Amy. My children are all grown.
Thanks to Coach Corbin for helping me set standards in my life by not giving up and continue to march to be a success in life.
-- Willie D. Cain
***
Remembering my days at Williston brings a bout of nostalgia! In the late 1950s and early '60s Williston was the place to be to receive a solid educational experience. We loved to go to school everyday and be a part of Williston's well-rounded program. It was a place where we could excel -- in the academics, sports, the arts, shop courses, and business courses. These courses prepared us to further our education at a four-year institution of learning, a technical school, go directly into the world of work or the military!
We had students to do all of these and excel in their chosen fields!
We could not have been so successful if it had not been for the concerned and caring teachers who did whatever it took to help students learn to the best of their abilities; and held high expectations that each student would do so.
We will always love Williston; which for us was the "Greatest School Under the Sun."
Happy 100th Anniversary Dear Williston!
-- Dorothy Sheridan DeShields
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Reflecting on my experience at Williston Senior High School brings back fond memories of caring and qualified teachers. Teachers who taught me that hard work pays off and that it is not OK to be just average. Being prepared, qualified and competitive can provide vast opportunities, thus it is important to strive to excel.
Williston was a foundation for our community. I felt a kindred spirit with my classmates. Even to this day there is a special bond that exists among Willistonians. I believed that Williston was the “greatest school under the sun.” My sentiments have not changed.
Attending football and basketball games were social events that I looked forward to on a Friday night. The social clubs were often represented in their various colors and attire. The UNIQUES black and gold colors were my organization's choice. It was always an exciting time to see which social club would be the first to dress for the season.
Traveling to New York and Washington during my senior year and my first visit to the White House are events that had a profound effect on my life.
We had teachers who were visionaries and were willing to go the extra mile. Chartering a train to transport students to attend a football game in Goldsboro to support our team stands out in my mind. We were taught to be and expect the best.
Williston provided students academic growth, development and challenges. We learned to respect authority, care for others and become responsible citizens. Memories of my high school years at Williston bring a smile to my face.
-- Carolyn McNeil-Murrell
Class of 1966
Fort Washington, Md.
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I, too, am a Williston alumna. Well, sort of...
During the 1960s, I attended Williston Senior High School -- Williston Senior High School NURSERY School, that is. For those of you too young to remember, nursery school can be equated with today's kindergarten. Both of my parents, Edward M. Todd and Bertha B. Todd, taught at Williston. Once “school” ended for me, I walked up to the library to “hang out” with my mother, who was the librarian, until it was time to go home.
Some memories of my nursery school experience are clearer than others. I have vivid memories of nap time because I never napped. As I lay on my cot, I watched everyone, students and teachers. While memories of GRADUATING from nursery school are non-existent, I am certain that I did, in fact, graduate from the Williston Senior High School Nursery School. Therefore, I am a Williston alumna. Right?
Oh well. I can, however, officially report that I AM a proud member of the Williston Alumni Community Choir under the skillful direction of Ms. Marva Mapson Robinson!!! Maybe, that's as close as I'll get to being a TRUE Willistonian…
-- Rita Todd
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Frequently, in conversations with family and friends, I reflect on my physics class with Mr. Moore at Williston Senior High School. One of the things that stands out about the class was his requirement that we produce single subject papers every six weeks. Some of the topics were electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetism. Each paper had to be 10 typed pages with at least five references. Of course I was able to type my papers because I had taken Typing I and 2 under Mrs. Anna Burnett, in addition to Gregg Shorthand which I still use when I take notes.
Those physics books at Williston were never new and they always had somebody's name with the New Hanover High School stamp. It was this type of rigor and teachers such as Mr. Moore and Mrs. Burnett that earned Williston Senior High School the title “the greatest school under the sun.”
-- Barbara Ferguson Kamara
Williston Senior High School Class of 1959
Washington, DC
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Williston was my home away from home. It seemed as if my teachers and principals took up from where my parents left off. They knew about me from having taught my brothers and sister who were student before me as well as having met my parents at PTA meetiings as well as church.
We were taught well by teachers who knew what our capabilities were and expected no less from us. Discipline and respect was required and given without hesitation because it was installed in us long before we were enrolled in school. We had daily devotions, which included prayer and the Pledge to our flag. Those rituals are no longer done in school and are missed.These things are a part of our natural heritage and should never be taken for granted.
Learning was a pleasure and an adventure. The lessons we learned enable us to see and go places that we dreamed of going someday. With the ability to achieve an academic graduation, I have done some of these things as well as 3 brothers and my sister before me.
Williston was our village which nourished and taught us in good times and bad.I loved my school then and still " cherish the name and its precepts, too."
-- Janie Evans Monroe, 1957
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During my senior year at Williston Senior High School, my English teacher was Mrs. Catherine H. Robinson. She was an exemplary educator and sophisticated in manner. One day in front of the class, she announced that she wanted to see me after class. I learned nothing that day, wondering why Mrs. Robinson wanted to see me. I spoke with her after class and she told me that she wanted me to be her secretary. She stated that my duties would be as follows: run errands, take roll, grade papers, and record grades. Throughout the school year, she would tell boisterous females that “ladies are seen and not heard.” At the end of the school year, she wrote in my senior memoire book, “there will never be a better secretary.” Today's privacy acts do not allow students to do my “secretarial duties.” I am a retired educator and used many of her teaching methods in my classes. Oh, how I adored Mrs. Catherine H. Robinson!
-- Margaret Mitchell Faison
class poet (1962)
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I grew up in the 50's in a segregated southern society. Over many decades Williston students excelled in academics, sports, music, and other disciplines. The commitment and dedication of our parents and teachers to education can never be questioned.
I have vivid memories of our challenge to recite the Chaucer's Prologue to the Canterbury tales, learning the works of Shakespeare, and other poets in Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. King's English class.
I recall working in the Williston's snack bar selling sandwiches, chips, candy and sodas during recess. Some students had lunch in the elementary school cafeteria nearby, where the sweet aroma of mouth-watering cinnamon buns was hypnotizing!! Also during recess, students danced in the lobby to what we now know as the “oldies but goodies.” Of course, the girls were all so cute in bobby socks, pencil or poodle skirts, and penny loafers. The guys thought they were “cool cats” in narrow legged creased (to death) slacks, starched shirts and argyle socks. Neatness was a given.
The abrupt closing of Williston Senior High School left broken hearts in its wake. Cherished traditions were stripped away. Today, in this centennial year, we memorialize and celebrate the treasure we had in Williston. It was a privilege to study and learn in its hallowed halls.
In retrospect, it is not difficult to believe that the spirit of Williston lives on. I am thankful that I am a part of its rich and endearing legacy.
-- Barbara Ennett-Davis
Class of 1957
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Williston was my family. Beginning with my walk to school, the eight blocks from 6th & Wright streets to 10th & Castle with my girlfriends, my life transformed until I returned home where I would go back to being an only child. We picked up friends along the route and, by time we arrived at school, we were ready to settle down and do our school work.
Our teachers were waiting for us, expecting us to be disciplined, knowledgeable and attentive. Always having trouble staying focused, it was challenging for me to follow the lessons being taught. Some of my teachers were my aunt's friends, my Sunday School teachers and neighbors, so there was no way I could act up in school and it not get back home before I got there.
I lived for the period when I could go over to the Band Room on 11th Street and practice with the band. It turns out I could play the clarinet really well. Younger students would come over eating Williston buns they had gotten from the cafeteria. I'm convinced being in the band was what kept me coming to school every day. Williston provided a wonderful experience for us.
-- Linda Pearce
Class of 1963
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As I think about the many memories of my time at Williston, almost 50 years ago for the Class of 1966, I recollect the extra activities, such as Future Teachers of America, where we were able to dress up and got a chance to honor our favorite teacher. I remember mine being Mr. Moore, the physics teacher.
When you checked your schedule , you peruse the teachers you have for certain courses, and hope you get the not too hard ones. I can remember having Mr. Marvin Johnson my junior year for Advance Biology, and there were seniors in the class. That was a difficult class.
However, my favorite time during the 11th grade was Homeroom time, when we were in the music room because Mrs. Odell was our Homeroom teacher!
Once I tried to go to my locker when it wasn't appropriate, and I got caught by Mrs. L.S. Williams. My locker was beside her room!
Mrs. Hankins taught us the Canterbury Tales I, which we had to recite!
Ms. Lillian Quick, the guidance counselor, was responsible for getting me into college.
The educators were caring and willing to help.
The memories leave a smile on my face and a sincerity in my heart, "The Greatest School Under the Sun," Williston Senior High School!
-- Patricia Davis Green
Class of 1966
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Pioneer
"What will I do in the struggles of the lime, in the moment, right now."
-- John Rodman Larkins, state government official
John Rodman Larkins is a 1932 graduate of Williston Industrial High School. His legacy lives long in the field of Civil Rights because he helped to defuse many potential racial conflicts during the 1960s. He acted as a bridge between the two races in changing majority attitudes in the state toward the rights economic opportunities of black citizens in: Education, Healthcare, Housing, Social and Cultural Opportunities.
Somewhere in the course of your conversations or studies, you might have heard of the "Good Neighbor Council," which was the work of John Rodman Larkins.
And I quote from the papers of Governor James B. Hunt Jr., North Carolina Human Relations Council, Raleigh, NC, February 11, 1978, Page 236: "The Human Relations Council has a long history and it began with John Rodman Larkins. It began as the "Good Neighbor Council," January, 1963, and John Rodman Larkins is the man who sold Terry Sanford on the idea. Governor Sanford appointed John Rodman Larkins executive secretary of that group.
Cont'd - February 9, 1980, "I doubt that these two men, for all their vision, anticipated then the positive impact this agency would have on North Carolina. But they did realize that the conditions that existed at that time indicated the need for a forum where men and women of goodwill could sit down together and work out peaceful solutions to the very serious problems that existed."
-- Katie Wilson
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It is difficult to fully express the transformative and foundational experience that Williston Senior High School provided to me -- the basis for my ensuing educational, professional, financial, social, and spiritual achievements. However, I welcome the opportunity to try.
First of all, Williston was not simply an educational institution of book learning, it was an institution that continually and emphatically made plain that the encouragement, teachings, hopes, dreams, and sacrifices of our parents, themselves Willistonians, should not be in vain – we were to develop into upright, responsible, and fruitful citizens, neighbors, and parents. My recollection is that the heart of the Williston engine successfully fashioned those results in a nation “so conceived and so dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” where, paradoxically, our Williston student body and others were considered less than equal under the law.
Year in and year out, Williston told us we were loved, that we were capable, and its educators buckled down and made us believe this proposition. I gained personal inspiration from outstanding teachers and scholars such as Mrs. M.D. Grady (Mathematics), Mrs. Anna C. King (English), Ms. McIver (French), Mr. Frank Robinson (Athletics Director), Mr. Corbin (Coach – could bend a fifty cent coin with one hand – I never saw it, but wouldn't bet against it), Mr. E.I. King (Commercial Culinary Arts), Mr. Newsome (Industrial Drafting), and the list goes on.
Our teachers were not only educators, but role models fully engaged in the community, undesignated guidance counselors genuinely concerned about us and our futures -- saying “You can do it”, “Remember the Golden Rule”, “Make your parents proud.”
Williston promulgated an ethic of preparedness, excellence, perseverance, encouragement, respect for others, and commitment to service. Willistonians have practiced these principles: , Joseph McNeil (Gen., U.S. Army); Samuel Bowens (Baltimore Orioles); Willie Frank Harrison (Chief, N.Y. City Fire Department); Meadowlark Lemon, (Globetrotters center/Christian minister); Frank P. Robinson Jr., Ph. D (Prof. Emeritus, Dept. of Chemistry, Univ. of Victoria, Canada); and others.
Our Williston educators taught so effectively that, as an 11th grader, I passed a battery of college entrance tests that allowed my acceptance by Fisk University to be a 16-year-old college freshman a year ahead of high school graduation. Fellow classmates George Clemmons and Angela Spencer also earned early freshman entrance as Fisk students via this high school testing program.
My experience at Williston provides much, much more than reminiscences. It provided the foundational pillars of my life as college student, Air Force officer, husband, father, Proud Wilmingtonian, and Proud American!
God bless Williston, its dedicated educators and staff, our loving parents, the Williston community of neighbors, friends, and all who supported justice for all. I salute and revere for all time – WILLISTON, the Greatest School under the Sun!!!
-- Alfred Ennett
Lt. Col., USAF (Ret.)
Class of '56 (Left in '55)
***
My most vivid memory of Williston, “the greatest school under the sun”, is that it provided me a safe place to come where generations of students were able to experience a shared past with familiar teachers and staff, curriculums, or extra curricular activity. So, almost everyone became a part of something that anchored him or her to a larger extended family network. Hence, it allowed us the opportunity to connect as a band of brothers and sisters who were beginning life's journey with similar hopes and dreams. We had many mentors who gave of their wisdom, experiences, skills and abilities and most of all their love and passion for teaching us how to be decent human beings in addition to the three R's.
As I reflect on my days at dear Williston, I have come to realize that Williston was just a mere building but, what took place inside of those walls was stuff that created legendary stories worthy of preserving. The Williston aura somehow appeared to be a living, breathing and nurturing vessel that had human characteristics, which you grew to embrace and/or shun but, always respected and supported.
-- Dr. Leon E. Rogers-Andrews
Lt. Col. Retired
Class of 1959
***
I was not against desegregation. I was, however, opposed to anything that hurt the interests of blacks. The hasty closing of Williston Senior High School in 1968 was one such “compromise.” That is why the closing of my alma mater prompted the first of only two letters to the editor I have ever written. Anger, hurt, surprise, disgust, pain, loss. All of these bubbled up in my brain then -- and still do -- when I think of what African Americans lost when “our school” was unceremoniously forced to close its doors. For Williston was not just our high school, it was a community landmark, almost a holy place. We who attended Big Williston and its predecessor buildings revered its teachers and the education they offered us (much of it, by the way passed on by teachers who had obtained multiple graduate degrees in settings far from Wilmington) and we reveled in the concerts, symposia, dances, lectures, teas, honor conclaves and other activities conducted there. The school was, after all, the primary social center for Black Wilmington. Where else, except the churches, did we have to gather? White resistance to school desegregation and attendant white privilege led to the closing of what in 1968 was almost a “new” school building. Why? No one seriously considered that whites would send their children into a black neighborhood, so, if desegregation (legally mandated, I might add, and not voluntarily entered into) was to work at all, Williston had to go. That was no compromise. Rather, it was blatant political power executed with no regret. More, it was carried out in such a way that the black community could not properly grieve.
No commemoration of Williston can proceed without mention of its storied history and the sadness that engulfed the black community after its days as an esteemed high school ended. The 50th anniversary of my walk across the Williston stage and into what has been a mostly magical life is coming up a year from now. But, even 50 years on, I feel the loss of “Dear Williston.”
-- Millicent Brown Fauntleroy
Valedictorian
Williston Class of 1966
***
As I reminisce about the times I spent at Williston, the educators, administrators, and assistants were very dedicated in their specialized fields of work. The teachers displayed deep compassion for their students. The excellent curriculum prepared students to meet the challenges in this changing world.
One of my favorite teachers, Miss Sadie Hooper, taught me Government in 1966. Our government class subscribed to the SENIOR SCHOLASTIC, a national and weekly magazine of national and world affairs in perspective for senior high school classes in U.S. history, government, economics, problems of democracy and current affairs. The Puzzle Editor of SCHOLASTIC MAGAZINES invited students to submit their original crossword puzzles for publication, along with symmetrical designs, answers and definitions on separate sheets, and a signed statement stating puzzle is their own work. There were tight guidelines and rules to abide by. With these rules in mind, I tested my skills in designing and composing original crossword puzzles, and submitted them. I reaped the rewards in 1967, the year after I had graduated from high school. I received a congratulatory letter and a check from the Managing Editor of WORLD WEEK, stating that my crossword puzzle will be published in the April 21,1967, issue of SENIOR SCHOLASTIC and WORLD WEEK. When that particular issue was distributed in the classes of Williston Senior High School, the principal, Mr. B.T. Washington, gave my sister, LaVerne (a sophom*ore) an issue of the SENIOR SCHOLASTIC to bring home to me. He told my sister that he and the school were very proud of me. I was very excited to see my crossword puzzle printed, along with my name, school name, city and state. I could not believe that my puzzle was published in national magazines, where students all across the nation would be solving my puzzle for that week!
-- Carolyn Lee James
Class of 1966
***
Recently, I had the opportunity to reminisce about Williston Senior High School when I attended the StarNews Media Lifetime Achievement Awards luncheon, where one of our teachers and my mentor, Mr. Carter W. Newsome, was honored. This event provided me the opportunity to talk about how Mr. Newsome and his students won the trade competition in Drafting for nine (9) consecutive years. That's a streak worth noting!
This type of thing does not happen by accident. It is a testament to Mr. Newsome's dedication, drive, and skill as an educator. I am citing him because he was my mentor, who got me interested in pursuing a career in engineering. He also tapped me on the shoulder my junior year to represent Williston at the trade contest at A&T in Greensboro. When you won in Greensboro, you went on to compete at the “national competition” held at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. I was fortunate in that I was able to continue the streak by winning both competitions. But you see, I was taught by the best.
You will hear a lot about the many academic achievements of Willistonionians at many colleges and universities. However, the achievements of Mr. Newsome were not unusual in the Trades Department at Williston. By being involved in Drafting, I saw firsthand how good this department was and how it prepared students for careers in their chosen fields, such as auto mechanics, drafting, electricity, commercial cooking, tailoring and horticulture.
The trade instructors like Mr. McClain. Mr. Bryant, Mrs. O'Dell, Mr. Newsome, and others were so dedicated, would drive us to the Trade contest at A&T and then on to Tuskegee Institute, if you won the state competition. We excelled in every field that we competed in, as demonstraited by the fact that Ronald Davis and Cecil Crosby won both competitions in Auto Mechanics, the same year that I won in Drafting.
Most of us did not realize it at the time, but those experiences, both educational and otherwise, including the role models we had; prepared us to compete with anybody from anywhere. The many achievements of other Willistonians are a testament to this great institution and the dedicated people that made it possible.
-- Kenneth S. Chestnut, Sr.
Class of 1964
***
Some of the greatest memories of my life came from the hallowed halls of Williston Senior High School. I fondly recall the caring teachers, the academic vigor, the closeness of the students and the plentiful school activities. From the pomp and circ*mstance of baccalaureate and commencement, to the love and respect exchange generated by world class teachers and administrators, to the excitement of marching in the Azalea Festival, I was captivated by attending Williston!
As I think about it, I have never met a Willistonian that did not speak fondly of our Alma Mater. We were all taught to be proud, to plan and prepare, to work with sustained effort, to help others, to model by being good examples, to love, to learn from error and to contribute positively and to strive to do well in all our endeavors. Such foundational teachings have catapulted us into being productive, contributing members of our families and society. I am, like so many others, Godly proud to be an alumnus of The Greatest School Under The Sun.
Reflectively speaking, the first few lines of our Alma Mater eloquently capture my thoughts - Down deep in our hearts lies a love so strong and true, a love for thee Dear Williston. We'll cherish thy name and thy precepts too, all our love we give to you dear Williston! Our voices we raise in a song of thy praise, the greatest school under the sun; we'll ever adore Alma Mater dear, all our praise we give to you dear Williston.
-- Reginald Ennett
Class of 1966
Fayetteville
***
Gone but yet still remembered as the "Greatest School Under The Sun." Seven hours of serious study and discipline with good moments of teenage fun. Williston was more than just a great school, Williston was an extended family and a grand example of collective community life. Teaching academic and industrial skills second to none. Unknowingly we were seriously prepared for the many life challenges we would face in general, and in particular those awaiting young African-American (a.k.a. Black) men and women stepping out to meet the larger world and realities of adult life. And we were ready and very well prepared. And we contributed our part in a big way expressing and protecting the high ideals given to us as students. It was a great unjust wrong to close Williston. When you look at the logic and follow the logic to its logical conclusion, it was wrong, selfish, without educational merit or jurisprudence. Gone but yet still remembered as "The Greatest School Under The Sun."
-- Abdul Rahman Shareef
Class of 1966.
***
Reminiscing over the years of my days at Williston High School brings back memories that are etched in my mind as some of the best years a student could experience.
I can remember eating lunch in Coach Corbin's classroom. Eating chicken salad sandwiches with Lays potato chips between the bread slices and having the "Famous Williston buns" for dessert. I was a member of the "Who's Who" Society and was named "Miss Congeniality" and my best friend Carolyn Matthews-Smith was named Miss "Charm." I can remember going to the basketball games, the football games, to watch our teams play and to see the "Best Band in North Carolina" play and perform. Having to recite "Macbeth" in Ms. L.S. Williams' class was the most memorable "highlights" of my high school days. What a challenge!!
I am so happy I was privileged to attend Williston High School, "The Greatest School under the Sun."
-- Brenda Freeman-Johnson
Class of 1967
***
Williston Senior High School, the greatest school under the sun. Thinking about the three very important years of my life that I spent at Williston brings back great memories. First, the teachers at Williston, second, the things we learned academically and socially and third, our classmates that we spent hours with every day.
The Williston teachers were dedicated and encouraging to all of us. They were there to make sure that we were on the path that we wanted to follow. The teachers, the principal, the vice principal and guidance counselor were a big part of our student life.
The things we learned academically and socially took us out into the world. We could read, write and had the ability to learn anything that was needed to live a great life. We were socially prepared to live in a grown up world.
I will always remember the time with my classmates. They were a part of moving to the grown-up world. We developed into the people we are today because of Williston Senior High School, the Greatest School Under the Sun.
-- Delores Cookie Williams Artemus
Class of 1964
***
George Harvey Murrill, Williston Class of 1930
My father, Mr. George Harvey Murrill graduated from Williston in 1930. I was always proud of him. He was smart, he wanted to be a dentist. My father and mother, Mrs. Eldora Louise Allen Murrill (she graduated from St. Thomas Catholic School), migrated to New York City, where they had three children. My father went in the service and when he returned from serving his country he worked for the United States Postal Service until he retired.
LeRoy Smith, Jr., Williston Class of 1941
My cousin Mr. LeRoy Smith Jr. (LeRoy's father and my grandmother were brother and sister), he graduated from Williston in 1941. He liked going to Williston and did well. He migrated to New York City, went in the service, got married and had a family. He retired as supervisor from the United States Postal Service in Philadelphia, PA. He attended several class reunions and has always sent his class dues. LeRoy just celebrated his ninth birthday.
Joyce May Murrill Mims, Williston Class of 1959
My name is Mrs. Joyce May Murrill Mims and I graduated from Williston in 1959. My mother returned to Wilmington and I entered the 10th grade at Williston. It wasn't a complete culture shock because I visited Wilmington for every holiday and with my cousin George Lewis Murrill, Williston Class of 1952 (while he was in the service) when he drove home I was always in the car. George Lewis is retired and is currently living in California. My mother Eldora Murrill worked in the cafeteria and I know everyone remembers Mr. King, he was in charge. My mother and I returned to NYC after I graduated. Mom retired from NYC Board of Education as a Para teacher, and in 1978 returned home to Wilmington to take care of her mother Mrs. May Hubert Clinton (St. Thomas Catholic School graduate).
I retired from NYS Department of Correction as a correction officer and returned to Wilmington in 1995 to take care of my mother -- the circle of life. Throughout the years I have participated with the alumni association and the Class of 1959 events and I thank them for all they have done. I also have a program called Generations for teens and senior that was funded by the city for three years and I currently run a much smaller version of the program from 2001 til now. My thanks go out to Harry Forden for all his support, a Williston graduate.
Congratulations Williston, I am honored to have gone there.
-- Joyce May Murrill Mims
***
As a student at Williston Senior High School, it was a wonderful experience. It was an institution for learning where students were able to express themselves through various clubs and sports. We learned or were taught the 3R's (Reading, Riting, and Rithmetic). The teachers were caring and wanted us to learn, thus we respected our teachers and their willingness to help when needed. As students, our parents, and teachers were involved in our education, unlike what we may see today.
Williston Senior High School molded us into a family, and we still are a family today. Williston is still the Greatest School Under The Sun.
Barbara Shannon-Lewis, Class of 1963
— Contact the community news desk at 910-343-2364 or Community@StarNews-Online.com.
The Williston Alumni Association will hold events on July 4 called “Celebrating and Commemorating 100 Years of Williston and the Williston Legacy: 1915-2015."
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 4: Williston Mix on the grounds of Williston Middle School, 401 S 10th St. Meet &and greet former Willistonians, friends and families. With vendors, open to the public.
7 to 11 p.m. Saturday: Dinner/dance. Event is sold out and closed.
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, July 5: Worship service at Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1002 Castle St. Presiding Elder Conrad K. Pridgen will speak. Music by members of the Wilmington Community Choir and former members of the Williston Senior High School Glee Club. Open to the public.
For more information, call Barbara Shannon Lewis at 910-604-0271.
The Williston Alumni Association will hold events on July 4 called “Celebrating and Commemorating 100 Years of Williston and the Williston Legacy: 1915-2015." 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 4: Williston Mix on the grounds of Williston Middle School, 401 S 10th St. Meet &and greet former Willistonians, friends and families. With vendors, open to the public. 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday: Dinner/dance. Event is sold out and closed. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, July 5: Worship service at Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1002 Castle St. Presiding Elder Conrad K. Pridgen will speak. Music by members of the Wilmington Community Choir and former members of the Williston Senior High School Glee Club. Open to the public. For more information, call Barbara Shannon Lewis at 910-604-0271.
