“In most of the Southern states, services to black schools have been confined largely to the program of increasing and improving physical facilities. This effort should continue but, at the same time, a program for intelligent use of available facilities should be well established.”
W. H. Brown & W. A. Robinson, Serving Negro Schools: A Report on the Secondary School Study (1946) 

 “While we came from three different elementary schools, during our time at Huntington High School we would become one great family.
Cleveland Mayo

In 1936, a “new” brick high school building was built in Newport News at the Thirty-fourth Street site. When William Robinson, director of the Secondary School Study, was determining which schools would participate in the program, this structure certainly strengthened Huntington High School’s bid. As described in Huntington High School: Symbol of Community Hope and Unity,

“The new high school building was an attractive brick building with twenty-five classrooms located on a ten-acre site. It had two stores with four classrooms located on the third floor above the library. . . . Included among the twenty-five classrooms were chemistry and biology labs, sewing rooms, foods lab, a vocal music room, library, cafeteria, principal’s office, and reception area.
            In 1938, the Huntington High School library was recognized and considered by some critics as one of the best in any Virginia high schools. It housed more than thirty-five hundred books; held subscriptions to thirty-six then current magazines and six daily newspapers, including the Journal and Guide and The New York Times. It was the only high school library in Virginia with a full-tine librarian, who had a collegiate professional degree in library science.”

Clearly, the community was providing financial support for the education of blacks in the Newport News community. Inequities remained in terms of teachers’ salaries and curricular materials, and the motives for the building of this magnificent structure must be questioned. Nonetheless, the brick building represented a tangible gesture of community support that generated great pride and, with the community-school philosophy initiated by Dr. Palmer, re-affirmed a common feeling among the black community that Huntington High School was “our high school.”

"Huntington High School was a community-centered school. The success of the high school was due largely to the strong bond between school and community. Professor Palmer strengthened these ties. He aggressively pursued this relationship by taking advantage of all available community resources, encouraging and nurturing the spirit of cooperation and good will. This unique relationship was reflected in many tangible ways by businesses that supported the school. In conversation, citizens proudly referred to Huntington High School as "our high school."
Hattie T. Lucas, 5/22/2010

The Spirit of Huntington
When your course within these walls is through
May the Spirit of Huntington go out with you,
Wherever you stay, wherever you go
May the beautiful Spirit of Huntington grow.
If wealth and fame or lowly place
Be yours in life to boldly face,
I pray the prayer, as others do,
May the blessing of Huntington abide with you.
Mary L. Hawkins, Class of 1927

With happy memories of days at
Huntington High School,
Our Teachers, and Dr. Palmer who laid
the foundation.
“Happy Memories” of football and
basketball games.
“Happy Memories” of music concerts
performed by our Choir and Band.
“Happy Memories” of noisy halls as our
school days began and ended.
Its spirit remains with us and keeps our
memories always near.
Lithia Boone Pearson

return to Secondary School Study home