Paris Western High School, formerly Paris Western School,[2] was a segregated public school for African American students in Paris, Kentucky, United States.[3]
History
Paris Colored High School opened in 1895 as a segregated public school for African American students in Paris.[4][5] It preceded Paris Western High School which opened in September 1925, with G. W. Adams as principal, and Ennis B. Toles as assistant professor.[6] During the 1926 commencement ceremony for Paris Western High School, politician Roscoe Conkling delivered the address to the 18 graduating students.[7]
The school was known for their basketball team and in 1953, the school won the "National Negro High School Championship" a basketball tournament held at Tennessee State University.[8]
Closure
After Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the city integration committee was led by chair, Grover Baldwin Jr.[9] In 1963, four Black students were sent to attend Paris High School, the segregated public high school for White students.[10] The following year in 1964, the school was consolidated and all students from Paris Western High School were moved into Paris High School.[11] The community reaction to assimilation was rocky at best.[10]
After the racial-integration, the former Paris Western school building was briefly used as a junior high school.[10]
Notable people
Alumni of the school include:
- Jim Tucker, basketball player[12][13]
- George W. Wilson Sr., the first African American to serve in the Kentucky State Cabinet[14][15]
- William "Chief" B. Reed, former city councilman[16][15][17]
Former principals at Paris Western High School included teacher G. W. Adams,[6] Ennis B. Toles,[18][19] Francis Marion Wood,[20][21] and William B. Reed.[9] Faculty included Mary E. Kellis,[9] Orletta Elizabeth Porter Hurley.[22]
See also
References
- ^ "Paris Independent Schools to honor former Paris Western". LEX 18 News - Lexington, KY (WLEX). 2020-02-20. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ "Paris Schools: Celebrating 150 Years of Excellence in Education". Hopewell Museum. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ Scott, Berkeley; Scott, Jeanine (2002). Paris and Bourbon County. Arcadia Publishing. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-7385-1456-7.
- ^ Jones, Reinette F. (2002). Library Service to African Americans in Kentucky, from the Reconstruction Era to the 1960s. McFarland. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-7864-1154-2.
- ^ "Paris Colored High School, Colored Addition". The Bourbon News. 1908-09-22. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ a b "Negro High School Opens". Lexington Herald-Leader. 1925-09-13. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ "Paris Colored Notes". The Lexington Herald. 1926-06-07. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ "Coach Rupp Praises Paris Negro Champions". The Courier-Journal. 1953-05-09. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ a b c "Baldwin Heads Integration Unit". The Lexington Herald. 1955-12-08. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ a b c Blackford, Linda (2004-05-17). "Paris switch rocky before acceptance". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ Ellis, William E. (2011-06-17). A History of Education in Kentucky. University Press of Kentucky. p. 299. ISBN 978-0-8131-4023-0.
- ^ "Paris Western star, Duquesne All-American Jim Tucker has died". WKYT. May 23, 2020. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ "Former Paris Boy Is Cage Star At Duquesne". The Paducah Sun. 1953-03-14. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ "Wilson, George W., Sr". Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, University of Kentucky Libraries, University of Kentucky. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ a b Smith, Gerald L.; McDaniel, Karen Cotton; Hardin, John A. (2015-08-28). The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 424, 535. ISBN 978-0-8131-6066-5.
- ^ "W.B. Reed, educator, KSU star, dies at 84". The Courier-Journal. 1996-12-12. p. 19. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ "Reed, William B. "Chief"". Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, University of Kentucky Libraries, University of Kentucky. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ "Ennis B. Toles". The Lexington Herald. 1922-05-14. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ "Paris Colored Notes". The Lexington Herald. 1925-09-13. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ Kleber, John E. (2014-10-17). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-8131-5901-0.
- ^ "Normal School Ends". Lexington Herald-Leader. 1922-08-08. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ "Bourbon educator, children advocate, dies". Lexington Herald-Leader. 1990-10-22. p. 24. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
This page was last edited on 12 January 2024, at 18:42