Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-05-28
GOLDSBOR0 GRADED SCHOOL.
THE "PRIZE" HISTORY OF
THE INSTITUTION
From it's Foundation to the Pres
ent Time, Written by
Frank Bryan.

the Goldsboro Graded School
were required each to write a
competitive history of the school,
the whole to be submitted to a
corps of judges and they to select
the best, to be read at last nights
commencement.
Their award fell to the lot OF
our young friend Mr.. W. Frank
Bryan, of the class, son OF our
efficient postmaster Nh. j. w.
Bryan, which we publish as fol
lows:
HISTORY OF THE GRADED SCHOOLS.
The Goldsboro Graded Schools,
which have probably influenced
education in this State more than
any similar institution, wefeestab-
lished in 1881, largsH through
the efforts of the publiesspfrited
editor of the Goldsboro Mes
senger, the late Mr.. Julius A.
BOnitz.
The building, however, had
been in use some time before the
establishment of this school. 1t
was completed in 1856, and from
that time to the civil war, was
the domicile Of a fourishing
Methodist Female College.
During the wal it a used as a
Confederate hospital, and it was
also here that the flag of the
Goldsboro Rifles, which they bore
during the war, was made by the
patriotic young ladies of the town.
For a few years after the war
it was the home of a large private
school, where many ladies of this
section received their education.
After the close of this school the
building was unused until 1877,
when Professors Adams and Fetter
opened a school in it, and they
were succeeded the next year by
Professor Troy.
But this school, as well as the
others in town, were closed when,
early in 1881, it was definitely de-
cided to establish a public graded
school. On March 5, 1881, a
bill was passed by the State Legis-
lature ch~artering a graded school,
and for its support imposing a tax
of twenty cents on the n hun
dred dollars worth of property
and sixty cents on the poll. The
funds thus received from the white
people yer to be used in educat-
ing their sons and daughters, and
those from the Negroes were to
establish a colored school. The
charter was submitted to a town
ship vote, by which it was rati-
fed, with very little opposition.
The old college building was
chosen as the most suitable loca-
ton for the proposed school, the
necessary alterations were made
and the building fitted up for the
occupancy of the school the next
autumn. The first board of trus-
tees consisted of the following
gentlemen: Messrs. Henry Lee,
w. A. Deans, Nathan Boyett, H.
L. Grant, B. F. Arlington, E. B.
Borden and j. A. Bonitz.
Professor E. P. Moses, of
Tennessee, was chosen superin-
tendent of the new schools, and he
soon proved hat his election by
the board was the best possible, as
it was largely owing to him that
the school was established on a
firm basis. With him the first
year were associated Professors
Adney and Kennedy, Mrs. Hum
phrey and Mrs. Grafton and Misses
Willard, Everett and Carrow, of
whom Mrs. Humphrey and Miss
Carrow still remain with us.
The school was opened early in
September, 1881, and the records
show hat during the first month
1913 pupils were -enrollled-216
girls and 1T boys.
The school had a prosperous
but uneventful history for the first
five years of it's life.
Mr.. Moses resigned the super
intendency in 1885, and was sue
ceeded by Professor Edwin A.
Alderman, who had been associ-
ated with him for several years as
principal.
In 1886, however, the school
received a hard blow. The Su-
preme Court decided that the law
under which the schools had been
established, Disseminated against
the negro, and was, therefore, I'M
constitutional. Under this law
each race was taxed separately for
the support of it's own schools.
For a time it appeared that the
schools, which had started so we'll,
must succumb. However, a brave
and determined man was at the
head of affairs, and it was not his
nature to give up without a strug-
gle. An entertainment was
planned and carried out by the
school for the purpose of stimu-l
interest in its work, and by
this and other means, public pride
and ambition were aroused.
1t was determined that the
schools must not be closed, and