Chester County Training School facts for kids

The Chester County Training School was a very important high school in Chester County, Tennessee. It opened in 1932 and was the first high school specifically for African American students in that area. Back then, the laws in Tennessee, since 1870, said that Black and white students had to go to separate public schools.

The school was located on U.S. Highway 45 North in a town called Henderson, Tennessee. Mr. J. A. Vincent was the very first principal of the school. The first group of students to graduate from the school was in 1936, and there were seven students in that class.

In 1963, the school's name was changed to Vincent High. This was done to honor J. A. Vincent, who had been such an important leader for the school.

Later, in 1969, Vincent High joined with Chester County High School. This happened because of something called desegregation. Desegregation meant that schools across the country were starting to allow students of all races to learn together in the same classrooms.

Important People

Leaders at the School

• Walton Bryan Stewart was another principal at Chester County Training School after J. A. Vincent. He later moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There, he became a strong voice for workers' rights, a state lawmaker, and a math teacher.