Lucy Addison High School facts for kids

Lucy Addison High School was a special school in Roanoke, Virginia. It opened in 1928 during a time called Jim Crow. These laws meant that Black and white people were kept separate, which was called racial segregation. Lucy Addison High School was for African American students only.

The school was named after Lucy Addison. She was a very important African American educator. She was the first principal of another school called Harrison School. Lucy Addison High School was the second high school for African American students in Roanoke.

The school operated in two different buildings over the years. From 1928 to 1952, it was at Douglas and Hart Avenues. Then, from 1953 to 1970, it moved to Fifth Street and Orange Avenue.

In 1963, Roanoke began to end segregation in its high schools. By 1970, Addison became a school for all students, no matter their race. The city closed Addison as a high school in 1973. However, the building was then used as Lucy Addison Junior High School. Today, it is Lucy Addison Middle School, part of the Roanoke City Public School System.

History of Lucy Addison High School

Lucy Addison (1861–1937) was a pioneering African American educator. She was the principal of the Harrison School in Roanoke, Virginia. In 1924, she created a high school program there. This expanded the school beyond its 8th-grade program.

Virginia's Board of Education approved the high school program. The Harrison School then graduated its first three high school students in 1924. Lucy Addison was the principal of Harrison School until she retired in 1927.

In 1928, the City of Roanoke renamed the school after Lucy Addison. The first Lucy Addison High School building was at Douglas and Hart Avenues. It operated there from 1928 to 1952. Lucy Addison herself attended the official grand opening on April 19, 1929. The school's first class graduated in 1929, during the Great Depression.

A second building for Lucy Addison High School was built in 1951. It was located at Fifth Street and Orange Avenue. This area was in the heart of the African-American community. The new school opened for the 1952-1953 school year. Its first class graduated in 1953.

Due to desegregation efforts in the southern United States, the school closed in 1973. Addison graduated its final high school class that year.

In 2015, the Lucy Addison High School Alumni Association honored the school. They unveiled a three-piece monument. It was created to remember the school's founder, teachers, and former students.

Notable Alumni of Lucy Addison High School

• Captain Ralph Claytor - He was a member of the famous Tuskegee Airmen. These were African American military pilots who fought in World War II. Ralph was also a great basketball and football player at Addison High School. He later attended Hampton Institute.
• Lawrence Hamlar - He was an important African American community leader. He was also a successful businessman and gave a lot to charity. He founded the Hamlar Curtis Funeral Home in Roanoke. This was a historic business owned by African Americans.
• Oliver Hill - He was a very important African American civil rights lawyer. His work helped to end the "separate but equal" rule. This rule allowed for Jim Crow racial discrimination. Oliver attended the Harrison School when his family moved to Roanoke.
• Don Pullen - He was an American jazz pianist and organist.