TARBORO — On July 7, 2012, during its 31st reunion weekend, the W. A. Pattillo National Alumni Association recognized the graduating classes ending in 2s and 7s. Present was Vivian Pettaway Askew, class of 1932, who is the oldest living graduate of the Tarboro Colored High (renamed W. A. Pattillo in 1943). The class of 1962 celebrated its 50th anniversary as graduates. Other classes recognized were 1927 (no living graduates), 1937 (no graduates present), 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, and 1967.

A partial list of the graduates of the class of 1927 includes Sylvester Brown, Joe Davis, Wiley Gray, Willis Hyman, Joseph Moye, Mack Staton, Irma Banks, Martha Cobb, Zelma Foreman, and Addie Lawrence, none of whom are living.

From the class of 1932, James Ivey Bridgers recently passed away in Hampton, Va., at 98 years of age. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Shaw University and and a master’s degree from New York University. He later served as the principal of Vaughan School in Warren County, NC, for 24 years. Simultaneously, he was the pastor of the Cary Baptist Church in Yorktown, Va.

Vivian Pettaway Askew was born in Pitt County to Albert and Alice Ward Pettaway on Oct. 23, 1913. Both parents decided to move to Princeville from the Conetoe area in order for their three daughters, Vivian, Eva, and Ethel, to be educated at the Princeville Graded School. After Mrs. Askew’s graduation in 1932, she moved to Newport News, Va., and later to Washington, D.C., where she worked in various jobs. Eventually, she enrolled at Storer College in Harper’s Ferry, WV, and graduated in 1950 with a degree in elementary education. She then taught in the West Virginia public schools for 27 years. Presently, she is retired and resides in Tarboro part of each year and the other months in West Virginia.

Two known surviving members of the class of 1937 are Charlie Lawrence, of Tarboro, and J. Garrett Parker, of New York City. Other members of this class were William Bridgers, Jr., Willie H. Fuller, James A. Ruffin, Walker Weaver, Victoria Barlowe, Mary E. Battle, Mary B. Bridgers, Maria W. Burke, Hattie B. Carney, Annie V. Charles, Evelyn L. Cobb, Katie C. Dancy, Erma L. Dickens, Frances Exum, Mamie L. Farmer, Ella L. Honablue, Emma V. James, Catherine V. Johnson, Julia C. Knight, Molcy B. Powell, Mary E. Richardson, Phylis Richardson, Shirley A. Ruffin, and Mary E. Sherrod.

Members of the class of 1942 were Felton Carrington, William A. Dancy, William Harris, Hilliard A. Lewis, Fred P. Mitchell, Elizabeth Bradley, Bessie Bulluck, Alfreda L. Clark, Sallie O. Hopkins, Mary E. Johnson, Flora M. Lloyd, Mary K. Mercer, Helen E. Newton, Mary Louise Reeves, Anna Vera Rollins, Martha W. Stancil, Lillie Mae Tillery, Ethel Whitehurst, and Dorothy G. Wilson.

Annie C. Price represented the Class of 1947. Other members were Daniel Bridgers, Milton Cephus, Vernon Clark, John Dunn, Julius Freeman, Wilbert Harrison, Millard Hopkins, James Knight, Thomas Lawrence, Thomas Perkins, Frank Pettaway, Earl Staton, Audry Bullock, Minnie Bryant, Rosa Dancy, Elizabeth Dunn, Mildred Exum, Annie Hart, Erman Mays, Mae Bell Moten, Florence Price, and Sara Richardson.

Members of the class of 1952 were James Black, Lewis Bulluck, Joseph Cherry, James Knight, George Roberts, Carey Sharpe, Robert Thigpen, Leroy Williams, Mozella Bellamy, Evelyn Boyd, Winifred Brown, Emma Bullock, Cora Davis, Deveria Dickens, Margaret Dickens, Dorothy Dupree, Mamie Everett, Annie Freeman, Fannie Freeman, Gloria Harrell, Catherine Hyman, Marie Hyman, Gloria Lawrence, Dora Pittman, Lois Revis, Eunice Shirley, and Hannah Williams.

Members of the class of 1957 were William D. Barrett, William Bellamy, Rufus Betrand, Thomas L. Bottoms, Ernest L. Braswell, Carl Brown, Ross E. Diggs, Isaac W. Freeman, Earl A. Hammonds, Wilbur D. Johnson, Virgil Jones, Samuel B. Lloyd, Arthur L. Pettaway, Percy Plemmer, Willie Redmond, Isiah Smith, Octavius Sweeney, Gladys L. Archer, Willie R. Battle, Gertrude Betrand, Anita L. Bratcher, Annie D. Brown, Blanche Brown, Ruby E. Clark, Carolyn L. Cotton, Janie R. Everette, Sonja E. Gaynor, Katie L. Graham, Stella M. Hyman, Geraldine Jones, Dorothy C. Knight, Gloria L. Knight, Elnora Lewis, Geneva M. Mayo, Ada B. Randolph, Bessie B. Thomas, Elizabeth L. Thomas, Mildred L. Vines, Olivia Wilkins, Delores C. Williams, and Delores Y. Woodard.

The 2012 reunion souvenir booklet includes reminiscence by the class of 1962, comparing their four years of high school to an ocean liner voyage:

September 3, 1958, was a historic day for W. A. Pattillo High School, for on that day the class of ’62 began its four years’ journey aboard the liner – “Reminiscence for the land of Realism.” We began the voyage by adjusting to our new surroundings and soon began to explore and participate in different activities aboard such as the Glee Club, Cheering Squad, Band and Sports.

On the third year of the voyage, our Captain, Mr. W. H. Pattillo, left us and Mr. R. H. Cherry came to guide and steer our craft. At the end of this year our ship docked on a Tropicana Isle in the middle of paradise, for an enchanting evening of gaiety, melodious music, and dancing. It was our Junior-Senior Prom.

The fourth year of our voyage was destined to be the most eventful. We had awaited this year filled with anxiety, anticipation, and joyfulness, for this year the voyage would be ended. The “Reminiscence” made several more stops before reaching it destination; the last and most important on June 4, 1962. Everyone landed and streamed toward the shore where each went his orher separate way.

As Mr. Cherry predicted, we found ourselves “in the midst of a new era in the history of mankind, one of fears and uncertainties. Yes, they were challenging times indeed. However, by the grace of God and with the strength of family and friends, we, like the plowman of old, “plowed deep and straight in the virgin soil and in the life Thy God had given us.

Sadly, the land of Realism took from us too soon eight of our mates. We have mourned their loss, we continue to celebrate their lives and we honor their memories.

The Class of 1962 is planning a second, albeit shorter, voyage in August aboard the “Spirit of Norfolk” when they will enjoy a cruise around the harbor.

Members of the class of 1967 were Samuel Arnold, Charlie Basemore, James Batts, Felton Belcher, Donald Betrand, John Bryant, William Cherry, Leonard Draughn, Herbert Exum, Leonard Giles, Elbert Heath, Ernest Howard, Bobby Jones, Curtis Jones, James L. Knight, James M. Knight, Leonard McKenzie, Willie Pettaway, Jimmie Roberts, Quincy Robinson, Walter Shaw, Richard Smith, Willie Staton, James Thigpen, Marvin Whitest, John Williams, Marsha Baker, Ann Batts, Agnes Bell, Veronica Bradley, Paula Brown, Thelma Carney, Brenda Cotton, Eliza Flowers, Lillie Grimes, Pearlie Harris, Gayle Harrison, Helen Heath, Carolyn Hines, Janet James, Margaret Johnson, Mary Johnson, Mamie Jones, Clareatha Knight, Vinie Knight, Linda Lewis, Joyce Manning, Amy Matthewson, Mary Matthewson, Annie Modlin, Alvernail Perkins, Evelyn Pettaway, Leatha Pettaway, Minnie Pitt, Janice Thomas, Mary Walston, Dorothy Ward, Jane Ward, Ruth Ward, Callie White, Patricia Whitfield, Bettie Williams, and Janice Wooten.

The President of the W. A. Pattillo National Alumni Association is Dr. Fred Wood (class of 1962). Under his capable leadership, the Association is in the process of restructuring itself and refocusing it activities, recognizing the changes that accompany the passage of time.



C. Rudolph Knight is a Tarboro native, a retired community college educator, and a research historian.