Sampson High School immortalized with marker

Sampson High School, one of the oldest former educational facilities in the area, was immortalized in the long line of rich pages that make up Sampson County’s history with the recent unveiling of the school’s historical marker.

The marker was revealed and honored during a dedication ceremony Saturday on McKoy Street in Clinton near where the school was situated, the “Home of the Rams” for 100 years.

“In 1912 Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington established the Rosenwald Fund as a means to improve education for African American students in the south. In NC, the fund assisted with 817 projects in 93 counties including Sampson County Training School built here in 1924. Over time, it educated hundreds of students. Later Known as Sampson High School, it was closed in 1969.” Those are the words that are forever engraved on the historical marker.

Members of the Sampson Alumni Association were joined by members of Clinton City Council, the Sampson County Board of Commissioners, former SHS teachers, students and many others as they unveiled the marker.

Many helped bring the marker to fruition as part of a group effort that’s been ongoing since 2023, an idea formulated by SHSAA vice president Faye Faison.

“Well, it has only been a couple of years, if even really, since we started working on the marker project,” Faison said.

“We had talked to Mary Rose, and she had mentioned the fact that there were other markers going up. So I brought the idea to our chairperson, Mr. Robert Bennett, and we had funds to do it with, so we moved forward to get it done as quickly as we possibly could.

“That was back on April 5, 2023, and by Nov. 8, Joel Rose, at the History Museum, told us it was ready to ship out. We wanted to do the unveiling during our reunion last year but we weren’t able to do that but we were able to do it at this reunion.”

Faison saw her idea fulfilled during Saturday’s dedication, where she got to witnesses former teachers and students of SHS participate in the unveiling.

“Let me say one thing as we prepare to unveil this marker,” stressed Pearl Hinson, SHS Class of 1948, just before the unveiling. “There were many individuals today who were emotional when they heard this building was falling down. You can imagine how I felt when I was coming along McKoy Street one day and saw all the fire trucks and all the things here and didn’t know what was happening. Can you imagine how I felt when I stood there witnessing our building burning and falling down. With all that has happened here since then,I can say that I’m truly honored today to have the privilege of helping unveil our marker.”

The marker was funded by the Sampson High School Alumni Association through monies they had gather in hopes of embarking on a renovation project for SHS before it collapsed.

“Well, as a matter of fact, I had done a matching pledge for the school renovation, and due to the fact that the school tumbled before we were able to do the renovation, I suggested that we use some of the funds that I had raised for the matching fund to pay for the marker,” Faison noted.

“I have to give the City of Clinton credit as well because they paid $500 to cover the installation. I’ll say a big thank you to Mary Rose and Joel Rose also. We worked closely with Mr. Joel Rose and Mary Rose in getting language and size of the wording visible for those passing by or stopping to read the maker.

“Everybody thought that it was a wonderful marker, and we have gotten so many calls about it after the event.”

The history of what one day became Sampson High School dates back to 1914, a time when there were 46 Negro schools in Sampson County. Of those, only one was a four-teacher school and it was called Clinton Graded School which was the starting point leading to the birth of Sampson County Training School.

It would be in 1919-20 when CGS, located near the 400 block of Stetson Street, grew to a six-teacher school with 417 students from across Sampson County. The school continued to grow, and it was during that time a private grade school called Union Academy was established near the 400 block of McKoy Street.

It was 1924 when the parcel of land on McKoy and Williams streets in Clinton was obtained and Sampson County Training School was erected. Just two years later, in 1926, it graduated its first class of two students, Estelle Sampson and Agnus Crumpler. It was in that same year that the school was accredited by the State of North Carolina and Union Academy was eventually phased out.

As the school grew, in 1951 third principal Dr. W. H. Watson successfully campaigned for the name change, and Sampson County Training School became Sampson High School.

SHS later merged with Clinton High School and was renamed Sampson Middle School, hosting its final class of graduates in 1969. Despite resistance from over 500 black protesters at that time, the Clinton City Board of Education close the physical building in 1976.

“The years immediately following the dissolution of Sampson High School were of great importance to those preparing young black students to assume their roles in life,” wrote the late Dr. Alfonso Williamson, who detailed the SHS history. “At Sampson High School, the members of the community felt strongly that if our children were to become contributing participants in a complex society, then new concepts must be examined and new direction taken.

“The role of the school was one of helping our people to recognize both their weaknesses and their abilities and to assist in overcoming the former and strengthening the latter so that they may become productive citizens of tomorrow for whom life is rich and meaningful.

“Society places a great responsibility on its members. The different administrators at ‘Dear Old Sampson High School’prepared its graduates to meet such challenges.”

That long touted history and the dedication, itself, was compiled into a program by Mistress of Ceremonies and historian T. Pamela Bennett. While she was tasked with delivering many speeches, it was words she wrote on the back of the program that best accounted her feelings in helping bring the ceremony together for all those who hold SHS dear.

“I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the outstanding historical research of the late Dr. Alfonso Williamson, who painstakingly took time to research the history of Sampson County Training School,” she wrote. “The late Mrs. Neutrice Merritt for having the insight to keep and protect SHS memorabilia, Mrs. Irene Hill-Thomas and Mrs. Maggie Williams for their contributions. Mr. Johnny C. Pridgen, Jr. for his constant dedication to continuously research information on our beloved Sampson High School. Thank you to the many students and teachers that walked the halls, studied, played sports, sung and played in the band, all for the love of Sampson High School, “Home of the Rams””.

The word thank you and shows of gratitude were in abundance throughout the ceremony, and SHSAA President Jesse Williams made sure to pay homage to all that contributed.

“Much work has gone into making this day and this event a reality for all of us who love dear Old Sampson High School,” Williams said. “Special thanks to all the participants and supporters. A very big thank you to Mrs. Pamela Berry Bennett. Her hard work, dedication and diligence has made this program and especially the program booklet history making.

“All this will be a significant part of our archives and treasured memories as we move forward in our second 50 years. The historic marker will be the entrance to our Future Memorial Park and the site of our beloved Sampson High School. Thanks to you Pam, it will forever be in our memory.”