Four dozen Escambia County Training School alumni and guests were on hand Friday, September 29, for the 15th annual gathering of graduates.
The event, hosted by the ECTS Class of 1967, included an alumni breakfast and games at David’s Catfish House, along participation in several Escambia County High School homecoming activities. Graduates traveled from Pensacola and Daphne and from as far away as Michigan, Texas and Georgia.
“I would like to say thanks to all alumni, guests, program participants and those who sent donations,” said Barbara Poole Harris, who founded the gathering and serves as its chair. “The program was a great success. The attendance was a little less than last year, but everybody had a great time.”
The attendees represented 17 ECTS graduating classes, including 10 from the Class 1967, which served as the host. The roster of attendees included
* Class of 1967: Annie L. Brown, Annie V. Brown, Eula McNeal Davis (Advisor), Sarah Stots Flavors, Barbara Poole Harris, Rosie Robinson Jones, Arthur James Pierce, Ann Travis Powell, Shirley Gray Smith, Carolyn Myles West.
* Class of 1956: Delois Campbell Gandy.
* Class of 1957: Willie Ruth Tolbert Knott, Bishop Willie Lee Williams.
* Class of 1959: Emily Harris Thames.
* Class of 1960: Emma Johnson Thomas, Mildred Poindexter, Robert White.
* Class of 1962: Mary Ethel Harris Bolden, Dan York.
* Class of 1964: Salena Fantroy Johnson.
* Class of 1965: Elouise Smith Sprueil.
* Class of 1966: Rebecca Finney Thompson, Shirley Bynum Hazley McDowell, Carol Price James, Ruby Nell Williams White, Barbara Grissett Dailey
* Class of 1969: Ida Brown Coger, Gwen Dale Frye, Bessie Williams Tanner.
* Class of 1971: Rev. Jacob Archie Jr., Yvonne Johnson Grissett Archie, Clifford Knott.
* Class of 1972: Ann McNeal.
* Class of 1973: Annie Leslie Poole.
* Class of 1975: Fred Flavors.
* Class of 1983: Prophet Michael Henderson.
* Class of 1985: Rosalind Rogers Henderson.
* Class of 1988: Sandra Dennis.
Guests included LaTosha Dortch, Michele Gough, Jeffery Thames, James Sprueil, Vince Burk, Duane McKinney, Daniel Anderson, Misty Rui, NeKeeya McCllan
Harris said plans are already in the works to hold next year’s gathering at Power Pentecostal Holiness Church, a significant portion of which was built with bricks from the original high school, Escambia County’s first public education facility for blacks.
“Next year, with God’s blessing, the program will be held in the Rosenwald School (chorus, math, science building), where Power Pentecostal Holiness Church is now,” Harris said. “The guest speaker will be Dr. Max Parker, a member of the Class of 1959.”