Some History

Earliest notes available for R B Harrison High School’s History

During the first decade of this century, a one-room elementary school for Black children was built at the corner of Elm and Ash Street. The overflow of children was taken care of in the first building of the Pilgrim Rest Church, which was erected in 1903, at the corner of Fifth and Ash Street The land for the church had been donated by Rev. Henry T Blythe, whose cook was a Charter member.

When the one-room school burned, (no date) it was replaced by a four-room school with three classroom and an auditorium, at Elm and Railroad Street. This school also burned.

In 1927, at Elm and Mathis (which became McHaney), the Blytheville Rosenwald School was built. (It was built across the street where we, "Class of 1964, saw Elem street school). It contained all grades through the TENTH. It became Richard Berry Harrison School, named for the star of "Green Pastures," and continued to house all grades UNTIL 1950.

ALL BACCALAUREATE AND GRADUATION CEREMONIES FOR THE STUDENTS OF THE ROSENWALD/HARRISON SCHOOL took place in a later building of the Pilgrim Rest Church until 1950. Lots of students held their class reunions there. Harrison High School was built across the street. Then, it became Elm Street Elementary School. Alena Wiley was one of its earlier principal. (I guess we still don't know who was Harrisons first principal) It was burned in 1958, and was replaced by Franklin Elementary school which still exist today. (It is now owned by Mississippi County Economic, EOC, Opportunity Commission Head Start\Arkansas Better Chance/Early Head Start/Pregnant Moms and Home Base students programs ages 0-5.

After the Blytheville school district integrated in the 1970s the Harrison building in later years was reopened by a group of gentlemen who called themselves "Men of Distinction". (Leona Bobo Tate, Student) The old Harrison High School housed the Head Start and Focus children programs as well as an after school program and music studio of the Talent Unlimited program for young people, sponsored by the Blytheville, Social and Arts Club. Text by ALENA WILEY.

The first TENTH GRADE graduating class in 1928 of the Blytheville Rosenwald School was: ALBERTA RUSK, CORINE (WILSON) ASKEW, CORBET WADE

ERON SANDERS, AND PEARL BURON.

ERON SANDERS was the valedictorian of the class. She went on to graduate from a four-year high school (Pearl in Nashville, TN), ran a Dairy and delivered milk, and is presently (this was in 1986) working in the Visiting Home Nurse program.

CORBET WADE became the Head Bell Hop at the Novel Hotel.

CORINE ASKEW (whose father was a fireman at Chicago Mill and Lumber Company) worked at Thorton Drugstore on Ash Street Blytheville, Ar. and had a family before she graduated with the first FOUR -YEAR CLASS OF THE Richard Berry Harrison School IN 1935. She went on to serve in the Army, completed her college education at Philander Smith College, and taught at Robinson Elementary School. One of her granddaughters, Barbara, Stewart, Wilder teaches mathematics at Blytheville High School. (Also in 1986) (Also taught at Central High School, Little Rock, AR. What became of the other two graduates is not known. BY ALENA WILEY, Blytheville, AR.

Notes crafted by Leona, Bobo, Tate

Originally submitted by Dee, Rice, Freeman ... 2/28/19