Paris Western High School

Paris Western High School, formerly Paris Western School,^[2] was a segregated public school for African American students in Paris, Kentucky, United States.^[3]

Paris Western High School
Location
7th Street, Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky United States
Information
Former name	Paris Western School Paris Western City School Paris–Western High School
School type	Public
Opened	September 1925
Closed	1964
Color(s)	[1]
Mascot	Tigers

History

Paris Colored High School opened in 1895 as a segregated public school for African American students in Paris.^[4][5] It preceded Paris Western High School which opened in September 1925, with G. W. Adams as principal, and Ennis B. Toles as assistant professor.^[6] During the 1926 commencement ceremony for Paris Western High School, politician Roscoe Conkling delivered the address to the 18 graduating students.^[7]

The school was known for their basketball team and in 1953, the school won the "National Negro High School Championship" a basketball tournament held at Tennessee State University.^[8]

Closure

After Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the city integration committee was led by chair, Grover Baldwin Jr.^[9] In 1963, four Black students were sent to attend Paris High School, the segregated public high school for White students.^[10] The following year in 1964, the school was consolidated and all students from Paris Western High School were moved into Paris High School.^[11] The community reaction to assimilation was rocky at best.^[10]

After the racial-integration, the former Paris Western school building was briefly used as a junior high school.^[10]

Notable people

Alumni of the school include:

• Jim Tucker, basketball player^[12][13]
• George W. Wilson Sr., the first African American to serve in the Kentucky State Cabinet^[14][15]
• William "Chief" B. Reed, former city councilman^[16][15][17]

Former principals at Paris Western High School included teacher G. W. Adams,^[6] Ennis B. Toles,^[18][19] Francis Marion Wood,^[20][21] and William B. Reed.^[9] Faculty included Mary E. Kellis,^[9] Orletta Elizabeth Porter Hurley.^[22]

See also

• History of African Americans in Kentucky

References

1. "Paris Independent Schools to honor former Paris Western". LEX 18 News - Lexington, KY (WLEX). 2020-02-20. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
2. "Paris Schools: Celebrating 150 Years of Excellence in Education". Hopewell Museum. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
3. Scott, Berkeley; Scott, Jeanine (2002). Paris and Bourbon County. Arcadia Publishing. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-7385-1456-7.
4. Jones, Reinette F. (2002). Library Service to African Americans in Kentucky, from the Reconstruction Era to the 1960s. McFarland. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-7864-1154-2.
5. "Paris Colored High School, Colored Addition". The Bourbon News. 1908-09-22. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
6. "Negro High School Opens". Lexington Herald-Leader. 1925-09-13. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
7. "Paris Colored Notes". The Lexington Herald. 1926-06-07. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
8. "Coach Rupp Praises Paris Negro Champions". The Courier-Journal. 1953-05-09. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
9. "Baldwin Heads Integration Unit". The Lexington Herald. 1955-12-08. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
10. Blackford, Linda (2004-05-17). "Paris switch rocky before acceptance". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
11. Ellis, William E. (2011-06-17). A History of Education in Kentucky. University Press of Kentucky. p. 299. ISBN 978-0-8131-4023-0.
12. "Paris Western star, Duquesne All-American Jim Tucker has died". WKYT. May 23, 2020. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
13. "Former Paris Boy Is Cage Star At Duquesne". The Paducah Sun. 1953-03-14. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
14. "Wilson, George W., Sr". Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, University of Kentucky Libraries, University of Kentucky. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
15. Smith, Gerald L.; McDaniel, Karen Cotton; Hardin, John A. (2015-08-28). The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 424, 535. ISBN 978-0-8131-6066-5.
16. "W.B. Reed, educator, KSU star, dies at 84". The Courier-Journal. 1996-12-12. p. 19. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
17. "Reed, William B. "Chief"". Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, University of Kentucky Libraries, University of Kentucky. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
18. "Ennis B. Toles". The Lexington Herald. 1922-05-14. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
19. "Paris Colored Notes". The Lexington Herald. 1925-09-13. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
20. Kleber, John E. (2014-10-17). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-8131-5901-0.
21. "Normal School Ends". Lexington Herald-Leader. 1922-08-08. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
22. "Bourbon educator, children advocate, dies". Lexington Herald-Leader. 1990-10-22. p. 24. Retrieved 2023-02-07.