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A number of requests have come in to the Prince Edward County School Board, each asking for a specific school, gym or other building to be named in someone’s honor. In order to address these requests, the school board has formed a naming committee to look at the different options and start compiling data for a future discussion. 

The foundation of that group was created two months ago, at the school board’s Feb. 5 meeting. It’s been put on hold, somewhat in recent months, board member Cainan Townsend said, because of one other project. 

“We were trying to resolve our large personnel search for superintendent before we got other things going,” Townsen said during the board’s Wednesday, April 16 meeting. “But expect to hear from us within the next couple of weeks.” 

Townsend and Board Chair Lucy Carson had volunteered to serve on the committee back in February. Since then, seven different residents have reached out, asking to be considered for a seat as well. Townsend told board members he would send the names of those willing to serve, with a possible vote on them coming at the board’s May meeting. 

The main focus of the naming committee so far has been the middle school gym floor, which has been brought up in discussions about getting named for someone. Several other options have also popped up. 

Not the first time this has been brought up 

This isn’t the first time parts of the school district have been discussed for naming rights. Back in 2014, the school board voted to name the high school auditorium after Barbara Rose Johns; the middle school cafeteria in honor of the Rev. L. Francis Griffin; and the school board’s meeting room for long-time Superintendent Dr. James M. Anderson.

Sixteen-year-old Johns led a walkout of students at the R.R. Moton High School (located at the corner of Main Street and Griffin Boulevard) on April 23, 1951 to protest unequal school facilities. Her actions, and that of others, eventually led to the court case that became part of the Brown Supreme Court decision that ended segregation in public schools.

Rev. Griffin, then pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmville, picked up the mantle of the civil rights struggle. It is his daughter whose name is on the court case decided by Supreme Court (Cocheyse J. Griffin, et als, v. County School Board of Prince Edward County), which effectively declared if Prince Edward did not operate public schools there could be no public schools in Virginia because it was a denial of equal protection of the law.

Dr. Anderson served as the superintendent of the County’s public schools for 25 years, leading the school division following the reopening of the public schools. (Rather than integrate, Prince Edward closed their public schools from 1959-64.)

More about naming committee, history

Also of interest from that Dec. 3, 2014 meeting is a vote the school board took to set naming criteria for future buildings, gym floors, etc. The board outlined that the individual being honored must have made a significant contribution to public education that impacted Prince Edward County’s entire school division; that the location name would transfer to any future building (should, for example a new high school be built, Barbara Johns name would be applied to the new site); and that the sites would be identified by their honorary name in any announcements, publications or other school related documents.