The R.A. Clement Association will hold its 17th reunion July 4 through 6 at the Holiday Inn in Salisbury and Third Creek AME Zion Church in Cleveland.
The weekend gathering includes a reunion dinner and social at 7 p.m. July 4. The association’s annual meeting and picnic will be held at noon on Saturday at Third Creek AME Zion.
The Classes of 1948, 1958, 1968, 1957 and 1967 will be celebrating reunions over the weekend.
The Friday program will feature recipients of the 2007 and 2008 R.A. Clement and George Knox Scholarship Recipients.
They are Larissa Williams, Courtney Sawyer, Katherine Ormond, Tyreshia Hipps, Stephanie Cuthbertson, Christopher Martin, Olivia Scott, Melissa Turman, Laesha Blakney, Jerica Sherrill, Malcolm P. Gaither, Tiffany Anderson and Jasmine Perry.
Participants in the Friday evening dinner are Carolyn Snipes, Norris Anderson, the Rev. Rudolph Cornelius, Evangelist Frances Johnson Ellis, Vera Avery, Charles Knox, Gene Steele, Dorothy Bost Scott and Doris Lovell Noble.
R.A. Clement School was officially named in 1943 and operated as a high school from 1948 to 1968. The original school organized in a one-room building around 1880 as the Cleveland Colored school, under the leadership of George Huff.
Other principals between 1880 and 1968 included Dr. B.F. Murray, the Rev. W.M. Wyatt, Rev. A.B. Mosley and Rev. J.M. Morton.
From 1930 through 1936, under the administration of Rose D. Aggrey and I.T. McClain, the consolidation program was initiated, and Avery Town, Barber and Woodleaf schools were added. In 1943, the school was named in honor of Rufus Alexander Clement for his outstanding work in the community.
In 1946, S.E. Biggers continued the consolidation program, adding Cowan, Second Creek, York 1, York 2, Jump and Run and Hart schools. The athletic program was organized, and the flat top building completed in 1948.
Dr. James A. Clarke succeeded Biggers and continued expansion. George Knox, of Landis, became principal in 1956 and served until R.A. Clement School became West Rowan Junior High School in 1968. Knox, along with other former teachers and friends, will join those who proudly attended R.A. Clement for the upcoming reunion.
Members of the Planning Committee are Carolyn Snipes, Norris Anderson, Gene Steele, Dorothy Scott, John R. Woods, Roman Culbertson, Diane Rankin, Shirley Cuthbertson, Josephine Houston, Joyce Smyre, Leonard Hall, Grace Jones and Catrelia Hunter. Please contact any members of the committee for additional information or for tickets to the event.