Orange County Training School

Burnice Hackney - On family, school integration, and inequality in Chapel Hill

This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…

Clementine Self - On her childhood, civil rights, education, and school integration

“I was going for my education, I was really going to make a statement that I’ve integrated this school–or desegregated, it was never integrated–desegregated the school. That was my goal.” - Clementine Self Clementine Self is a former student of Lincoln High School in Chapel Hill, NC. She discusses…

Clyde Perry - On his childhood, family, education, and integration

This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…

Doug Clark, Sr. - On growing up in Chapel Hill and high school

"But I'm like this: I don't forget people. Anybody who's a friend of mine that helped me, I don't forget him. I cherish friends; I cherish friendships." - Doug Clark, Sr. Doug Clark, Sr., a musician, was born in Chapel Hill in 1936, where he lived in a close-knit Black neighborhood and attended…

Edwin Caldwell, Jr. - On his family history, activism, and career

"So Chapel Hill, whatever you want to believe, wasn’t as progressive as some people may think." - Edwin Caldwell, Jr. This interview is part of a group of interviews conducted by Susan Simone exploring the lives of various members of the Northside community. In this 2-part interview, Edwin Caldwell,…

Esphur and Harold Foster - On her mother, education, and impact of the Civil Rights Movement

Esphur Foster has lived on Cotton Street in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for 70 years. In this interview, Foster discusses the powerful life of her mother, Hattie Mae Foster, as well as growing up in Chapel Hill during a pivotal time in history. She also describes much about life before, during, and…

Euzelle and R.D. Smith - On changes in Northside

"When I came out of service, the first thing I said to her [Euzelle Smith] was I want a car. I want to buy a new car. She said to me, 'I want a house.' I said, 'Ok, I’m going to build you a house, and I’m going to buy me a car.'" - R.D. Smith The interviewees share their experiences with living in…

Euzelle and R.D. Smith - On Pottersfield and Smith Middle School

"...there was a movement in the town among the parents to change the name of the school because they didn't like their school children going to a training school. Training school has a negative connotation. And even when I would go back that first year or so and my friends would say, 'Where are you…

Frances Hargraves - On childhood, family, education, and teaching

"I remember my mother always told me, 'Whatever job you must do, be sure you give it your best.' She said if it’s sweeping the floor, washing dishes, anything, do it your best. And as I grew, that was her philosophy - always give it your best. And I still carry that philosophy." - Frances…

Gloria Warren - On growing up in Carrboro and Chapel Hill, family, and education

This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…

Hilliard Caldwell - Speaking about his childhood, family, and race

I was president of my student body at Lincoln High from 1955-56. That was the first time that I'd ever ran for an office where people voted for you based on what you stood for. Having experienced that in an all Black high school was the driving point in getting me to want to run for public office…

Isabel Atwater - On growing up during World War II, Black businesses, and Civil Rights

Ms. Atwater speaks about life growing up in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area during World War II. She shares her experiences with her husband, Roy Atwater and her education at the rural Merritt School and Orange County Training School. She was familiar with food rations throughout the time and had…

Mary Norwood Jones - On growing up in Carrboro and her experiences at North Carolina Central University

Mary Norwood Jones is a Chapel Hill Native that attended Lincoln High School while it was still Orange County Training School. She discusses her childhood in the Chapel Hill area around the time of World War II and how the community was close knit. She then goes on to talk about the school and how…

Mary Norwood Jones - On her experiences at Orange County Training School

“First of all, I think that any person who comes to this community to teach in the school system should have a tour of Chapel Hill prior to teaching, so that they will know where the different neighborhoods are and what the neighborhoods are all about. They should know where the historical places…

Nate Davis - On his childhood, education, and school integration

This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…

"The OCTS is over here, on Caldwell. And my mother’s father was one of the ones that laid the cornerstone, they were all masons. And so I went to what they called Northside, but was OCTS, from 1945 which was when I started...and so my class was the first class that went all the way through from the…

Polly McCauley - On growing up in Chapel Hill and her educational experiences

This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…

Program from a memorial service for Orange County Training School and Lincoln High School alumni

This is a scan of the program for the 1995 memorial service for O.C.T.S. and Lincoln High alumni. Item courtesy of Mrs. Pat Jackson

R. D. Smith - About his childhood, career in education, and school integration

This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…

Rebecca Clark - On her childhood, education, and school integration

This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…

Sallie Pendergraft - On her education, faith, the Church of God, and Holmes Child Care

In this interview, Sally Pendergraft (soon turning 99 years old) discusses her family growing up in Durham and Chapel Hill. Her daughter, Christie who spent many years living in Georgia joins her to help her remember details about her life. The conversation covers the founding of the Church of God…

Shirley Bradshaw - On her childhood, education, and school integration

This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…

Ted Stone - On his childhood, values, and school integration

This interview is part of an oral history project called Southern Communities: Listening for a Change: Mighty Tigers--Oral HIstories of Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. The interviewes were conducted from 2000-2001, by Bob Gilgor, with former teachers, staff, and students from Chapel Hill, N.C.'s…

Vivian Foushee - Speaking about growing up in Chapel Hill

"I didn’t know that there were ways that we had to behave and be and appear to be so that we would not be at risk, even in Chapel Hill. And I didn’t understand that for the longest time." - Vivian Foushee Vivian Foushee was born in Chapel Hill, where her father worked for University Cleaners and her…

Willie "Brad" Bradshaw - On his childhood, education, and career coaching sports

“If you have good football teams, it permeates throughout the entire school and it helps the other things that you’re going to do come up to par, come up to snuff or whatever you want to call it. It cuts down on a lot of discipline problems. Kids want to do more in school, because they see the…