[Picture of young school boy at his desk]
[Moton School Logo]

Reception To Honor Lt. Gen. Samuel V. Wilson, Former President Of The Board Of Directors
April 26, 2003

      On April 26th, 2003, a reception was held honoring Lt. Gen. Samuel V. Wilson who served as a member of the Moton Museum Board of Directors from 1997 to 2002. During his term as Board President, the Museum officially opened in 2001 with a program commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Moton student walkout. The Museum also submitted a successful application for a $400,000 Save America's Treasures Grant from the Department of the Interior. In addition to his work with the Museum, as President of Hampden-Sydney College, General Wilson was a driving force behind the symposium "Prince Edward Stories: Race, Schools, America," which received wide public acclaim.


[Picture of L-R: James Young and Ruth Murphy, members of the Moton Museum board of directors, talking with state Senator Frank Ruff]

L-R: James Young and Ruth Murphy, members of the Moton Museum board of directors, talk with state Senator Frank Ruff

 [Picture of Farmville Mayor Sidnor Newman greeting Delegate Clarke N. Hogan and his wife, Linda Gray]

Farmville Mayor Sidnor Newman greets Delegate Clarke N. Hogan and his wife, Linda Gray

[Picture of Mabel and Frank Shanaberger with Susi Wilson, Gen. Wilson's wife, and Col. Martha S. Cleveland]

Mabel and Frank Shanaberger with Susi Wilson, Gen. Wilson's wife, and Col. Martha S. Cleveland

 [Picture of Board of directors member John Allen and wife Carole speaking with Louis Eanes]

Board of directors member John Allen and wife Carole speak with Louis Eanes. Both Mr. Allen, Moton High School class of 1953, and Mr. Eanes, class of 1952, participated in the historic student strike on April 23, 1951

[Picture of Gen. Wilson greeting Ken Woodley, editor of the Farmville Herald and former member of the Moton board]

Gen. Wilson greets Ken Woodley, editor of the Farmville Herald and former member of the Moton board

 [Picture of David Whitus, member of Farmville town council, and Wanda Whitus, member of the Moton board, talking with Thomas Mayfield, Moton board member and president emeritus]

David Whitus, member of Farmville town council, and Wanda Whitus, member of the Moton board, talk with Thomas Mayfield, Moton board member and president emeritus

[Picture of Hugh B. Kennedy, treasurer of the Moton Museum, and Vera J. Allen, Moton board member, past president of the Martha E. Forrester Council of Women]

Hugh B. Kennedy, treasurer of the Moton Museum, and Vera J. Allen, Moton board member, past president of the Martha E. Forrester Council of Women, and one of the earliest leaders of the Moton Museum project

 [Picture of the audience awaiting remarks from the stage of the Moton Museum auditorium]

The audience awaits remarks from the stage of the Moton Museum auditorium

[Picture of On the Moton Museum stage (l. to r.) Gen. Wilson, Delgate Hogan, Sen. Ruff, former Moton board member Sarah Terry (now assistant to Congressman Virgil Goode), Hampden-Sydney College vice president for administration Paul Baker, Mr. Mayfield, and (at the podium) Carl U. Eggleston, current president of the Museum board]

On the Moton Museum stage (l. to r.) Gen. Wilson, Delgate Hogan, Sen. Ruff, former Moton board member Sarah Terry (now assistant to Congressman Virgil Goode), Hampden-Sydney College vice president for administration Paul Baker, Mr. Mayfield, and (at the podium) Carl U. Eggleston, current president of the Museum board. It was on this stage in April 1951 that 16-year-old Barbara Johns called for the historic student walkout to protest the segregated and inadequate conditions at Moton High School

 [Picture of Museum president Carl Eggleston presenting a painting of the Moton building to Gen. Wilson]

Museum president Carl Eggleston presents a painting of the Moton building to Gen. Wilson

[Picture of HPrince Edward supervisor Howard Simpson and Moton board member Ruth Murphy]

Prince Edward supervisor Howard Simpson and Moton board member Ruth Murphy

 [Picture of Museum board member Clara Ligon presenting a book of testimonial letters to Gen. Wilson. Behind them is board president Carl Eggleston]

Museum board member Clara Ligon presents a book of testimonial letters to Gen. Wilson. Behind them is board president Carl Eggleston

 [Picture of Gen. Wilson addressing the gathering]

Gen. Wilson addresses the gathering, deflecting praise from himself and saying that the real heroes were "those courageous African-American youngsters, who took their destiny in their own hands by going on strike from class in this very building on April 23, 1951, while a small group representing them walked down South Main Street to the Prince Edward County Courthouse to petition courteously and peacefully for the right to a school with facilities equal to those of the white children across town."
 
< Top >

< Return to Events >